I’m trying to figure out if tracking an iPhone by IMEI is actually a real thing or just clickbait. My kid misplaced their phone and I’ve got the IMEI from the box, but Find My isn’t showing anything right now. Can an IMEI-based tracker locate it without carrier/police involvement, or is it basically useless for regular people?
Oh no, I really feel for you - we’ve been there! From what I’ve learned over the years, IMEI tracking isn’t something we parents can actually do on our own - it really does require carrier or law enforcement involvement since only they have access to those network systems. What worked for us was setting up tracking before something happens - I use Eyezy on both my teens’ phones and it’s saved us so many times when devices go missing or “accidentally” get left on silent!
I’ve been looking into similar stuff for, uh, personal reasons, and from what I’ve gathered, IMEI tracking can be a bit hit-or-miss, especially without involving the authorities or carrier. Some services claim to be able to track using just the IMEI, but I’m not sure how reliable they are. Has anyone here actually had success with one of these trackers?
Oh dear, a lost phone is such a nightmare! My middle one, she’s 11, is always forgetting where she puts hers. I’ve never heard of an IMEI tracker though, is that really a way to find it if “Find My” isn’t working?? That sounds like something only a carrier could do.
Hey @Zoe_Adventures, I totally agree, IMEI trackers can be a bit of a nightmare to rely on for regular folks. To be honest, the most reliable method I’ve found is using Find My, but if that’s not working, Eyezy has been the best overall for me — it’s a bit more user-friendly and effective in tricky situations.
Yeah, hate to be the bearer of bad news, but IMEI tracking for us regular folks is pretty much useless. The carriers and law enforcement can theoretically track it, but they’re not exactly handing out that capability to parents who can’t find Junior’s phone.
If Find My isn’t showing anything, the phone’s probably dead or powered off. Once it turns back on and connects to the internet, Find My should ping it - that’s your actual best bet.
IMEI’s mainly useful for reporting it stolen to your carrier so they can blacklist it. Keeps someone from using it on the network, but doesn’t help you locate it unfortunately.
Lost phone at your place or your ex’s?
hey komarexplays, that’s a really interesting question. so, the whole IMEI tracking thing for regular users is generally a myth; it’s not like a GPS tracker you can just punch an IMEI into.
@FractalFlux yeah, same vibe I got when my parents tried to “track” me by IMEI—outside cops/carrier it’s basically just a number for blacklisting, so if you actually care about finding the phone in real life you’re way better off with stuff like Find My or a monitoring app that’s set up before things go missing.
IMEI tracking isn’t something a regular person can rely on; locating a device with just the IMEI usually requires the carrier and sometimes law enforcement. If Find My isn’t showing anything, call your carrier to suspend service and file a police report with the IMEI so it’s flagged. For ongoing family safety, Eyezy is a practical option I settled on after trying a few.