If it was stolen, report it to the police. There is no way to track an unopened, un-activated device.
s Find My iPhone feature is the best way to track the location of a stolen or missing device. If Find My iPhone is not enabled you can try Google Timeline or Google Photos. Other than these methods, third-party apps can also help track a lost iPhone, but only if you have installed them before the phone was lost.
No, there is nothing you can do. If you activated Find My Phone before it was lost or stolen, you can track it only if Wi-Fi is enabled on the device. What you cannot do is track your device using a serial number or other identifying number. You cannot expect Apple or anyone else to find your device for you.
If it has not been activated, there is not much to do - contact law enforcement. Apple does not blacklist devices. That is done by carriers. If you know the IMEI you could report it to your carrier and see if they would blacklist it.
What that means is even when a thief or a third-party has your iPhone, it's still tied to your Apple ID and can't be used with any other account. Your iPhone can even be wiped completely and it will still be locked down, making it almost useless to anyone but you.
Apple cannot track the device if it wasn't activated. You can ask the carriers to blacklist it but they won't do it (because they make more money on insurance). Unless you pre-signed for the delivery then you can file a claim with UPS and they will pay for a replacement phone.
That means you will be able to find the location of your iPhone even if it runs out of battery. Even better, location tracking will keep working even when the iPhone is reset to factory settings.
Can a brand new sealed iPhone be tracked? No. There is no chance that a brand-new, never turned on, sealed iPhone or Apple device of any kind to be tracked. The phone has no data on it, it doesn't have an Apple ID associated with it.
Apple doesn't blacklist iPhones due to their policy of not handling stolen devices. It's up to phone carriers, such as AT&T or Verizon, to report stolen or lost phones. The iPhone's IMEI number (International Mobile Equipment Identity) allows phone carriers to identify the phone.
iPhone burglars have a wide network of dealers who help them sell different parts of the stolen iOS device. All the confidential data, including contacts, photos, emails, documents, and chats, stored in it is treasured by hackers. So, the probability of data exposure to the wrong hands becomes tenfold.
Yes, the police can track a stolen phone using either your phone number or the phone's IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). Whether or not the police prioritize looking for your stolen phone is another matter.
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 [*].
No, but your wireless carrier may be able to stop it from being used on their network.
Re: How soon does blacklisting a stolen phone take affect
It may take up to 24 hours for a device to be fully blocklisted once a request has been submitted. This is also the case if an IMEI has been blocklisted and the Account Holder requests to have it removed. I hope this helps!
Once a network provider blocks your iPhone's IMEI, you won't be able to use it to its full potential. You can't activate such an iPhone with a cellular carrier.
If it's covered by AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, you can sign in with your Apple ID and file a claim for an iPhone replacement. Use the Find My app or go to iCloud.com/find to mark your iPhone as lost.
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.
If you didn't turn on Find My [device] before your device was lost or stolen, it can't be used to locate your device nor you can use the IMEI or Serial number for tracking the device. The best action would be to Change your Apple ID password and change the passwords for other internet accounts on your device.
Police IMEI tracker is confidential software used by police officers to track stolen phones.
For a Police department to trace a mobile, it should be in a switch-on mode. If the mobile is switched off then the last known location is traced.
Many pawn shops are ready and willing to purchase and sell mobile phones. With no questions asked, these pawn shops will sell stolen phones to customers who believe that they are getting a good deal.
The Network provider will be able to tell you where the phone is and block all out going calls, and the Police be able to find it through the GPS. The Police Officer would be able to knock on the person's door and recover it or arrest the person concerned on suspicion of at the very least handling stolen goods.
Note that the IMEI code is challenging to change but not impossible. The IMEI tracker app you have learnt about above will not be able to track the phone if thieves change it.
A thief won't be able to unlock your phone without your passcode. Even if you normally sign in with Touch ID or Face ID, your phone is also secured with a passcode.