Phones come in different sizes, shapes and features. They are used for a whole lot of things — connect with people, get information, make transactions, etc.
Along with their components and use comes their price range (which for some, cost an arm and a leg…figuratively!)
When you lose your phone, there is this feeling of dread that comes with it — thoughts of losing your contacts, important information stored on your phone, illegal activities being carried out with your phone or how much it cost (and will cost) you getting another one.
What then happens when you lose something as important as your mobile phone?
In this article, we will be spilling the tea on how you can track (and possibly retrieve) your missing phones without breaking a sweat and involving the police.
Imei number
One way of recovering your missing phone is through your device’s IMEI number.
International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a 15-digit number that is unique to your phone.
IMEI numbers can be found on your device’s phone pack, on your device’s battery, and in the “About’ section of your phone.
You could also dial *#06# and your phone’s IMEI number will be displayed on your screen.
They can be used to track and recover stolen phones by network providers and the police.
This is possible because whenever you use your phone to make calls, receive calls or send SMS, your phone sends your IMEI number to the base of the network provider.
Tracking Services and Apps
For Android users, Google is the easiest and most common method of finding your missing phone and the reason is that Android phones come with pre-installed Google apps like Google Maps, Google Play Store and Gmail.
All it takes for you to find your phone is for you to log into your Google account on a web browser then type on the Google search bar “Find My Device”. It also has an app.
This will allow Google use device information, location data and connection events to locate your device.
The search result will show a map with the last known location of your device.
However, device location is approximate and may not always be accurate.
If the map shows your phone isn’t within reach (at a far distance) and you need to pick it up, you can secure it to make sure that no one can access your data.
All you need to do is set a password on your Android that only you can unlock then send a message to the device for anyone who finds the phone.
If the map shows your phone is within reach but you do not know the exact location and you can’t hear it ring because it is set to “silent”, you can turn the ringer on for five minutes through the service while you search for your device.
If there is no chance that you may recover your phone, you can, as a last resort, wipe all data from the stolen device. This means you won’t be able to find your device again.
For iPhone and Android as well, the Life360 Family locator can be used to track your phone, share your location and its GPS locator can be used to follow one another in real time.
In our next article, we will be reviewing five (5) apps that you can use to track your phone. Stay with us.
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