 |
| Track, Lock Or Block a Stolen Phone |
In this post I will show you How to Track Or Block a Stolen Phone In Nigeria.
If your mobile phone has ever been stolen then you will understand how it feels when your phone is far from you and in the possession of another person.
That is why I have come up with this post to help you Track, Lock Or Block a Stolen Phone wherever you may find yourself.
I will be sharing two methods of finding or blocking stolen phone, the first is through google, and the second is using imei.
How To Track, Lock Or Block a Stolen Phone
First method using Google
This method will help you find, lock or block a lost or stolen Android phone, tablet, or OS watch.
As long as your device is logged into a Google Account, Find My Device is automatically turned on.
In order to find, lock, or block an Android phone, the phone must:
- Be turned on
- Be signed in to a Google Account
- Be connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi
- Be visible on Google Play
- Have Location turned on
- Have Find My Device turned on
please know that you must have a backup phone or backup code if you used your lost phone for 2-step verification.
Now, to get started:
1. Visit android.com/find and sign in to your Google Account.
For those that have more than one phone, click on the particular lost phone at the top of the screen.
If the lost phone has more than one user profile, then you need to sign in with a Google Account that is on the main profile.
2. The lost phone gets a notification.
You will get an info about where the phone is, On the map.
Please note that, the location is approximate and might not always be accurate.
3. If your phone can't be found, then you will see its last known location, if available.
You can just pick what you want to do, you can block or erase your data.
First, click 'Enable lock & erase'.
Functions
Play sound: This feature rings your phone at maximum volume for 5 minutes, even if the device is set to silent or is on vibrate.
Secure device: This feature locks your phone with your PIN, pattern, or password. If your phone doesn't have a lock, you can set one. You can also add a message or phone number to your lock screen, to help someone return your phone to you if found.
Erase device: This feature permanently deletes all data on your phone (but might not delete files on SD cards).
Please note that, After you erase, Find My Device won't work on the phone. And also if the phone is found after erasing, you'll need your Google Account password to access it again.
Second Method Using IMEI Number
Another method of recovering a lost or stolen phone is through the device’s IMEI number. For those who may not know, IMEI is an acronym for International Mobile Equipment Identity.
It is a 15-digit number used for several proposes – tracking is included in one of those several purposes.
You can always find IMEI number of smartphones attached to a new phone pack, on phone battery compartment, and by dialing *#06#.
Please make sure to note the IMEI number of your phone beforehand.
Do you know that, Each time you access a network services like making or receiving calls or sending SMS, your IMEI number is sent to the network base station by the phone. This is what makes tracking through IMEI possible.
Successful tracking a of device using IMEI number involves the use of sophisticated hardware gadgets which is mostly used by law enforcement agencies, network providers, or any techy mind with access to such equipment.
Please stay away from most Mobile Apps that claim to track phone by IMEI as they do not work and turn out to be a waste of time.
I recommend that, if method 1 fail to help track and recover your lost or stolen device, you should contact the police (note: IMEI number will be required in the police report).
You should also contact the network provider with your IMEI number to block (blacklist) the phone (this may also require a police report with other documentations). This action will render the phone useless to the thief.
Incase the phone is later recovered, you can still request for the phone to be unblocked (whitelisted).
Final words
We hope you have learnt How To Track Or Block Stolen Phone In Nigeria.
If this post was helpful do give us a comment or share.