IMEI, shortened for International Mobile Equipment Identity, is a 15-digit number that is unique to each mobile phone and is authorized by GSMA. However, besides the fact that it’s used as an identifier, you can also use it to trace your mobile phones or devices if they get lost or stolen.
It makes for a fantastic way for you to trace your devices if they’ve been stolen or you’ve lost them. So, how can you find your lost devices? And how can you find the IMEI number of your iPhone or Android phone? In this article, we will show you how to easily locate your phone’s IMEI number and how to track a phone number without them knowing.
How to Find the IMEI Number on an iPhone
The first step to using a legit imei tracker to locate a stolen phone, lost device or a lost mobile phone is to check your phone tracking IMEI serial number. Here’s how you can do so on an iPhone –
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone
- Then, click on General, and then tap About
- Scroll down to the IMEI number and take note of it.
The steps mentioned above can work if you have access to your iPhone. However, if you don’t, here’s how you can try finding your device’s IMEI number –
- Open your web browser on a different device and open appleid.apple.com
- Enter your Apple ID credentials (username and password)
- Go to the Devices section.
- Select your device from the list
- You should now be able to see your IMEI number for you to note down.
You can also use iTunes to find your IMEI number. Here are the steps to do so –
- Connect your phone to your computer or PC.
- Open iTunes
- Find your mobile device or iPhone under the Summary tab.
- Tap the phone number option under your device and you will be able to see your device’s IMEI number.
How to Find the IMEI Number of an Android Device
If you want to find the IMEI number of your Android device, follow the steps mentioned below –
- Open the Dialler on your Android device
- Dial *#06# on your device.
- As soon as you call this number, you’ll be shown your IMEI number on your screen for you to note down.
Another method is to find your device’s IMEI number from the Settings app. The steps include –
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your device.
Step 2: Scroll down to the bottom and tap About Phone.
Step 3: Tap Status
Step 4: Select IMEI Information
Step 5: Note down the IMEI number that’s displayed along with any other relevant details.
How to Locate Your Cell Phone Using IMEI
Now that we’ve discussed what IMEI phone numbers are and what are they used for, let’s get into the nitty and gritty and see how you can actually utilize this number to find a lost mobile phone:
Get in Touch with the Police
- Waste no time and report the incident of your lost or stolen phone to the authorities.
- Give them the required information regarding the case so they can start a search.
- They’ll add the IMEI number to the blacklist so that it can be traced whenever it gets used to send or receive a cell phone call or text message.
Request Your Provider
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While this may not always work, it may be a good idea to contact your provider and ask them to help you track the device. However, while the service provider will be able to locate the IMEI number, they might not be able to locate the cell phone itself. Some thieves may try to change the IMEI number, which is illegal but can still be done.
Use IMEI Tracker App
- Take the matter into your own capable hands and use one of the many IMEI tracker apps to track a phone using IMEI for free.
- Our three favorites are mSpy, Find My Mobile, and Find my iPhone. These show you your device’s location via Google Maps in real-time.
mSpy: The Best IMEI Tracker App
mSpy is a great solution to see the current location of your device on a map.
mSpy is a text message location tracker and can be an excellent IMEI tracking app for parents and employers. You can use it to make sure that your children are safe and employees are not wasting time, and all you need is internet access to sync the device’s location to the mSpy dashboard.
The system will notify you whenever the cell phone reaches a banned zone. You can also use it to secretly locate cell phone or track your lost phone.
mSpy has to be installed on the target device in order for it to work. That means that, besides obtaining the phone IMEI number, you will also have to physically install the app on the target device. This is common practice with nearly all spy app providers, and the installation process only takes a minute or two.
If you want to use mSpy to track your device using its IMEI number, the installation steps are given below –
- Download the app from the mSpy website.
- Install the app using the APK file sent to you by email.
- Use your computer or another mobile to log into your mSpy account to track the target device using the GPS tracker. The app will show you the device’s location on Google Maps.
Apart from tracking the exact location of the target device in real time, the app also allows you to monitor the following –
- Monitor phone calls and text messages
- Track iMessages and social media conversations
- Monitor all media files on the device, including photos and videos.
- 100% invisibility on the target device using the Stealth Mode.
- Track all the keystrokes entered on the device using the keylogger, and so on.
What Is the Best Free IMEI Location Tracker?
You can also utilize some free tools that use the IMEI phone number to locate it. One of the best free imei tracker for Android is Find My Mobile. Another one is Find My iPhone for iOS users. While these options are free, there are certain limitations to using them:
❌ This option wasn’t enabled on your mobile device prior to it getting lost, then it won’t work.
❌ They offer basic IMEI tracking functions, unlike mSpy, for example, which comes with an extensive set of advanced tracking and monitoring features, such as reading text messages.
Here’s how to use these apps for both Android devices and iPhone devices.
Best IMEI Tracker for Android
Find My Mobile is a reliable phone tracker by IMEI number that will lock your phone location until you get it back. It will give your missing device’s current location or last location.
You can even use it to delete data, send a custom message to your phone, or play a sound as well if the device is on silent.
How to Enable Find My Mobile on Android
Step 1: Open Settings.
Step 2: Open Biometrics & Security.
Step 3: Locate the Find My Mobile option and enable it.
Best IMEI Tracker for iPhones
Find my iPhone, on the other hand, is an iPhone IMEI tracker that uses IMEI to track the phone’s location.
You will need the iCloud connected and activated for this feature to work.
Third-party iPhone IMEI tracker apps are unreliable.
Here’s how to enable Find My iPhone:
Step 2: Tap your iCloud account.
Step 3: Press the Find My option.
Step 4: Find the Find My iPhone option and enable it.
Step 5: If your device is lost, open www.icloud.com/find
Step 6: Enter your Apple ID and password to log into your iCloud account, and then tap All Devices.
Step 7: Click on Find iPhone to get the location of your device.
How to Find the IMEI Number on iPhones
Step 1: Go to Settings.
Step 2: Open the General tab.
Step 3: Select About.
Step 4: Scroll down and you will see your IMEI information.
How Can I Track My IMEI Number Through Google Earth?
Unfortunately, you can’t just track your phone and IMEI number through Google Earth. Because the IMEI number is like a phone’s personal identifier, it’s not usually broadcast online so easily – it would compromise the user’s privacy.
Moreover, it should be kept private so the user wouldn’t fall victim to phone cloning, which can be pretty serious. However, you can use other services, such as spy apps, to track your IMEI number with ease and convenience.
Can I Track My Phone Using IMEI Number?
Finding your lost or stolen phone without the GPS location or SIM card is not impossible using the IMEI number. You can trace your device using its IMEI number using a tool like mSpy, or even using native apps like Find My Device or Find My iPhone.
