Introduction：

1、Is It Possible to Track a Stolen Phone with Its IMEI Number？

2、Can the police track your phone

Is It Possible to Track a Stolen Phone with Its IMEI Number？ ♂

　　After losing or misplacing your phone, it can be a challenge to even think of where to start. This blog post shows you how to track a phone online with or without an IMEI number. We also go beyond to highlight what doesn't work. Let's get started.

　　Yes, it's possible to track your lost or misplaced phone using its IMEI number. However, the process isn't as easy as most tracking apps and guides provide. In fact, we tried the suggested methods in most guides and only ended up with a bigger list of mobile apps.

　　Currently, only network carriers or authorities can track a mobile device using the IMEI number. This is not an easy task, because they only come in if it is a serious case like a missing person or murder. If you want to learn how to find your phone with their help, keep reading.

　　IMEI trackers on Google promise you can find your phone in minutes, but most of them end in frustration. We have tested lots of hot IMEI tracker and will show you our experience results.

　　As mentioned above, using an IMEI number to track a phone is challenging but possible. Here will outline some effective methods.

　　Some governments, like India, have official websites. If your phone is lost or stolen, you can either submit a form on the website (you need to report to the police, get a new SIM card, prepare documents, etc.) or contact the state police.

　　It will be blocked within 24 hours after successful submission. Once blocked, the phone can't be used on any network in India, but that won't affect the police tracking it. You can unlock the IMEI when you get your phone back.

　　Suppose you plan to buy a new phone; you can also check the phone's validity through "Know Your Mobile (KYM)". If the phone's status is abnormal, don't buy it.

　　However, many governments don't offer official websites like India. You can also seek help from the police immediately. Law enforcers use the device's IMEI number to trace its location. They work in collaboration with mobile carriers to access essential data for tracking.

　　They receive information from the IMEI number through the Equipment Identity Register (EIR) database. Mobile network operators can't grant regular users access to the location of devices due to privacy laws.

　　Mobile network operators can use the triangulation technique to estimate the location of your lost phone. Through this method, the mobile carrier uses phone signals to calculate the general location of the phone. This entails measuring the time it takes for a signal to travel back and forth to the cell tower.

　　The method is challenging for regular citizens because of the legal requirements to obtain a warrant or explicit permission due to privacy concerns. Here are some tips for convincing your mobile network operator to help you track your lost phone with the IMEI number:

　　There are thousands of "IMEI Trackers" online, frequently recommended in various blogs and videos. We have tested lots of them and found that they belong to three types.

　　IMEI CHECK.NET "imeicheck.net" is used to look up information related to devices. The free version allows you to look up the manufacturer and the device model. After paying $1.99, you can also look up the warranty status, blacklist status and so on. It doesn't show the location information of the devices.

　　IMEI.info "www.imei.info" is also used to look up information related to devices. The free version allows you to look up the brand and the device model. After paying $3.99, you can also look up if your device is clean or blacklisted.

　　The website "imei-tracker.com/track" claims that it can locate any device linked to the identity of a mobile device. After you enter the IMEI number and pick a country, the interface starts showing the progress of the query. It takes about one minute. When the query is done, you have to fill out a survey, and a lot of ads will pop up during the process.

　　After finishing the questionnaire, you still need to buy something on the shopping site https://www.aliexpress.com/. But it still shows no results or no update after completing the purchase. Also, if there's an error during the query, you have to type in the IMEI number digit by digit again. There's no history save, and no copy option.

　　CodeClary IMEI Tracker "www.codeclary.com" also claims it can locate a phone's position with the IMEI number. But after we actually enter the IMEI number, it jumps to another site: https://www.istaunch.com/imei-tracker/. On this site, you need to enter the IMEI number again and verify your identity. After several tries, the page just refreshes. It doesn't show any location info.

　　Although the title of Mobile Location website "mobile-location.com/find-phone-by-imei" says you can find a lost phone with its IMEI number, actually, the content on its interface is about finding the corresponding IMEI number through a phone number. And it shows that you can't locate a phone by IMEI for free.

　　If you want to buy a new cell phone and want to make sure that the mobile is not a stolen device, you can use the app. You can download it on both Android and iOS. It can check for free whether GSM locks the device.

　　However, there are a lot of ads when you use it. Every time you open a new window, ads will pop up. These ads last from a few seconds to dozens of seconds, and there's no way to skip them.

　　IMEI Tracking can also check for free whether the device has been stolen or lost.

　　You need to register by entering your mobile phone number and choosing the corresponding network. You can only choose some mobile carriers in Brazil and Norway.

　　The app claims to be an IMEI Tracker, but actually it can't locate your lost phone just by using the IMEI. It works on the same principle as the common GPS Phone Tracker. The relevant app must have been installed and activated before the device was lost.

　　If you had already completed the setup before losing your phone, even if the person who stole your phone replaces the SIM card, as long as the app isn't deleted, you can still find its location.

　　It's not free and has an auto-subscription. If you've subscribed to this app to try to locate your phone, be sure to remember to cancel the auto-subscription.

　　Similar to the previous app, Find My Device (IMEI Tracker) also tracks the location of the phone by GPS instead of only the IMEI Number.

　　You must have installed the corresponding app on the device before it was lost so that you can log in to the website to check the device's location at any time.

　　It is not free, so you must pay before using this app.

　　Find my phone - IMEI Tracker is a completely free app and it's very easy to use. After you enter the IMEI number, the result will be shown quickly. However, just like other online tools, when we entered multiple IMEI numbers, it doesn't show the location. Even when we switch to registering on the webpage, the result is no different; we just see more ads.

　　As can be roughly guessed from its promotional page, only if the person who picked up our lost phone reported its location in the app would we have a chance to locate it. But that's almost impossible.

　　You have to pay before you can enter the IMEI number to search location in this app. After we subscribed and entered the IMEI numbers of several mobile phones, none of them showed the correct location, just like what the users' reviews on Google Play said. This app is probably a scam, too.

　　You can use Google Find My Device or Find My iPhone to trace, erase, or secure data from your lost phone remotely. However, the device should be switched on and connected to the internet. Here are step-by-step guides on how to use the two apps:

　　To use this method, your phone should be logged in to your Google account, and it should also be visible on Google Play. If you are wondering how to track a lost Android phone using an IMEI number, this process also helps you to get the number.

　　Unlike the common notion, you can use an Android or another iPhone to find a lost iPhone. However, for you to find the lost device, the "Find My" feature must be turned on.

　　You can also turn on the "Find My Network" toggle to track your phone even when offline. "Send Last Location" helps you find the last place your phone was on in case it goes off or is switched off.

　　Next, let's go through a step-by-step on how to track your lost iPhone:

Can the police track your phone ♂

　　No, you are not legally required to give the police your phone password to unlock your phone. However, the police could also choose to use Section 49 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), which makes it an offence to refuse to provide access to your phone. You could be arrested and prosecuted for failing to comply with a RIPA notice.

　　The type of data the police can take from your phone varies depending on whether they have physical or remote access to your phone.

　　Data will often include:Social media activityPhotos and videosMessages (text, third-party apps such as WhatsApp etc)Contact detailsEmail historyBrowsing historyLocation dataBanking‘Hidden’ data such as deleted messages and photos

　　If you have not been arrested by the police, you can refuse to grant the police access to your phone. Under most circumstances, the police cannot stop you and make you unlock your phone so they can search it. The only exception to this is if the police have reasonable grounds to believe that you are involved in a particular offence.

　　If a police officer searches your phone without proper cause, any evidence that they find could be excluded by the Court and not allowed to be used as part of a prosecution.

　　Detailed information on police powers to search your phone and social media accounts can be found here.

　　If you are concerned about the police accessing your phone, you need advice on your rights, or you believe that your phone may be used against you in a criminal investigation, our team can provide expert legal advice.

　　Our specialist criminal defence solicitors have over 45 years of experience in handling the full spectrum of offences, including many of those which are often tied to mobile phone data. Whatever your situation may be, or what crime you are accused of, we are able to provide carefully tailored advice that ensures you are able to achieve the best possible outcome. That could mean having charges dropped or having a sentence lowered if conviction is unavoidable.

　　We are highly skilled at dealing with all forms of evidence, notably digital evidence. We can help you establish a strong case, identify any potential flaws in the case against you and ensure that any evidence that supports your position is clearly identified.

　　We have been accredited by the Law Society for Criminal Litigation. This, coupled with our extensive experience, means that we can demonstrate a strong track record of previous success, which has also allowed us to establish strong relationships with many of the country’s leading criminal defence barristers.

　　We also provide support and guidance on various related matters, including:Can the police make me unlock my phone and seize it as evidence?Can mobile phone forensics be used for child sexual offence cases?Police Powers to Search Phone and Social Media AccountsCyber and social media offencesKIK investigationsSuspended sentence for Revenge Porn Magistrates Court 2023Suspended Sentence - Sexual communication child BirminghamNot Guilty Terrorism Charges - Old Bailey 2022

　　When you work with our team, we will always keep you informed on the fees that you will be expected to pay.

　　If you need to attend court after being charged with an offence, Legal Aid may become available. Whether this is possible will depend on a means test and whether the grant of public funding is justified on the merits and seriousness

　　Where you do not qualify for Legal Aid, the alternative will be to fund the case on a private basis.

　　To find out more about the way we handle fees (both Legal Aid and private fees), please use the links provided below:Our Fees – Crime CasesDo I Qualify for Criminal Legal Aid?Bespoke Crime Private Fee ServiceWill Your Private Legal Costs Increase?

　　If you are due to attend the police station, require any urgent specialist advice, or immediate representation for an alleged criminal offence, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

　　You can contact our dedicated criminal defence lawyers in London, Birmingham, and Manchester by telephone on:Brent & Camden London Office: 0207 624 7771Manchester Office: 0161 835 1638Birmingham Office: 0121 614 3333City of London: 0207 624 7771 (our senior Solicitors and Partners can meet by appointment in the City)

　　Or email:

　　Alternatively, you can fill out our quick online enquiry form, and we will get back to you quickly.

　　Please get in touch for a free consultation with one of our expert criminal defence solicitors, as well as immediate representation and advice about the police’s power to track your phone.

Related questions

Creating a document for "hiring a hacker" (even for ethical hacking or penetration testing) involves significant legal and ethical considerations. Below is a general template for a terms and conditions agreement tailored to ethical hacking services, such as penetration testing or cybersecurity assessments. However, always consult a licensed attorney to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal laws.

Ethical Hacking Services Agreement

Terms and Conditions

1. Purpose and Scope

The Client hereby engages the Hacker (or "Service Provider") to perform ethical hacking services, including but not limited to:

• Vulnerability assessments
• Penetration testing
• Security audits
• Risk mitigation recommendations

Scope of Work:

• Specific systems, networks, or applications to be tested.
• Agreed-upon testing methods (e.g., black-box, white-box, gray-box).
• Testing dates and duration.

2. Authorization

The Client grants explicit written authorization for the Hacker to:

• Access designated systems/networks.
• Simulate attacks to identify vulnerabilities.
• Collect data necessary for the assessment.

Unauthorized Actions Are Prohibited:

• Accessing systems outside the agreed scope.
• Extracting, modifying, or deleting data beyond what is necessary for testing.

3. Legal Compliance

The Hacker agrees to:

• Comply with all applicable laws (e.g., Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, GDPR, HIPAA).
• Avoid actions that could cause harm (e.g., DDoS attacks, data destruction).
• Report findings to the Client only; no public disclosure without written consent.

4. Confidentiality

• The Hacker shall treat all Client data as confidential.
• Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) apply to all findings, reports, and communications.
• Data must be securely stored and destroyed after project completion.

5. Liability and Indemnification

• The Hacker is not liable for:
  • Pre-existing vulnerabilities.
  • Damages caused by third-party actions post-assessment.
  • Unforeseen system outages during testing (if protocols are followed).
• The Client indemnifies the Hacker against claims arising from authorized activities.

6. Payment Terms

• Fees, payment schedule, and invoicing details.
• Expenses (e.g., software, travel) reimbursed by the Client.

7. Termination

Either party may terminate the agreement with written notice if:

• The other party breaches terms.
• Testing activities jeopardize safety or compliance.

8. Deliverables

• A detailed report of findings, including recommendations.
• Timeline for delivery (e.g., within 7 days of testing completion).

9. Governing Law

• Jurisdiction for disputes (e.g., courts in [State/Country]).

Important Notes

1. Legality: Unauthorized hacking is illegal. This agreement applies only to pre-approved, lawful activities.
2. Ethical Boundaries: The Hacker must follow industry standards (e.g., EC-Council’s Code of Ethics).
3. Customization: Adapt this template to your jurisdiction and use case.

DISCLAIMER: This template is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult an attorney to draft a legally binding agreement.

Recommendation:

• Use terms like "penetration tester" or "cybersecurity consultant" instead of "hacker" to avoid ambiguity.
• Include a Statement of Work (SOW) as an appendix to define technical specifics.
• Require proof of certifications (e.g., CEH, OSCP) for the service provider.

If the intent is for illegal activities, this document is invalid and strongly discouraged. Always prioritize legal and ethical cybersecurity practices.