How to Locate a Lost Cell Phone That is Turned off

Losing your phone is always a possibility, and some people even misplace their phones multiple times a day. You’re lucky, if you lose it at home, or if it’s under your car seat. While, if you’re unlucky, it could drop from your bag or pocket when you are walking around, it may also fall out of your car, you could leave it behind at a restaurant, or someone may steal it.

The time you realize your phone is gone can be a moment of panic. However, there are several measures that you can take to make sure you find it when it goes missing. These methods will help you find it whether your phone is powered off or on. Read more…

What Are the First Things to Do if You Lose Your Cell Phone?

In those first new moments when you’ve lost your phone, it’s critical to take steps to evaluate the missing device situation in its entirety.

• When you first notice your device is lost, find a phone and try calling it. If you can hear it, I suggest you retrace your steps.
• If you can’t hear the phone ring, it’s best to assume that the device’s last known location is farther away. Thus, you’ll want to use the methods in this article to help locate your lost phone.
• If it’s nowhere nearby, use a phone or computer as soon as you can to lock your phone. I recommend you put it in lost mode or change passwords and logins to protect your personal information.

Method 1) How to Locate a Lost Cell Phone that is Turned Off Using GPS Trackers

One of the best options I encountered for finding a lost mobile phone is to use a third-party phone tracking application. Make sure this app uses GPS, such as mSpy, so that you can find your phone when it’s lost.

I explored mSpy and analyzed its features thoroughly to see if it is helpful in such situations. Throughout my assessment, I found that mSpy links the device’s information to its servers efficiently. I particularly liked that mSpy can access phone data, such as location and battery percentage. In my experience, mSpy is excellent for making remote changes when your phone is not nearby.

Here are the steps that I used to find my phone using mSpy:

Step 1) Visit mSpy and create an account. Choose a desired plan and subscribe to it.

Step 2) Download mSpy on the device you want to track. Then follow the on-screen instructions and install.

Step 3) Wait 15-30 minutes for data to synchronize and then start monitoring. mSpy will run in the background in stealth mode.

Step 4) Browse the online mSpy dashboard to find your phone. You will find the real-time location data along with GPS coordinates till your phone was switched off. It also helps you set alerts if the phone breaches your geo-fencing boundaries.

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Method 2) How to Find Lost Android Phone Using Google Maps

I suggest taking steps to secure your Android phone before it’s lost. This function isn’t always activated by default, so you need to make sure it’s turned on in your settings.

Activating Your Phone Location on Google Maps for Samsung

Here are the steps to activate it for Samsung devices:

Step 1) Access the Settings on your device.

Step 2) Scroll down to Biometrics & Security.

In this section, you’ll find an option for Find My Mobile, which you should turn on.

Step 3) Scroll down to “Location” and turn on Improve Location Accuracy to locate the device more precisely when it is lost or misplaced. Use this option to make it easier to find your lost Android phone via Google Maps.

Activating Your Phone Location on Google Maps for Google Pixel

Here are the directions for activating it on a Google Pixel:

Step 1) Go into Settings on your phone.

Step 2) Then navigate to the Security & Location section.

Step 3) From there, select Find My Device, then scroll down to “Location.”

Method 3) Locate a Lost Phone using GPS

With the location-finding option activated on Google Maps, I could easily determine if my lost phone was at home, somewhere I recently went, or in transit using Google Maps.

I recommend following these steps to find your phone with Google Maps:

Step 1) Use another phone, computer, or tablet to log in to Google. Type “find my phone” into the Google search bar. This search should result in a map showing you where your phone is.

Step 2) This website will show the approximate location of your device, and it will also tell you about the radius for your search.

Step 3) After you see where your device is, you have four options:

• Ask Google to make your phone ring. This is possible even if you have turned your ringer off.
• Completely erase all data from your phone, resetting it.
• Secure the device using a button that remotely locks until you can retrieve it. When you enable lock mode, you’ll be the only one who can unlock the secure device via the Google Maps website.
• Have your phone ring or make a noise to locate it.

If you still can’t see your device even with the settings turned on, wait until it can get a Wi-Fi or data connection.

Method 4) Find My Lost Cell Phone Using Dropbox

Dropbox is an app that can help find a missing phone if the settings are “on” for Camera Uploads. The app will make it so that every photo taken will link to the Dropbox Cloud to estimate where your device is from its location history.

I’d say using Dropbox to find your phone from its location history is a good option if you are traveling or believe your phone has been stolen. Whenever you or a potential thief take a photo, it will show up on the Cloud with the real-time location that the app associated with the picture.

However, this is another option that requires an internet connection. If you cannot see any photos, wait and see if any pictures appear once the phone connects to the internet, either by WiFi or data connection.

Method 5) How to Find Lost Phone with a Bluetooth Tracker

I recommend considering a Bluetooth tracker to ensure you never lose important items again. These devices come in many forms, the most popular being the Tile and an Apple AirTag.

Such devices allow you to use another phone, tablet, or computer to see the tracker’s location. However, I found out that this option doesn’t have a lock mode to secure the devices like others and only shows where you can find the phone without the remote locking features.

Method 6) Locate a Lost Phone with the Smart Home Speaker

A voice-activated smart home speaker, such as Google Home, provides one of the easiest methods of finding your phone, even if you have turned off your ringer.

Here’s the process for using your smart home speaker to locate your phone:

Step 1) Use your voice activation command, such as “Hey, Google,” to activate your smart home speaker.

Step 2) Say, “Find my phone,” and wait for the response.

Step 3) Listen for your phone to ring inside your house. If you don’t hear it, try again. If you don’t hear it inside your house a second time, try opening your car door to see if you can hear it inside your car.

Method 7) How to Find Lost iPhone Which is Switched Off

I found out that there are several methods to find lost phone which is switched off. Both these options involve your phone’s device settings.

Here are the important steps that I followed to find my lost iPhone, even when it was switched off.

Step 1) To ensure that you can find your phone when it’s lost or switched off, go to the Settings app on your phone.

Step 2) Make sure that the setting to find your phone is set to “On.” If you have an iPhone, ensure that the “Find My Network” and “Send Last Location” options are turned on, too.

Step 3) You will also need to make sure that you have the Find My Device app (for Android) or Find My app (for iPhone) downloaded to your phone and any other devices you might use to find your phone later.

Other Method to Find an iPhone that is Turned off

Step 1) Open the Find My app on another iOS device or go to the Find section of the iCloud website.

Step 2) Go to the Devices section of the app to choose your iPhone.

You can see a general radius of your iPhone’s location. If it’s near you, it will say, “with you.” If it doesn’t show “with you”, you can find your iPhone fairly close to the middle of the circle.

Step 3) If you find that your phone is not near you, you can use the iCloud website or Find My app to choose from these options:

• Play a sound.
• Erase the phone.
• Enable Lost Mode.

Lost Mode will prevent someone else from using your phone and display contact information.

Method 8) How to Locate a Lost Android Cell Phone that is Turned off

Here are the steps that I used to locate a lost Android cell phone that was turned off:

Step 1) Use another device to go to the Find section of the Android website or use the Find My Device app on another Android phone.

Step 2) The site or app will prompt you to sign into your Google account linked. Be sure to use the Gmail address that you have associated with your phone.

Step 3) Select your phone from the list of devices. You will be able to see the location of your phone. You will also have additional options from this screen:

• Play a sound.
• Secure your device.
• Erase your device.

Once located you can try the first option to find it and if you cannot find it or its location shows some where far to indicate that its been stolen you can use the other options.

Method 9) How to Use the IMEI Number to Locate Lost Device

Your Phone’s International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI) number is a 15-digit number that serves as your phone’s device code. The IMEI code is information you should record when you have your phone’s custody. It helps you search when you lose your device. If you lose your phone, you can give the IMEI number to either your service provider or the police, and they can track a phone using an IMEI Number. I noticed that it is mentioned several times in the invoice generated during the phone purchase. Different devices have different locations to store IMEI code.

Locating the IME Number on iOS

Here are the steps I followed to find the IMEI number on my iOS phone:

Step 1) Go to the Settings app to find the code.

Step 2) Click on “General” and “About”

Once you scroll down, you should find the IMEI number to write down for future reference.

Locating the IMEI Number on Android

There are three places on your Android device where this number may reside. There’s one place you may find it internally and two externally.

I consistently follow these steps to find the IMEI number on Android without any hassle.

Step 1) Some Android phones may have the IMEI number on the back cover. If you find it there, you won’t have to go to the next steps.

Step 2) Go to Settings and look under “About device.” Scroll down until you locate the IMEI number of your phone.

Step 3) If all the above steps do not work, you can find the IMEI code inside the phone’s protective covering.

How to Add Alternate Contact Information to Your Phone’s Lock Screen?

Android phones allow you to add a lock screen message so anyone who finds your lost iPhone can contact you by phone, email, or social media.

Here are the steps to access this option:

Step 1) Head to your Settings.

Step 2) Tap on “Lock Screen” and then click on “Contact Information.”

In this section, you can add the contact information if the phone goes missing.

Step 3) Once you complete entering the lock screen message, hit “Save” and exit.

Step 4) You should remotely lock your Android to ensure it properly saves the information. Then, you’ll be ready if an unfortunate situation occurs.

Can You Track a Phone That is Turned off?

Yes, it is possible to track a phone that is turned off, but there are some limitations. I noted that the ability to track the phone depends on the device, how long it has been turned off, and your location.

Can I Locate My Device If Someone Changed the Sim Card?

You can find a device without a SIM card because location services use an internet connection and not the SIM card to send location history.

To find my device without a SIM card, all I needed was stable internet access, and I had to make sure that my device was signed into my Gmail account/ Apple account. If you don’t have access to these accounts, it could be harder to find your device.

Make sure to also have the IMEI number, as well, in case of a possible sign-out situation.

Can I Track My Lost Phone If Someone Made a Factory Reset?

Yes, you can still find a device after a factory reset. However, since this is a sign-out situation where your device isn’t linked to your accounts anymore, you’d need the IMEI number of the device.

Remember, this number is located in settings or (on the outside/inside of the phone). When you get your phone, make sure to write this number down and keep it with you so that you can locate your device after it goes through a factory reset.

Conclusion

Losing my phone can be stressful, but I have found ways to locate it even when it is turned off. I utilize tools like mSpy, which tracks the phone’s location and battery percentage, enhancing my chances of recovery. I also use other methods, such as GPS trackers, Google Maps, Bluetooth trackers, or smart home speakers. These steps, combined with proactive measures like activating location settings, ensure that I am well-prepared for such situations.