Assuming your cell phone has been switched off, you will only be able to view the location where it last pinged Google. That may be enough if your phone was lost rather than stolen. In the event that someone finds and turns your phone on, you can easily ping, lock, or factory erase it using Find My Device.
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.
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.
You can use Google's Find my Device to track your device's location. However, if the phone has been turned off or even the location services have been turned off, this won't work. To track the IMEI, you have to get in touch with Law Enforcement Agencies in your country.
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.
If you believe your phone has been stolen, file a police report. Although law enforcement agencies don't have the resources to investigate every case of a stolen phone, if you're able to tell them where your phone is (using a finder app), they will be more likely to be able to help you recover it.
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.
Contact your wireless carrier. If the missing device is an iPhone or an iPad with cellular, report your missing device to your wireless carrier. Ask the carrier to disable your account to prevent calls, texts, and data use. And if your device is covered under your wireless carrier plan, file a claim.
If the iPhone is turned off but still has battery, you can track it as long as you have Find My enabled. An offline iPhone will show the current location in Find My, as long as other Apple devices are nearby.
You should tell your network provider straight away if your phone is lost or stolen, so they can block it and stop anyone else using it. If you don't tell them straight away you might have to pay for any unauthorised phone calls, which can be very expensive.
Even if your iPhone is fully erased, the person who has it can't use it. Activation Lock stays on and there is no way to bypass it. As soon as the iPhone boots up, it asks for an Apple ID and password and it won't go past the activation screen without the information.
Permanently lock your stolen iPhone
Your iPhone will be completely wiped of all data. Despite the iPhone being wiped of all data, it will remain unusable due to Activation Lock.
The safest and best option to turn your iPhone off remotely is by using the 'Find my iPhone' feature from iCloud. You can also turn your iPhone off or disable it remotely if the device is synced with your Apple Watch.
File a Police Report
This step may or may not lead to the recovery of your iPhone (in fact, the police may tell you there's very little they can do either because of the value of the phone or the number of thefts), but having documentation should help when dealing with a phone and insurance companies.
AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss covers You for repair or replacement of Your device in the event of Theft or Loss, Accidental Damage or Battery Depletion and access to Technical Support from Apple (as set out in clause 4.5). The Policy is sold by Apple and Apple Authorised Resellers.
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.
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 [*].
Police IMEI tracker is confidential software used by police officers to track stolen phones. It works in a way that the police officer will enter the victim's IMEI number and the location of the phone. The software will then provide them with the exact location of where the phone is located.
Yes, in some cases police can track a phone using its IMEI number. This is typically done through the service provider associated with the device. To do this, law enforcement would need to get a court order or other legal permission to access the service provider's records.
Turning off Bluetooth or power makes your device untrackable, but if it's on, has Bluetooth, and is near another Apple device, it can be tracked even if it can't connect to WiFi or LTE.
Any SIM/Computer which is not in any network cannot be traced. SIM card are slave computing device which requires an entity to send a command to which it shall respond to.
If you enter the wrong passcode six times in a row, you'll be locked out of your device, and you'll receive a message that says iPhone is disabled. If you can't remember your passcode, you can erase your iPhone with a computer or with recovery mode, then set a new passcode.
Keeping It Is Illegal
Just to make this very clear: Keeping something that doesn't belong to you is illegal! Depending on your country or state, you could be charged with a felony for larceny by finding or stealing by finding, if you're caught in possession of an item that was reported as lost.