Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched answer. Yes, the police can track a stolen phone using either your phone number or the phone's IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). Whether or not the police prioritize looking for your stolen phone is another matter.
The police won't track your phone without reason, but they can access your device's location history in an emergency or if they suspect criminal activity. Once they have a warrant, the police can access a phone's GPS data through a cell provider and view its current or last known location.
Sell it for parts
In the most common scenario, the smartphone is simply sold for parts, especially if the thief found it locked. If the purpose was just to steal a phone, not to hurt you specifically, chances are the thief will not purposefully try to hack it.
No. The IMEI is merely an identification number. It has no magical tracking properties of its own.
The answer to that is a simple yes! All phones, whether an iPhone or an android, can be tracked down without a sim card or network. Still, they will need to have a secure Wi-Fi connection to be accurate.
1.1 Each mobile handset has a unique identification number known as an International Mobile Equipment Identity number or more commonly an IMEI. With the IMEI being unique to the individual handset it provides police opportunities to identify and recover stolen property.
Only 10% of U.S. smartphone owners have their devices stolen, but once the gadgets are taken, 68% of victims are unable to get them back, a report Wednesday said.
Originally Answered: Can a stolen Android be tracked if it was factory reset? No you cannot track after a device has been reset. For the tracking to work the location services have to be turned on which will be default to off after a reset.
“They have a high status and their resale value is high compared to other electronics.” Thieves have little trouble “wiping” the device of personal information without triggering a tracking device, he says, and if a phone isn't password-protected, it can easily be reset by its new user.
GPS works by measuring the time it takes a radio signal to travel between one of the many satellites orbiting the earth and a cellphone. This time is used to determine the location of the phone, and it happens almost instantaneously.
It is now possible to track any IMEI online without going through any intermediate service provider. Google "IMEI tracker online free" and choose the website of your choice. This online service allows you to locate your phone number displayed conveniently on a map.
Thieves can always erase your device and keep using it—unless you enable something like Activation Lock on an iPhone or iPad—but they can't get at your personal data if your device's storage is encrypted.
Can a lost or stolen phone be activated? Yes. Report it to your carrier.
Yes, it's possible for the thief to factory reset the phone from recovery menu. However, if you had a screen lock set on the phone and your Google account set up on it, the phone would become unusable after the reset, as the thief would need one of these to set up the phone again.
Each IMEI number is unique to a mobile set and can never be changed or replaced, unlike a SIM card.
They will try to wipe out the data including photos, videos, documents, audios, etc. from stolen iPhones for resale. Thieves know several techniques to erase everything from the stolen phone. Plus, thieves are also capable of tricking the buyer that stolen iPhone is clean and unlocked.
An Android phone can be found through the Android Device Manager. To find your phone, simply go to the Find My Device site and log in using the Google account that is associated with your phone. If you have more than one phone, choose the lost phone in the menu at the top of the screen.
Some phone-criminals are mainly focused on accessing your data, as it's worth more to them than the handset itself. Armed with your personal information, identity fraud becomes a piece of cake. They can access your sensitive files, for example, or even pay a visit to your online bank account.
Once the IMEI number is modified, it is pretty much impossible to locate the lost cell phone. Can IMEI be unblocked? After blocking your IMEI number, it will be blacklisted thus forbidding you to use your mobile from that instant. Basically, the device is blocked for protective purposes such as due to theft incidents.
Through this CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register) database, you can trace your lost or stolen mobile by following a few steps. The portal requires only the 15-digit IMEI number of the lost phone (which you can find on the packing or the bill). You can also block your phone using the same website.
The police may obtain your opened and unopened messages that are 180 days old or older with a subpoena. But they have to let you know once they've requested this access from the provider. Law enforcement are allowed to access older, unread emails without telling you if they obtain a court order.
When a smartphone is stolen, it can easily be sold on the underground market. Many pawn shops are ready and willing to purchase and sell mobile phones. With no questions asked, these pawn shops will sell stolen phones to customers who believe that they are getting a good deal.