The frantic pace of life of a modern person leaves no opportunity to spend a lot of time with loved ones. But the advances in technology make it possible to track the location of a person who is far away. For example, taking care of where the child is at the moment, and whether everything is okay with elderly parents, with the help of "smart" gadgets and technologies, you can easily determine the location of the right person. How to track an iPhone - all possible ways are discussed below.
How can I track another person’s iPhone using the Apple app
To do this, it is advisable to use the service "Find Friends." With it, you can track the iphone of a friend or relative and, without asking the addressee about his current location, come to a meeting. But searching for an iPhone in this way is possible only if the other person also has a smartphone from Apple.
To activate this service, you need to download the application (you can via a computer) and send invitations to e-mail to friends or relatives, whose location will be needed in the future. After confirming the invitations, it will be possible to determine the location of the desired subscriber. Also, those who installed the application will be able to find you by looking at the map on the iPhone.
In addition, through an application from Apple you can track someone else’s iPhone from a computer, it has a function such as setting a notification mode for important events for a subscriber. For example, an iPhone can notify its owner when a child comes from school, etc.
How can I track iPhone through mobile operators
Such a service is provided legally by most operators, but it is paid. Moreover, access to the Internet to use the service is not necessary at all: the search is carried out in the cells by phone number. The subscriber who activated the service will be able to see the location of the right person also on the map or receive messages about the location of a particular object.
By the way, a stolen iPhone will be much easier to find if the tracking service is connected to it. Any person can steal a gadget, and in order to take care of the safety of their belongings, it is worth purchasing such a service.
To activate the tracking service through a mobile operator, you need to send a corresponding request, indicating the number of the person for whom you want to establish monitoring. After that, an SMS will come to his phone with a request to accept or reject the application through which tracking will be carried out. If he gives a positive answer, it will be possible to determine his location with an accuracy of 100 meters.
Speaking about the accuracy of the location of the right person, it is worth noting that in the conditions of the city it will be high. If we consider the quality of services in the suburbs and in bad weather conditions, the accuracy of determining the location will be lower.
Independent iPhone Tracking Apps
In addition to the “Find Friends” service and the services of mobile operators, Apple offers several alternative options on the mobile application site. The most popular navigation programs are:
- X-GPS Tracker;
- Where I am;
- Mom knows;
- FindMyKids-Footprints;
- Where are the children and many others.
The named programs allow you to determine the location where the subscriber is located by phone number or GPS coordinates. Due to this, the accuracy of calculating the location of the right person increases significantly compared to other services, even in places with poor network coverage. In addition, monitoring through such programs is possible both for one person and for a group of people. But, as in the cases described above, it will be necessary to obtain appropriate permission from them.
Some applications are so high-tech that they transmit the battery level of the device being monitored. So, if the battery is nearing full discharge, a message will be sent to the smartphone of the one who is observing about the latest coordinates of the location of the object.
Popular instant messengers - such as Viber or WhatsApp, can also determine where a particular subscriber is currently located. But for this, the user needs to activate the geolocation function. In Viber, if the location option is enabled, you can see information about the received message. WhatsApp has a special option through which you can send another person a message about the location of the iPhone.
What about other options?
In addition to the above, there are other ways to track the location of a person by iPhone. But they all differ from those named in that they violate human rights, i.e. are illegal. So to use them or not is a private matter for everyone.
Such programs and services, in addition to determining the location of an object, often provide access to messages on his smartphone - incoming and outgoing. You can purchase such programs on various sites.
However, when buying an illegal development, you should think carefully. Of course, you can act as a spy and monitor your spouse, colleagues, etc. But it should be remembered that the developers probably introduced a malicious code into such programs through which they can access your personal information - passwords from bank cards and electronic wallets.
The loss of a mobile phone becomes a real tragedy for a modern person, because it stores contacts, correspondence, passwords for social networks, banking applications and much more. There are many ways to find lost phones, but not all of them are properly efficient. And some methods do not give any results at all. Many people ask - is it possible to find a phone via IMEI via satellite for free?
Let's see what this technique is and what its effectiveness is.
What is IMEI
IMEI is a unique mobile phone identification number. It consists of 15 digits and does not change when changing the number. IMEI is flashed in the phone’s memory and stored there forever, so changing it is very problematic. In some countries, this process is criminally punishable, so experimenting with changing this number is not necessary. IMEI is tied directly to the telephone. It is transmitted to the cellular network as one of the equipment identifiers.
If the device has support for two SIM-cards, then there will be two IMEI numbers, not one. In this way, cellular networks track IMEI and phone numbers. All this allows you to remotely lock equipment and track down lost or stolen telephones.
In order to find out the IMEI of your mobile phone, look under the battery or type the command * # 06 #. It is also indicated on the warranty card and on the packaging.
How to find a phone by IMEI
Phone search by IMEI is as follows:
- A request is submitted to law enforcement authorities (documents for the telephone are also provided there);
- Law enforcement authorities submit requests to mobile operators (together with IMEI);
- Cellular operators look for the device in their databases and find out who owns the SIM card that is installed in this device;
- The obtained data are sent to law enforcement agencies for further proceedings.
Thus, you can find a phone by IMEI, but satellites have nothing to do with it, since cellular communication has nothing to do with satellites. What will law enforcement do? They will find out who owns the SIM card and find the one who is using the phone at the moment. You can find a stolen phone by IMEI, but the police most often do not do this. The exception is complicated cases when the police are interested in solving the case and catching the offender. In other cases, no one is looking for stolen phones, although there is still a technical possibility.
Moreover, operators are able to block lost phones at their level, depriving them of the opportunity to register on their networks (in practice, this feature is practically not used). Is it possible to find a phone by IMEI if it is simply lost? Neither the police nor the mobile operator will be involved in this. The search is laborious, and the police are not a lost property office. Therefore, you will have to deal with the search for your lost phone yourself, without relying on anyone else's help.
We are looking for a phone on our own
The phone was stolen and you want to find it by IMEI online? We dare to assure you that it is almost impossible. The network simply does not have such services that could show the position of the phone by its IMEI. The only way out is to use special tracking services that allow you to track modern smartphones by reading their approximate coordinates and transmitting them via the Internet. All other services are nothing more than fiction.
Recently, services have begun appearing on the Internet to find out if a phone with a particular IMEI is listed as missing. That is, people register their devices in these services, after which they have additional chances to find phones in case of loss. Naturally, there is no talk of tracking phones here - these services are purely informational. And they are not widely used, so the chances of finding a lost pipe with their help are still small.
Finding a phone via IMEI via satellite is nothing more than a picture from a science fiction movie. Therefore, one does not have to rely on the availability of such services in real life.
An accidentally lost or stolen iPhone can be found using the built-in functions of the device or special applications. And you can do this from a computer or other smartphone. Next, we will tell you how to find an iPhone through another iPhone and analyze other possible ways.
Search for iPhone using the Find iPhone app
Find iPhone is Apple's proprietary service for finding and protecting Apple devices. Shows the location of the iPhone and allows you to block it. It can be used only after presetting:
- Using another phone, log in to the Find My iPhone application using your Apple ID account. It is available for free download through the App Store.
- If there is no access to another mobile device, then use a browser on your computer. Open the iCloud website and log in using your Apple ID account. You need to use the account of the lost device (even if it is turned off).
- In the main menu of the cloud service, select the "Find iPhone" function and re-enter your Apple account.
- If you use several devices, then select one from the list. After that, the smartphone will appear on the map. Click Play Sound to play the melody.
- If the device is turned on, then it will be possible to send an additional message to it with a request to call back to the specified number. The text is displayed on the screen.
- If the iPhone was lost outside the apartment, then you can find out the approximate location by geolocation. To do this, on the device, you must enable the additional option "Last location".
The service can only be used if the lost iPhone is connected to the Internet. If it is turned off, you can only find out its last location.
How to track a friend’s iPhone through Find My Friends
Find My Friends is a free mobile application that allows you to share geolocation data with friends. Allows you to remotely search for a device in case of loss. How to see the location of another iPhone:
- Install “Find My Friends”. To do this, download the application through the official App Store.
- Log in using your account and in the upper right corner click on the plus icon.
- Enter information about another device (friend) that you want to allow access to your data and click "Send".
- Install the application on another smartphone or send the link to a friend. After that, you must allow the user access to the geodata.
- A list of connected devices will be displayed on the main screen of the application, on the map.
After that, you can find your friend’s iPhone and vice versa. The application allows you to find out where the person is (user permission is required) and can be used to search for their devices.
An attacker can reflash a found iPhone. Then you can track it by IMEI. To do this, you will have to seek help from a mobile operator through law enforcement agencies.
Finding iPhone through Apple Watch
The method is suitable if the service for determining geolocation is turned off on the iPhone. If the device was lost within the apartment and at the same time is associated with a smart watch:
- Turn on the Apple Watch and call up the dial on the screen (press the Digital Crown wheel).
- Launch the “Control Center”. To do this, swipe up on the touch screen.
- An interface with available functions opens. Find the smartphone icon here and click on it.
- After that, the iPhone will lose the melody (even if the silent mode is turned on).
When the phone is found, be sure to activate the “Find iPhone” service on it and allow the transfer of the last location to the server. This will help if the next time you leave the device outside the apartment.
How to Find iPhone by IMEI
IMEI is a unique 15-digit identifier that is assigned to each mobile device. With it, you can determine the location of the iPhone, but only if GPS or data transfer is turned on.
If the device was lost or stolen, then follow these steps:
- Add IMEI iPhone to online database of stolen smartphones. This will help reduce the likelihood of reselling the device in the secondary market.
- Report your missing person to law enforcement. To do this, you will have to additionally inform the device’s IMEI (available in the documentation, on the box) and Apple ID account information.
- Try to find your iPhone yourself via IMEI-Poisk 2.0, TrackerPlus or SNDeepInfo. Actually, if it was found and connected to the network.
If the attacker managed to turn off the device and replace the SIM card, then the last location of the iPhone can be found through the mobile operator. Information is provided only after an official request from law enforcement agencies. That is why in case of loss, it is necessary to write a statement about the theft.
Search iPhone through a mobile operator
You can track the location of any person by his phone number, for this you need to get his permission and connect a special service through a mobile operator. Features:
- The cost of connection and other tariffing conditions differ depending on the company that provides communication services.
- Not all mobile operators allow you to share your location with friends (even after obtaining permission).
- You can track even a turned off smartphone.
- No need to install additional applications. To search, just send a short USSD command or log in to your account on the mobile operator’s website.
The service is suitable for those who want to track the location of children, relatives. Access to information can be obtained through your personal account or from another mobile phone. Specify features at the operator.
According to statistics, law enforcement agencies find a stolen device in the first days after treatment. The faster the owner of the iPhone writes a statement, the higher the likelihood of it being detected.
How to find an iPhone if it is turned off
If the device has run out of power or has been turned off, you can find it by Apple ID. To do this, use the official Find My iPhone app. It shows the location of the iPhone at the moment or sends information to the server before disconnecting. Instruction:
- Download the Find My iPhone application on another Apple device and find it by Apple ID (authorization required). Or access the service via iCloud from a computer.
- Through the “Find My iPhone” service, enable “Lost Mode”. You can do this through another phone or computer (after authorization in iCloud using Apple ID). Then, after connecting the device to the network, information will be displayed on the screen with a request to contact the owner.
The iPhone sends geolocation data before shutting down. If after moving the device will be connected to the Internet, the information on the map will be automatically updated.
You can track an iPhone stolen or accidentally forgotten somewhere in different ways. The easiest way is to use the built-in Find My Phone service for this, but if it has not been configured in advance, you will have to turn to law enforcement for help. Police officers will be able to find an iPhone via IMEI.
Hello! Unfortunately, no one is safe from the risk of losing or theft of your beloved iPhone. Such a situation can happen to absolutely anyone - you can’t protect yourself from this. The situation becomes especially sad if you look at the statistics on the disclosure of cases of theft of mobile phones - the numbers are not the most comforting. Why are there disappointing ... they are very frightening!
But! No need to immediately despair, become discouraged and sprinkle ash on your head. Why? Because sometimes the situation can still be solved in your favor - after all, the possibility of finding a lost iPhone still remains. Yes, the chances are not maximum ... but they are! This is what will be discussed in the framework of today's publication.
Are you ready? Let's go!
Features and search tools turned off iPhone
About Find My iPhone
Immediately dispel the illusions of many users: in a miraculous way, you can’t find the iPhone off without the appropriate pre-configuration of it at the moment. But every iPhone user running iOS version 7 and fresh can protect themselves from the irrevocable loss of their favorite smartphone - starting with the mentioned edition of the operating system, Apple offers its users a very useful feature called “Find iPhone”. It is she who is the main tool for finding a lost phone.
There are a few comments.
Firstly, this function must first be activated. In general, it can be included initially, but it will not hurt to check () and be safe.
Secondly, the “Find iPhone” function allows you to track the movement of the turned off gadget in real time. It also provides data on the last location of the device before it was turned off, or it makes it possible to determine where the iPhone is after turning it on.
To activate the mentioned feature, we find the iCloud section in the Settings, click on Find iPhone, and activate the option if it is disabled by moving the slider accordingly.
To search for a lost iPhone with the mentioned function in the activated state, you need to go to the iCloud.com service website and go to the corresponding section. Information about the last location of the device before disconnecting, or about its current location, if the gadget is turned on, will be displayed on an interactive map.
Special applications
Another effective preparatory tool, which in the future can help you find a lost or stolen iPhone, is the Find My Phone application, available for download in the official App Store.
In addition to the main device, you will need another iPhone or iPad. You also need to install the mentioned application on it.
Having lost your iPhone, you can enter the program from another “apple” gadget, go through the authorization process and find out where the lost smartphone was before disconnecting. If the device turns on, the corresponding changes will be displayed on the interactive map.
Although at its core, the Find My iPhone application is the same “Find iPhone” service that was written about earlier, only brought to a separate program.
Lost mode
The standard iOS feature is loss mode. It is not intended to search for a lost smartphone, but rather is designed for honesty and honesty of someone who finds the loss. If the mentioned function is activated, the first time the iPhone is connected to charging, it will display a notification with a predetermined text, for example, an offer to call a specific number and return the smartphone for a fee.
In more detail about Lost Mode (how to enable, disable and many more different points).
Law enforcement assistance
For personal reassurance that you have taken all available steps to search for the iPhone, you can contact the police with a statement about his loss / theft. Take along your passport, as well as an iPhone box and related documents.
The means available to the police, in some cases, allow you to find smartphones by IMEI (individual device identification number -), but, unfortunately, no one can provide you with 100% guarantees of a successful outcome of a search operation.
The most interesting thing is that police officers, before searching by serial number, are asked to turn off the loss mode. And here a dilemma arises.
- On the one hand - the active loss mode, this is the only chance that no one can use your device without knowing the Apple ID. And disabling it means giving the attacker full control over the gadget.
- On the other hand, in recent times, the tools that law enforcement agencies use for such operations have improved quite a lot. And the probability of finding a lost and turned off iPhone with the participation of the police is still there.
The main thing is not to worry about the fact that when you apply, they will look at you as if you were crazy. Now - IMEI phone searches are completely normal practice.
Apple's latest patented developments
Apple has received a patent for an innovative development that fundamentally changes the idea of \u200b\u200bthe search capabilities for lost smartphones. This is a significant improvement in the security system of the gadget - the so-called zombie mode, when activated, the iPhone pretends to be turned off, but in reality remains tracked.
Presumably, the implementation will be as follows: the person who has found or stolen the iPhone, when connected to charging, will see a notification requesting a password. In case of incorrect input, the mentioned mode is activated. Further, the iPhone will be able to send the photo of the intruder to the specified email address, send a message with the specified text at the specified coordinates, pretend to be turned off, transmitting data about its location, etc. - The exact list of available features will become known only after the official release of the function.
Now you know about affordable and developing ways to detect an iPhone turned off. Take on board the recommendations of this note and protect yourself in advance from the irretrievable loss of your beloved smartphone in case of loss / theft.
P.S. In addition to all the tips, a little good luck comes in handy during the search. Where to get it? Just put a “like” and click on the buttons of social networks. And everything, success is guaranteed! We try!)
Apple devices have a high price, which is justified by their quality, both from a technical and software point of view. This makes them attractive to cybercriminals who can steal an iPhone, iPad, or other iOS or MacOS device to sell them. Apple understands this perfectly, and it is constantly improving the security of its devices, introducing new features to protect them from criminals.
Modern iPhones and iPads have a built-in fingerprint scanner, which allows their owners to easily unlock the device, without the need for a regular password, but with increased security. Also in iOS 5 in 2010, the “Find iPhone” feature was introduced, which allows iCloud users to track where devices connected to their account are located. This article will discuss how to configure how this function works and how to find an iPhone from a computer using iCloud.
How to set up “Find iPhone” for tracking through iCloud
The Find iPhone feature is extremely useful, and when you first activate a new device from Apple, the operating system offers to turn it on by itself. It can be useful not only if a phone, tablet, player or other device from Apple was stolen. If desired, through it you can track the location of the device, which is useful for parents who want to find out where their child is. Also, the “Find iPhone” function will help you find a lost device that could fall out of your pocket and is still untouched. There are many other scenarios when you may need to track the location of an iPhone or iPad.
If the “Find iPhone” function was not activated during the first setup, this can be done at any time. To enable it:
Important: You can also enable the "Last geolocation" function, when activated, each time the battery is discharged, the device will send information about its location at a given time to the Apple server.
After performing the above steps, the “Find iPhone” function will become active on the device, and it can be tracked through iCloud.
Please note: If you have several Apple devices tied to the same iCloud account, you must configure the Find iPhone feature for each of them separately.
How to find iPhone or iPad from computer via iCloud
If you need to find an iPhone or iPad, you can do this through any device with Internet access. You can download a special application from the AppStore called “Find iPhone” to another iPhone or iPad. This is not necessary, as you can also find a lost gadget through the iCloud website.
It is important that the following conditions are met:
- The Find iPhone feature must be enabled;
- The device must be connected to the Internet;
- The battery of the device should not be discharged. If it is discharged and the function of sending the last geo-location is turned on in the settings, you can find out where the device was at the last moment.
To find an iPhone or iPad from a computer through iCloud, you need to do the following:
Important: If the lost device is turned off or disconnected from the Internet, you can still use any of the above functions. The command will be saved on iCloud servers and it will be executed when the lost gadget is connected to the network.
The main tool for finding a device through the Find iPhone feature is a map. It displays the exact location of the lost device. The location is determined pretty well, but the problem can occur if the device is located at an attacker in a multi-storey building, since it will not work to determine exactly the floor where the iPhone or iPad is. 
What to do if the Find iPhone feature is not configured
Not all users think about the security of their device and the safety of personal data until their attackers have a smartphone or tablet. If the “Find iPhone” function was not turned on, but the device was lost, you won’t be able to remotely find its location or block the device. In such a situation, it is recommended to perform the following actions:
There are practically no chances to return the device if the “Find iPhone” function is disabled, and the most important thing in this situation is to protect your personal data from being used by attackers as much as possible.
