Misplacing your mobile phone is a real pain in the neck, considering how expensive devices have proven to be over time. Aside from the price, the documents and personal files attached to losing your iPhone or mobile device are frustrating.
Aside from losing these personal files, there are individual items on your mobile device you wouldn’t want any third party to go through on your mobile phone, such as your Bank apps, personal pictures, and private conversations.
This article will look at ways to find your lost mobile phone.
Use the Find My iPhone feature available on iOS devices and Find My Phone on Android devices.
It is one of the easiest and fastest ways to locate your lost iPhone. The Find My iPhone feature comes standard with all iOS devices, including the iPhone. This system is designed to show the accurate location of all your iOS devices, including your airbags,ipads, MacBooks, and so on.
This feature has proven to be a lifesaver over time, as it’s the easiest and fastest way to respond to a lost or stolen iPhone. However, this system has pros and cons, which we will discuss in a second.
How does this system work?
First, you must turn on the Find My iPhone feature. This feature helps you lock your iPhone against thieves and ensures that it cannot be erased without your Apple ID email and password. After activation, you can secure your iPhone by sharing your location with a family member or friend. This helps you locate your iPhone in case you don’t have another Apple device in an emergency.
Key features in the Find My iPhone
Play sound: This helps make a beeping sound if you are close to the lost iPhone.
Direction: this helps in providing Accurate directions to the lost iPhone
Notifications: This feature helps notify you when a lost iPhone is found and when the device is left behind.
Mark it as lost: This helps lock the device till it is found. This feature usually displays an email or phone number to contact when closed in case it is found.
Erase this phone: This feature enables you to erase all data on the iPhone as soon as it’s activated.
Using Google Find My device
This feature, too, is similar to the Find My iPhone feature on the Apple iPhone. However, it is a much simpler method. To use it, log on to Google Find (https://www.google.com/android/find/) and log into the Gmail account associated with your Android phone. This will automatically pinpoint your iPhone remotely. However, specific settings need to be turned on for this to function.
Using the Google Maps app, you can also share your location with a family member or friend. This can help as this operation is done in the background. So, by any chance, if this phone is stolen, the thieve won’t have an idea it’s traceable.
Key features in the Google Find My Device.
Play sound: This helps make a beeping sound if you are close to the lost iPhone.
Secure device: This locks the device pending when it is found. This logs out of your Google account on the phone and deletes all saved cards from your wallet.
Factory reset: this helps to reset the device
Pros and cons
Pros
This is an immediate emergency response to a stolen device or lost device
This feature is simple and easy to use, as it is easily accessible on your carry-on devices
cons
One of the significant disadvantages of this method is that this device has to be connected to the internet for this to work, which means, for example, someone can easily bypass it, and basically, it has to be done as soon as your device gets lost.
Another disadvantage is that the device’s background location has to be turned on, and find my device on at every moment, which tends to cause significant battery drain.
Finding your lost mobile device using the IMEI number
The IMEI number is a specific 15-digit number assigned to your mobile device from the factory. IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity, And this number can be found on the carton of the device, in settings, or by dialing some specific code on your mobile device. On your iPhone, you can just simply dial *#06# to get it. This 15-digit number is specifically applied to every smartphone in the globe as a distinct way of identification.
While your mobile device can be easily reset to its factory settings, the imei of a mobile device can never be changed, and that’s why it is the surest form of mobile phone recovery, as a phone thief cannot easily bypass this method.
How does recovering a mobile device work with the imei?
Now, you need to understand that every smartphone has a GPS ( Global Positioning System )
Several roles are played here, one is from the mobile service provider. Mobile service providers have these towers called mast what this does is whenever a phone has an active sim card on it, this sim card sends signals to these mast towers, which in turn provides an accurate identification for your mobile device for it to function in this case, the imei and other network logs which also enables the network providers to have a full context of your mobile device
All mast towers are location-tagged. This enables the network providers to get the accurate location of this lost device as soon as it’s connected to a network.
But this method is too complicated for you to do alone, and that’s where you need help.
What are the steps to take when your device is lost?
Firstly, you must contact your local police in collaboration with your network providers, as they have the appropriate technology to pull an imei device recovery off.
How to recover your mobile device using the IMEi
- Head to your local police station
- Fill up a complaint for a missing device
- Submit all necessary details, including the imei
- The police, in collaboration with the network providers, start the tracking process.
- Have some patience and allow the authorities to find your lost device
Using third-party apps
There are a lot of apps and software that provide third-party location tracking, such as a phone tracker and GPS location on the Google Play Store. What this app does is enable a user to track the location of another user actively. However, there is a catch to this method as it can only be done with the other user’s permission. But would you want to give up your location privacy in other to safeguard your device? Well, I guess not, but it’s advisable for your device’s safety.
I deem this method to be your last resort, as it can be easily bypassed.
In conclusion
Finding your lost device has proven to be an issue, but following these steps can be a game changer and give you an edge against thieves.
Getting back a lost device hangs on a slim chance. Always act fast, as this could be the standing point for recovering your lost or stolen device.