Losing a phone is one of the biggest nightmares in today’s times. Our phone today has become our lifeline as it not only connects us with the people around us but also has become our wallet and bank. One’s phone contains memories in the form of photos and videos.
The phones today also come with GPS that saves you from getting lost and also helps your loved ones find you if you are lost. So, is there nothing that can be done when you have lost your phone and it doesn’t have an internet connection or SIM card? No, there is one more interesting way to locate your lost smartphone, and that is the IMEI number.
What is the IMEI Number? How does it help?
IMEI number is one of the most important ways to locate one’s smartphone. International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI is a 15–17-digit code that is unique to every phone, whether they are android or ios. IMEI number can help in tracing a lost phone with the help of the CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register) online portal. The CEIR is a website by the GOI that is associated with the Department of Telecom and the Center for Development Telematics.
The IMEI number is found on the backside of a smartphone, either below the battery or on the box of the handset. The IMEI number can also be used if the SIM card has been changed. This number is important as it can be used by the police to locate your lost or misplaced phone. The concerned authorities have tracers that can track any authentic IMEDI number in case of criminal activity or mishappening with the owner of the device.
How to find lost phone using IMEI number
You can find your lost phone using the CEIR government portal. This portal helps you block your phone remotely while the police are investigating your case. Make sure you have the lost phone’s IMEI number with you before logging into the CEIR portal.
- Open the CEIR website on your PC/Desktop.
- The website will provide you with a long form to fill up. It will need all the necessary details related to the lost phone such as its brand, model, last location, etc.
- The portal will ask you for the bill for the lost phone. Upload the invoice as well.
- Fill out the personal details and provide an alternate phone number to get an OTP. Click on the ‘Get OTP’ button to receive an OTP.
- Once you get your OTP, enter it and hit the Submit button to complete your lost phone location request.
- Once done, you will get a Request ID number that can later be used to unblock an IMEI number.
After the consumer completes the above procedure, the network operator will be notified to blacklist that specific IMEI number to prevent further misuse of the phone. You can also ask your operator to disable the SIM card on the lost phone. This Government service is available in Delhi, Maharashtra, and Karnataka as of now.
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Finding an Android phone using Google Find My Device App
If you have just lost your phone and the internet is still working on it, then you can use your Android phone’s in-built Find My Phone Device app to trace the phone via a PC or other phone. Just follow these steps-
- On Google type, “Find My Device’.
- The tool will start searching for the device automatically if the internet connection on the lost device is still functioning.
- If the phone or the lost device gets located, you can remotely play a sound in case you feel your device is near you but not visible.
- This feature can be used to erase data as well to prevent your personal information from falling into wrong hands.
Finding iPhone using Find My iPhone Tool
- Go to Apple’s official Find My iPhone website.
- Log in with your Apple ID if you have it.
- Select the device you want to locate.
If your device is found, it will show up on the map. If it doesn’t then you can select ‘Notify me when found’ to get an email right away when the device goes online.
FAQs
1. How can one retrieve important data from their lost phone?
Both Android and ios devices provide backup of important data like contacts, SMSes, App data, and more by default. If your data is backed up you can log in to your email accounts on another device and retrieve your valuable data. However, for media files, if you have enabled the backup option specifically for them, then only these files might be retrieved.
2. What is the best part about an IMEI number?
The best part about the IMEI number is that it can never be changed, even if the SIM is changed or GPS tracking is turned off.
