This article shows you how to use the built-in GPS of an iOS or Android device to locate your smartphone or tablet if it is lost or stolen. The location of a mobile device can also be tracked using a third-party application.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: iPhone
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Step 1. Log in to the iCloud website
Paste the URL https://www.icloud.com/ into the address bar of your computer browser and press the "Enter" key.
To successfully complete the procedure described in this article method, the "Find My iPhone" functionality of the iOS device must be enabled
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Step 2. Log in to iCloud
Type your Apple ID and security password into the corresponding text fields visible in the center of the page, then click the button →. Your iCloud account dashboard will appear.
Skip this step if you have already followed the login on the iCloud website
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Step 3. Click the Find My iPhone icon
It features a green radar screen and is located on the right side of the iCloud dashboard.
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Step 4. Re-enter the password
Type in the text field that appeared in the center of the page.
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Step 5. Click on the All Devices option
It is displayed at the top of the page. A drop-down menu will appear.
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Step 6. Select your iPhone
Click on the name of the iPhone displayed in the drop-down menu that appeared.
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Step 7. Check where your iPhone is
As soon as the device is tracked on the map, you will be able to see its exact location and on the right side of the page several options will appear:
- Make it ring - the selected iPhone will emit an acoustic warning;
- Lost mode - the device will be blocked and Apple Pay functionality will be suspended (only on on the device in question). In this case you also have the option of displaying a text message on the device screen;
- Initialize the iPhone - all data on the device will be deleted. Remember that this is not reversible, so make sure you have an up-to-date backup before taking advantage of this feature.
Method 2 of 4: Android devices
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Step 1. Go to the Google Find My Device website
Paste the URL https://www.google.com/android/find into the address bar of your computer's browser and press the "Enter" key.
The procedure described in this method only works if the "Find my device" app has been installed and activated on the smartphone or tablet in question
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Step 2. Enter the email address associated with your Google account and the security password
You must use the same account you used to set up the device. Type your e-mail address in the appropriate text field, click on the button Come on, enter the password and click on the item again Come on.
If you are already signed in, you will most likely need to type in your password anyway to verify your identity
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Step 3. Click the Accept button when prompted
In this way, the Find My Device website will start searching for the smartphone or tablet associated with the selected profile.
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Step 4. Check the location of the device
When your Android smartphone or tablet is located the corresponding position will be displayed on the map together with several options:
- Play audio - the default ringtone will be played for a duration of 5 minutes, even if the device is in silent mode;
- Block - the device will be locked with a security code;
- Reset - the contents of the device's internal memory will be deleted. This way, however, you will no longer be able to locate it using the Find My Device app.
Method 3 of 4: Samsung devices
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Step 1. Go to Samsung's Find My Device site
Paste the URL https://findmymobile.samsung.com/ into the address bar of your computer browser and press the "Enter" key.
For this procedure to work, you must have set up a Samsung account on the device
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Step 2. Click the Login button
It is displayed in the center of the page.
If you are already logged in with your Samsung account, skip this step and the next
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Step 3. Enter your account login credentials
Enter the email address associated with the Samsung profile and the corresponding security password, then click the button Log in to log into the Find My Device site.
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Step 4. Check the location of your Samsung device
After logging into the Find My Device site with your Samsung account, the last known location of the device should appear on the map along with a number of options:
- Play personal device - the device will emit an acoustic signal;
- Lock personal device - access to the Samsung device will be blocked with a password;
- Format personal device - the internal memory of the device will be completely erased. In this case you will be asked to confirm your choice by typing the account security password;
- For the location of the device to be displayed on the map, you may need to click on the item first Find the location of my device.
Method 4 of 4: Locate Others' Device
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Step 1. Install the GPS Tracker app on your device
You can install the GPS Tracker app on both iOS and Android devices (in the latter case it is called "PhoneTracker"):
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iPhone - access the App Store by tapping the icon
select the tab Search for, tap the search bar, type in the gps tracker keywords, locate the "GPS Tracker" app in the search results list and press the button Get corresponding, then enter your Apple ID password or use the Touch ID function.
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Android - log in to Google Play Store by touching the icon
tap the search bar, type phonetracker with friendmapper keywords, select the app PhoneTracker with FriendMapper, push the button Install, then press the button I accept.
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Step 2. Launch the Gps Tracker app on your device
Push the button You open displayed within the app store page of the smartphone or touch the program icon displayed on the device Home.
If required, authorize the application to have access to the phone's hardware resources by pressing the button Yup, I accept or Allow.
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Step 3. Swipe your finger across the screen to the right four consecutive times
This will allow you to create a new user account.
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Step 4. Tap the Step 1 - Create Account link
It is displayed at the top of the page.
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Step 5. Enter your account information
Fill in the following fields with the necessary data:
- Email address;
- Verify that the email address is correct by entering it a second time;
- First name;
- Last name;
- If you are using an Android device, you must first enter your first and last name and only then the e-mail address.
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Step 6. Press the Create Account button
It is located at the bottom of the screen.
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Step 7. Press the OK button when prompted
This will redirect you to the previous screen from which you started the account creation process.
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Step 8. Tap Step 2 - Enter Confirmation Code
It is displayed in the center of the screen.
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Step 9. Retrieve the verification code
Access the e-mail address of the address you have associated with the account, find the e-mail with the subject "Registration Code" and open it, then take note of the red code in the body of the e-mail.
If you can't find the indicated email, please check the folder Spam or Junk Mail account.
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Step 10. Enter the confirmation code
Enter the code from the email you received into the text field displayed in the GPS Tracker app on your device.
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Step 11. Press the Verify Confirmation Code button
It is displayed below the text field where you entered the code. In this way, the correctness of the data entered will be verified and the account will be created and matched to the device.
If you are using an Android device, you will need to press the button Activate.
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Step 12. Repeat the app setup process on the device you want to monitor as well
Install the app under consideration, launch it, create an account and verify the associated email address.
You can use the GPS Tracker app installed on an iPhone to locate an Android device and vice versa
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Step 13. Tap the + icon on your device
It is located in the upper right corner of the main screen of the GPS Tracker app.
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Step 14. Select the Send Invite item
It is displayed at the top of the page.
- If requested, authorize the GPS Tracker app to access the device's address book by pressing the button OK.
- In order to locate the device of the indicated person using an iPhone, the corresponding e-mail address must be registered in the phone book.
- If you are using an Android device, you can select the option Enter Email in the upper right corner of the screen to add the email address of the person to be located.
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Step 15. Select the person to send the invitation to
Tap the name of the contact you want to locate.
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Step 16. Press the Send button
It is located in the upper right corner of the screen.
If you are using an Android device, select an email service, then tap the paper airplane icon in the upper right corner of the screen
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Step 17. The recipient of the message will have to accept your invitation
He will need to access the inbox associated with the e-mail address he used to create the GPS Tracker app account, take note of the code displayed in the "This code was created by the app to link our phones" section, launch the GPS Tracker app if it has not already done so, press the button + located in the upper corner of the screen, tap the item Accept Invite, enter the verification code and press the button Verify.
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Step 18. Check the location of the person you want to locate
Every ten minutes the GPS Tracker app will update the current location of the device you are tracking. The location of the device will be displayed on the main screen of the GPS Tracker app installed on your smartphone.
Advice
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Most mobile phone operators offer features that allow you to trace your smartphone or tablet in case of theft or loss:
- Vodafone - Find your Smartphone;
- Tim - MyTIM;
- Fastweb - Customer Area;
- Three - Customer Area.