How to find a phone using a SIM card

Cellular communication consists of a large number of radio transmitters. The mobile device must be within the coverage area of one of these conductors. Since the radio transmitter can accurately determine the location of the phone, you can easily find the device using the SIM card. Moreover, this rule applies even in large cities with large populations. This function allows you to connect all cellular companies. The accuracy of the service is higher than that of GPS, so it is recommended to use it.

Mobile operator services

Due to the fact that many customers need to know where the phone is, each mobile provider has developed its own feature that allows you to determine the location of the device. It is necessary to consider these functions in more detail.

"Search" from MTS

Subscribers who use the services of the MTS operator can be tracked using the Search service. The function calculates the user's approximate coordinates in just a few seconds. The option sends data about the number balance, battery charge, and the status of the mobile device.

To connect the service you need to perform the following algorithm of actions:

download the application to your phone;
enter your personal account number and password;
set a PIN code;
allow access to geolocation;
choose a subscription – basic, optimal, premium.

The service is paid, the subscription depends on the chosen subscription, for the basic one you need to pay 90 rubles per month or 3 rubles per day, optimal - 120 rubles per month or 5 rubles per day, premium - 190 rubles per month or 7 rubles per day.

You can connect family access for up to 3 people. The basic subscription will be free.

You can activate the service using a special service.

"Beeline coordinates" from Beeline

Beeline also allows you to track subscribers. She developed the Beeline Coordinates function, which can not only track the user, but also find a mobile device in case of loss or theft. The service is able to calculate coordinates accurate to street definition.

Plus, it doesn't matter how old the phone is, the option will search anyway.

To activate and manage the feature, you must do the following:

send an SMS message to the short number 5166;
a notification will be sent from the support service with a link to the required program;
After clicking on the link, you need to install the application on your phone.

The subscription fee for the service is 3 rubles per day.

"Radar" from Megafon

The Megafon operator also introduced its service, which allows you to determine the coordinates of the provider's client. It was called "Radar". The option is able to determine the location of a person who has given his consent to location determination and has not turned off the mobile device.

In order for the service to be activated, you need to do the following:

enter the command *148*user number# and press the call button;
an SMS message with a confirmation request will be sent to the number that was specified;
After this, the service will determine the subscriber’s coordinates.

The subscription fee is 7 rubles per day. The connection itself is free.

In urban environments, the service determines where a person is located with an accuracy of up to 50 meters, outside the city - with an accuracy of up to 100 meters.

"Geosearch" from Tele2

The Tele2 provider offers its clients to use the “Geosearch” option to determine their location. To activate the service, you need to do the following:

dial USSD request *119*01# and press the call button;
after entering these characters, the system will send an interactive menu where you need to enter the number of the subscriber you are interested in according to the scheme *119* user number# and press the call key;
a notification will be sent to the number specified in the menu asking you to confirm the request for location identification;
If the user allows the coordinates to be calculated, information about his location will be shown.

The subscription fee for this function is 2 rubles per day.

Third party services

Another option to determine a person’s location is to use third-party resources. There are quite a lot of such programs developed for modern mobile phones with the Android and IOS operating systems. But it is important to understand that you can only find out the address with the consent of the second subscriber. After consent has been received, you must:

Select a program from those offered on the Internet.
Download it on both devices.
Register in the system.
Link two phones together.

Below are popular applications for determining the address of a subscriber and download links in the Google Play Market and iTunes stores.

Find your phone using Google

To find a mobile device using your Google account, you must follow these steps:

go to the Google website and log in to your personal profile by entering data in the login fields;
after logging in, you need to find the “Phone Search” tab among the functions;
if several devices are linked to your account, you need to select the desired phone;
the system will send a message in which you need to indicate that the account belongs to the user;
after confirmation, you can use two search methods - call the phone number and indicate it on the map;
the first method will help if the device is lost in an apartment, car or office;
the second search method will indicate the location of the smartphone on the map.

In addition to determining the current location, you can trace the entire path along which the owner of the phone moved, which can also be useful in some situations.

"Locator" will track your movements

Megafon has a tool that will help you track the location of your gadget.

To find your phone, you will need to use another gadget (the phone of one of your friends or relatives). From this mobile device you need to do one of these actions:

send a USSD request *148*phone number to be tracked# call. If you dial only *148#, you will receive the coordinates of the phone from which you sent the request;
send a message to 000888 with the text +79********* (the number you need to track);
contact your operator to help you connect to the service.

Please note that sending one request to provide information about your phone’s geodata costs 5 rubles. In addition, the operator does not provide such information to everyone who submits a request. When a Megafon subscriber sends an operator a request to localize someone else's phone, the owner of the latter receives a notification about this. Only after receiving the consent of the monitored subscriber will the operator provide the requested information.

This procedure only needs to be completed once. The message from the operator states that someone is requesting the location of the subscriber. If you want to be able to track your child’s whereabouts, you can go through this procedure without his participation. Just take his phone and send the data consent code. Next, you can make requests to determine the location of the phone and receive the necessary information. It is provided in the form of an SMS message, which indicates the coordinates and description of a landmark that is located next to the device.

Recently, Megafon disconnected the “Locator” from the interactive map, where you could see the location of the phone from the screen of a computer, tablet or phone.

Useful applications

There are some apps that make it easier to find mobile devices. The most popular of them are the following programs.

Cerberus is a service that helps you find a mobile device that is disconnected from the Internet. You can manage the program online or via messages. The application is capable of not only providing exact coordinates, but also keeping a call log, recording sound, and tracking the device on a map. However, there is one drawback: only experienced users can configure the application, as root rights are required.

CM Security - this program does not search for phones, but it protects them from being turned off and put into airplane mode. This will help if the device is stolen; the attacker will not be able to deactivate the phone, so it will be easier to find it. In addition, the program will sound a loud beep if someone tries to take the phone out of their pocket. The application is paid, costs $75 per month.

There are other services, but they are not as widespread, and their functionality is somewhat limited compared to the applications described above.

Track gadget

If you place your phone somewhere within your habitat, for example, in an apartment or car, and it is turned off, then you are unlikely to be puzzled by the question of whether it is possible to track its location. Here you will have to make do with your own deductive abilities - remember where you saw the gadget last time, interview household members, or wait for the alarm to go off (it will ring even if the device is turned off). You should not connect more serious services to the search, as you may receive a fine. Contact law enforcement if you are sure that you have lost your phone outside the home and are unable to find it yourself. Although it is unlikely that your loss will be found quickly, such matters are postponed until later, while dealing with more important ones.

If the phone was stolen, it is very expensive, for example, a new Samsung or iPhone, and you have evidence of the crime - video recording or witnesses, then your case will be given priority, especially if this is not the first case in the area.

I’ll tell you how and with whose help you can track your phone if it was stolen and is currently turned off. You need to contact any police department, providing certain information.

If a stolen phone is turned off, the police will try to find it using imei, an identification number found on every mobile device that looks like a set of 15 digits. On the gadget itself you can find it on a special sticker under the battery or dial *#06#. When submitting an application, you will need to provide your documents, imei number (indicated on the box and in the device passport) and the contract number for the SIM card installed in the phone (check with your mobile operator). Then all you have to do is wait and hope.

How to find an iPhone

If your iPhone has been lost, you can find it by following these steps:

go to the iCloud website and enter your Apple ID and password;
Select the “Find iPhone” function from the menu;
enter the service password again;
After this, a map will appear showing the location of the device;
You can click on your lost phone to open a list of functions;
the menu will present three functions - “Play sound”, when this option is activated, the smartphone will emit a loud signal, “Erase iPhone”, a service to destroy all data on the phone, “Lost mode”, the function will lock the iPhone, only the owner can unlock it.

The above method can only be applied if the “Find My iPhone” option is enabled on the device.

"Locator" from MTS

To use the service, enter the following commands:

Send a message to number 667
: indicate the user's name and number in the message.
Next, operators will send a request to the specified subscriber’s number, which the user must confirm.
After this, the coordinates of the desired subscriber will become available.

The service charges a subscription fee of 100 rubles per month. Like all other similar functions, the Latitude service requires permission from the subscriber to send his coordinates. If you don't set permission to track your own device in advance, you won't be able to find your phone if it's lost.

Phone search services by subscriber number and IMEI

Only police officers can search a phone by IMEI and SIM card number. Nobody else can do this. Services that offer such services are either fraudulent or simply informational. Therefore, it is not recommended to use the services of such applications, as you can lose not only time, but also money.

You can determine the IMEI code yourself. You just need to enter the command *#06# in the dial line and press the call button. After this, the data will be displayed in a special field.

Geolocation

A lost phone that is turned on with active functions such as the Internet and GPS can be easily found by geolocation. For this, each operator has a corresponding service:

MTS and Beeline have Lakator.

Megafon has “Navigator”.

The service is activated by sending an SMS to a specific short number or in a communication salon; it is paid. In order for “locators” or “navigator” to be useful in case of loss of a gadget, they must be activated in advance. Tracking must be carried out on another device, but with confirmation of consent from the tracked phone. Location results can be sent in the form of SMS or displayed on a map in a special application, which also must first be installed. This is convenient when you need to know about a child’s movements; by the way, children lose gadgets more often than adults. You can also control the movements of adults, but will they agree, and it is impossible to track the phone in this way if geolocation is turned off.

The same principles are used in existing tracking programs. If the smartphone is turned off, then it is definitely not possible to track it by any special means; if it is turned on, the Internet and GPS are working, it is possible, but subject to a number of conditions, which I will discuss below.

On the Internet you can find a bunch of flashy banners advertising programs for finding a phone by imei. You shouldn't believe loud promises. You download the program, install it on your computer, it will ask you to add a database with existing codes to it. And you can download it from the Internet, but only in such databases are viruses most often hidden. You can complete the check by entering your imei into the required window. Only in 99% of cases will the program not find it, citing either incorrect code or outdated data, and the insidious virus will already penetrate your machine.

Other ways to find a phone at home and on the street

One of the easiest ways to find a phone is to return to the place where the device was found lost. There is a possibility that it was in this place that the device fell out of the pocket onto the ground. If your phone was lost in the office, you can look for it on your desktop, in drawers, or in your colleagues’ offices.

You can use the service when your smartphone is lost within the house. You can activate a call to quickly find the location where the phone is located.

In addition, you can simply call your number from someone else's device. This will also reveal the location using an audible signal, but the sound must be turned on on the device.

"Geosearch" from Tele2

To use, do the following:

To get started, type the command *119*01
#.
After entering the program, a menu will appear on the screen in which you need to dial the number of the desired subscriber along with the command *119* user number
# and press call.
To activate the tracking function, a confirmation message will be sent to the specified user's number.

When the subscriber confirms his consent, his location can be found out using the Geosearch program. This service is paid - 2 rubles per day. It can be installed on a phone to find it if lost, or on a subscriber’s phone whose location needs to be monitored.

Contacting support on the Megafon website

How to block a SIM card on Megafon, on the official website of the telecom operator:

in the "Support" section;
through “Personal Account”;
through the service guide.

In the first case, you need to find and click on the “Write a letter to us” link on the right side of the screen. In the “Subject” line, the “Number blocking” option is listed first. The message must also include the subscriber's full last name, first name and patronymic, his contact information, including email address and contact telephone number.

How can you block a Megafon SIM card in a subscriber’s “Personal Account” yourself:

you need to register in your personal account. This option is available on the telephone operator’s website;
log in to your “Personal Account”;
at the bottom of the page in the “Support” line, click the “Settings” button;
Next, in the “Number” option, you must select “Number blocking”;
then the “Block” button is activated.

In the “Personal Account” you can set the period for blocking the number in advance, for example, during a vacation abroad.

You can block your SIM card in another way:

in the subscriber’s personal account on the main page, select the “Contact support” category;
Next, to block the card, you need to go to the “Contact support” tab;
then a description of the problem encountered and a request to disconnect the phone number either temporarily or permanently.

How to disable this service

If a person does not know how to disable the navigator service, then it is quite easy to do. To do this, you should send a text message with the letters “OFF” to the same number - 1400. After a while the service will be deactivated. Note that deactivating the service, as well as connecting it, is free, which is extremely important for many subscribers. Another option is this:

If you need to deactivate it on a number that is already being tracked, then you need to send an SMS from it to the already mentioned number with the text “END and number in international format.”
If we are talking about the fact that several numbers were connected to it and you need to remove it everywhere, then the text in the SMS will be slightly different, namely: “ENDALL”.
If you need to disconnect the “Federal Navigator” from Megafon, but the subscriber is afraid to do something wrong, then you can also contact any branch of the specified operator, where specialists will carry out this procedure without any problems within a few minutes.

Terms and cost of restoring a duplicate

As for how long it takes to restore a lost SIM card, when you contact the service office, you receive a duplicate immediately after filling out the application and presenting your passport.

It will become active in a few minutes. No PIN required. Be sure to check with the manager about the format of the required card.

This procedure is free, however, if you choose delivery by courier, everything will depend on your location. There is no need to reactivate the duplicate, just insert it into your phone and use it.

Unblocking a number

You can unlock a SIM card:

by contacting the contact center. The operator needs to provide the phone number, specify that it needs to be restored, and the subscriber’s passport information;
at the company office. To confirm ownership of a phone number, employees will ask to present a passport;
contact the operator’s company service on its official website;
restore the operation of the SIM card in the “Personal Account” in the “Number Blocking” section or write a corresponding message to the support service in the “Contact Support” section;
in the “Service Guide” in the “Services and Tariff” section in the “Number Blocking” subsection.

If the SIM card is lost, the nearest Megafon branch will help you restore it.

When contacting employees, the subscriber must present a passport. The previous version of the SIM card will be blocked. And the client will be provided with a new card. Both the phone number and the funds credited to his account will be saved. To restore the functionality of the SIM card, you will have to pay off the existing debts.

Blocking from Megafon

Megafon has two types of number blocking:

"Voluntary blocking";
“Blocking services due to loss of SIM card.”

The maximum validity period for each of them is 180 days. After this period, the number will be unblocked automatically. However, you can cancel the block earlier, in one of three ways:

indicating the expiration date in the application for connection;
by contacting the communication center with a request to remove the blocking;
using SMS commands (if you have this service activated).

Important! To install any type of lock, you will need a passport.

Methods for establishing a block

The fastest way to block a SIM card is to call Megafon technical support. The number 8-800-550-05-00 is available throughout Russia for subscribers of any operators. To call from Megafon, you can also use the number 0500.

in the main menu, select the “Support” section;
On a new page, scroll the screen down a little;
find the “Contact us” block, and in it the “Write to us” link;
In the message field, indicate the number that needs to be blocked, the reason for connecting the service, as well as the full name and passport details of the owner of the number.

If no remote method suits you, the only option left is a personal visit to the company’s office or one of its salons. You can choose any nearest service point, their functionality is the same. At a Megafon branch, you will need to write a statement indicating your passport details, the number that needs to be blocked, as well as the reason and duration of blocking.