How to track a lost Android phone using IMEI number

Misplaced your Android phone? Don’t worry! Here’s how you can use your phone’s IMEI number to track and recover it fast and safely.

Track a lost Android phone with IMEI number

It doesn’t work!

Don’t waste your time.

This whole IMEI technique is used by the police, detectives and law enforcement. It’s illegal for random apps to access IMEI tracking details.

A random mobile app will not be able to help you find your lost cell phone using an IMEI number. Only law enforcement can.

So how can you track your lost Android device?

You need to use the apps provided by Google or Apple. There are third-party apps that help prevent your phone from getting stolen — we’ll cover them all.

Find your Android Device

Google itself offers the Find My Device service.

You don’t need to download the app. You just need to search for “Find my Device” on Google.
Google shows you the last place where the device’s GPS location was tracked and displays it on a map.
This does not work if the phone is turned off or location is disabled.

Is this feasible? No. Even though you can see the location, going there and trying to find the phone can be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Prevention is the best cure!

If you’re worried about losing your phone, it’s better to install a theft-prevention app ahead of time.

Today we cover the Find Lost Phone app.

This app has one of the highest ratings among similar apps — a 4.2 rating and over 5 million downloads.

One word of advice: it has a TON of ads and can be irritating.

Here are the features:

Secure your phone online

To protect your phone, connect the app on this device to another phone that’s logged into the same app with the same email address. That’s the only practical way to track it remotely — essentially setting up a remote device pair.

#1 — Ring Silent Phone

You can ring a lost phone from the paired phone (the one logged into the same email).

#2 — Get Lost Phone

Use the “Get Lost Phone” feature to locate another device logged to the same email address.

#3 — Last Hope

The Last Hope option is a last resort: send a custom message to your lost phone and hope a decent person responds.

Lost phone security offline

One of the best parts of the app is the anti-theft features. Key ones include:

#4 — Don’t touch my phone

If your phone is sitting on a table and you don’t want anyone to touch it, enable the “don’t touch my phone” mode. If someone tries to take the device, it starts ringing. Press the volume button three times to stop the alarm before picking it up.

#5 — Don’t unplug charger

If someone unplugs your charging phone (airport, cafe, etc.), an alarm will sound to alert you and bystanders.

#6 — Anti-Pocket Snatching

The pickpocket feature triggers an alert when someone attempts to pull the phone from your pocket — very useful in crowded tourist spots.

GPS Phone Tracking

Two GPS features track the location of the phone where the Find My Phone app is installed:

#7 — GPS Phone tracker

The GPS tracker records current location and location history so you can see where your device has been.

#8 — My Location

This is a test to confirm whether the GPS on your phone is working properly.

Can an IMEI be traced?

An IMEI number can be traced, but only by law enforcement and by your carrier. Your carrier can also trace a phone using its IMEI.

How does an IMEI tracker work?

IMEI-based tracking works by the carrier using cellular signals tied to the IMEI. The network identifies which cell tower the device is nearest to; law enforcement can use that tower approximation to narrow the search area — not the exact coordinates.

Can a switched-off phone be tracked using its IMEI number?

No. If a phone is off the network (turned off), you can’t track it via IMEI. Once a SIM is inserted and the phone is powered on, it can be traced again.