Naresh asks:
So I have lost my Apple iPhone with Vodafone SIM card. I want to know if it is possible to track this phone using GPS technology? I have no cellular tracking apps installed, and I haven’t even used any built-in trackers. Can Vodafone, as a carrier network, help me in tracking the phone for free?
Answer:
Although carrier networks have the “indirect” power to track any lost gadgets, they would’t do this for a couple of reasons:
- They do not own the phone. Phones are manufacturer by mobile manufacturers not by carrier networks.
- The carrier network focusses on a completely different sector (Telecom).
It’s true that carrier networks must focus on customer satisfaction, but you cannot simply make a call and ask them to trace your missing phone. If companies like Vodafone start accepting people’s request to find the location of the device, then they will be bombarded with huge number of calls from lost phone owners.
On asking Vodafone for more details through Facebook, they revealed the following information:
“We will not be able to track your lost or stolen mobile phone. However, there are other options we recommend you depending on your handset. So, let’s say, for example you have an Apple iPhone with iCloud set up. In such cases you can use the built-in web tracker (Find My iPhone) to obtain the accurate location of the device.
You can also request us to block your Vodafone SIM card. You have to call our customer care service and request for blocking the phone number. After the request is fulfilled no one can make calls to your mobile phone. Even outgoing calls will be barred. Note that you can also ask for a replacement or duplicated SIM card with the same mobile number. Please get in touch with customer support.”
There is another way to track phone not via GPS but through the help of cops. What you can do is register a complaint about your lost or stolen cell phone to the nearest police station. If the cops are serious about this, then they will approach Vodafone and investigate in this case.
More than 50% of the phones are found through this method. Once Vodafone shares the internal details with the cops, it gets easier to find the phone. Why, you ask? Because Vodafone always has a list of calls made, the location, and IMEI details of the phone. Now, assuming the SIM card is still in the phone, it can be tracked by the police and you can get back your lost phone safely.