Lost your iPhone? No problem. Once you’ve got your IMEI number, locating it will be easy.
Chances are we’ve all been there at some point. Stepped out of the car and your iPhone has slipped out of your pocket? Woken up after a night out and realized you left your phone in the bar? Or just can’t remember if you left it at a friend’s house? Well, with your iPhone IMEI number, you can track your phone. We’ll show you how to locate an iPhone with your IMEI number in this easy to follow article.
What is an IMEI Number?
An IMEI number is a unique number that is used to identify your iPhone. IMEI stands for International Mobile Station Equipment Identity. It is used by phone companies to match each phone to the networks, so they can work out who is making the calls, and from where. IMEI numbers are also used to blacklist devices if they are stolen so that they cannot be resold by the thief.
Apple used to print these IMEI numbers on their phones, but it is a practice that they have not done for a while. Fortunately, there are still ways that you can find out your IMEI number, as that will be the first step you will need to do to begin locating your iPhone.
How to Locate Your IMEI Number
There are several ways you can locate your iPhone by using your IMEI number, which are fast and easy. But as mentioned earlier, to begin the process you will need to find out what your iPhone’s IMEI number is.
You can check your iPhone’s IMEI number is through the iPhone settings. If you open settings, then go to ‘general’, then ‘about’, you should be able to see your iPhone’s IMEI number further down the page. You can then copy the number (by holding down on it with your fingertip and selecting copy), and then paste it into your notes so that you will be able to get to it easily in the future.
Another easy way to check your iPhone’s IMEI number is to open your dial pad and type in *#06# which will take you straight to a screen with your IMEI number.
If you have an iPhone 6 or older, you will be able to locate your IMEI number by looking on the back of your phone. It will be printed alongside some other small text. If not here, check the bottom of your sim tray.
Once you know your IMEI number, you can find everything else about your phone using a third-party website online. These are fast and often free. One of the best we have found is iPhone IMEI. If you haven’t done so already, you should make sure to find your IMEI number and make a note of it for future reference. It will tell you your serial number, AppleCare status if Find My iPhone is active, and the unlocked status. This very same website – iPhoneIMEI.net – can be used to unlock your iPhone, too, if that’s something you also need to do.
How to Locate an iPhone with IMEI Number
Okay, so you’ve got your iPhone IMEI number, now what? Well, there are several ways you can locate your iPhone using it. Perhaps your iPhone is in a particularly unusual place or is switched off. Normally, you could use Find My iPhone (steps below)
- Sign in to your account at iCloud.com/find or use the Find My iPhone app on another device.
- Click ‘find’. You can then see it’s location on a map, or if it’s nearby, you can make it play a noise.
- If it’s not nearby, you can mark it as lost. Doing this will lock your iPhone, and you can display a personal message on the screen for anyone that may find it.
- You can find a great discussion on this on the Apple Discussion Forums here.
But we’re here to talk about those times when it isn’t that simple to locate your iPhone with an IMEI number. There are two (legal) ways to do this.
Track your IMEI with your wireless provider
To track your IMEI with your wireless provider the first thing you will need to do is phone them up and tell them your iPhone is missing. They will then be able to add your device to a ‘Gray list’ and track your iPhone using the IMEI number. Sometimes they will be happy to give this information to you, sometimes they will not give you the information too.
Track your IMEI with IMEI databases
If your wireless provider is not willing to share the information with you, then you can report your IMEI to IMEI databases on the internet. A reputable one is IMEI detective but there are many more to be found on Google. If you provide your IMEI number to one of these databases, they will notify you when it is located. This option is often not as effective as tracking with your wireless provider, but it’s better than nothing if they will not give you the information yourself.
How to Locate an iPhone With IMEI Number – A Warning
No matter how you choose to locate your iPhone with your IMEI number, you should make sure to report your iPhone as lost to the police. You may stumble across a few other ways of locating your iPhone using an IMEI number while searching the web but be warned: attempting to track your iPhone any other way than listed in this article is not legal, and can land you in a heap of trouble. Despite the fact that it’s your device that you’re trying to locate.
Hopefully, this article has helped you reconnect with your iPhone, or provided you with some handy tips for when it may happen to you. Always make a note of your IMEI number and keep it in a safe place in case such a situation should arise.
