Find My Device (Android) or Find My (iOS) Both Android and iOS have built-in tracking features that allow you to locate your phone remotely. These features work even if your phone doesn't have a SIM card, as long as it's connected to Wi-Fi.
With GPS navigation systems, GPS location info is displayed on the same device on it was recorded. In other words, no need for a SIM card. Satellite trackers such as Spot use GPS to determine location, but then send that data over the Globalstar satellite network rather than cellular networks.
Can a phone be tracked if it's turned off? A phone that is turned off is difficult to track because it stops sending signals to cell towers. However, the service provider or internet provider can show the last location once it's switched back on.
1Find the Phone's Last Location with Find My Device
Find My Device is an excellent service Google provides for Android phone users to track their lost or stolen phones. However, you need to sign up before using it. To find a lost phone that is switched off; Go to Android.com/find on your web browser.
Go to Settings > Location, and toggle the location button to Off. That will turn off all location tracking on an Android. You can manage location tracking permissions for specific apps by tapping Location services in your location settings (see the screenshot above).
The Purism Librem 5 comes with three kill switches, hardware-wise, that can turn off the sensors. These switches are located for the cameras, microphone, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular baseband. This phone has all the significant trackers disabled by default.
Can cell phones be tracked when turned off? A cell phone that's not connected to the internet can still be tracked via its GPS system, but a mobile phone that's completely switched off is much more difficult to trace.
Yes, the police can use GPS to locate the thief's house and then take the necessary steps to retrieve your phone. Depending on the circumstances, the police may be able to search the house and apprehend the thief, or they may be able to negotiate with the thief to return the phone.
If you're using iCloud.com/find, you can't see your device's location if it's powered off, the battery has run out, or more than 24 hours has passed since its last location was sent to Apple. Learn how you can still protect your information.
Can Your Location Be Tracked When Airplane Mode is Turned On? Your phone has a built-in GPS that is still visible and can be tracked when in Airplane mode for emergency purposes because it is based on satellites. Any other location-sharing apps you might have are generally disabled and won't work during airplane mode.
Even a dumb phone (i.e. not a smartphone) can track you through the SIM card. SIM cards connect to nearby signal towers for you to receive calls and send SMS texts, but that signal can be used to find out your location. Cybercriminals can also hack your SIM card without ever physically accessing your phone.
If it has a passcode they can't access the data, but with no activation lock they could wipe it clean and put in a new SIM card and start using it. So just leave it as it is in Lost Mode, in your account.
Almost certainly not. The IMEI is a property of the cellular hardware. Whilst some cellular-operator run WiFi networks may have based log in on your SIM card/subscription, the IMEI doesn't identify the subscriber. So, it is of no use for WiFi log in, and there isn't really a way for a WiFi access point to request it.
Yes, it is possible to track an iPhone if the SIM card is removed. The device just needs to be connected to the internet. Immediately it's online; it sends its GPS coordinates to Apple servers. The previous owner can therefore see the location on the map once they login into their account.
With your phone, thieves can:
Make unauthorized purchases using your linked credit cards and Apple or Google Pay. Access your passwords and login information for various accounts. (As many as 99% of people reuse passwords across business and personal accounts [*].
Look for your device on a map
To find your device, sign in to iCloud.com/find. Or use the Find My app on another Apple device that you own. If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch doesn't appear in the list of devices, Find My was not turned on. But you can still protect your account if Find My was not turned on.
By cutting this off, your phone cannot be tracked via cell tower triangulation or GPS. The only location that can be discerned using these methods is that which was last shown before the device was turned off. So, the general answer is no, your phone cannot be tracked when switched off.
Can phone be tracked if SIM card is removed? The answer to that is a simple yes! All phones, whether an iPhone or an android, can be tracked down without a sim card or network. Still, they will need to have a secure Wi-Fi connection to be accurate.
It is possible for someone to find your location by texting you if they have access to your phone's location information or if you share your location with them. For example, if you receive a text message with a link to a location, clicking on the link could allow the sender to track your location.
You no longer have to approach a mobile network provider to track someone. Instead, you can track a cell phone location by its number with the help of a cell phone tracking application.
Removing the SIM card will disable your ability to make calls, use mobile internet, and send or receive SMS text messages. On an iPhone this isn't always a problem, as you can still connect to Wi-Fi and use it to send iMessages — but at that point, you may as well buy an iPod Touch.
Many people wonder if their phones can be used if they get stolen. People set multiple security levels and passcodes on their phones to protect their data in case a device gets stolen. However, if you find an iPhone and wish to use it but cannot bypass the security levels then you can still use the device.