Dhaval asks:
After losing iPhone last year and a brand new Android phone (Galaxy S4) I wanted to find out if it was possible to track a phone through IMEI number. Reading the articles on this site has helped me understand that filing a complaint to the carrier using IMEI number can help in blocking the phone. This seems like a long process, so I was wondering if there is a way to use a software where I can enter the IMEI number and find out the phone’s location instantly? In short, I am looking for a free IMEI tracking software that simply works!
Answer:
There are many ways to find out the phone’s location, so many ways to use IMEI, and so many “secret” methods that will make tracking a really effortless process. Using the IMEI number may not be the best way out there, but it is certainly the most popular technique followed by a number of people who lose their phones.
Tracking the location of the phone — be it Android, iPhone, Blackberry or even a basic handset — using IMEI number is not possible. And, as far as I know, there are no IMEI tracking software that helps you find a device’s location.
There are many IMEI checkers and online IMEI tracking tools that promises to track the phone, although you will realize that they simply give out more information about the device. A desktop IMEI software, at least to the public, is unavailable.
I have also asked the network operator to see if they could help. They had a standard answer: “Due to confidential reason, we are not allowed to help you in this. We can, however, help you block the SIM card of your lost phone.” Another representative said the following: “Finding the location of phone is not possible through IMEI! Can I help you with anything else?”
If we think logically, a software for IMEI number tracking should exist. This is because any phone’s location can be tracked using GeoPoint coordinates. So, if a person who lost a phone sends the phone’s IMEI number to you (assuming you have the software installed on your computer), then you can find the location by retrieving the GeoPoint coordinates through the database. We, of course, assume that a phone is active and not switched OFF.
The network operator that ties up with manufacturers may have such a software where entering the phone number reveals the details of the phone, like the IMEI number and the last time the call was made. This information can be reverse engineered and used to further track the location of the lost phone.