Tracking lost mobile phone by GSM, any idea?

[momtaz]

one of my colleagues lost her Samsung edge, price around 26,000 THB,

she used it just few months, since yesterday her number still on, but no answer to calls or just deny,

No setting to locate by GPS, is there any idea or a reliable website that can provide a such service to locate her device using the GSM signals?

even a paid service to get her mobile back, or shall report to police and they can locate it for her? all is needed is to get her device back,

please share your idea as soon as possible before they throw the SIM card out of the device,

[Peterw42]

ADM, Android device manager, log in with the gmail address for the phones playstore account and you can track, wipe your phone

[katana]

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6160491?hl=en

[momtaz]

On 10/4/2016 at 2:10 PM, Peterw42 said:

ADM, Android device manager, log in with the gmail address for the phones playstore account and you can track, wipe your phone

 

No, it's not helpful, however, seems you didnt understand the topic of this question.

[Peterw42]

11 minutes ago, momtaz said:

 

No, it's not helpful, however, seems you didnt understand the topic of this question.

 

I am reading that a friend has lost an Android phone. and you are trying to locate it.

ADM, Its for finding lost android phones, Go to a computer, google Android device manager, put in the gmail address associated with the phone, and it shows you on a map where the phone is.

[Peterw42]

Here is the result, on my computer, when I just tracked my phone. my phone is downstairs in the car.

Edited October 5, 2016 by Peterw42

[JohnC]

Have a look here, http://www.samsung.com/in/apps/mobile/findmymobile/

 

she can lock it, wipe it and track it. 

[katana]

Can confirm with Peterw42. When I was first learning Android some months ago and tried Android  Device Manager to locate my phone, not only did it give a pretty close Google Map location, but it also gave an associated message saying 'the device is currently in your hand'.

Edited October 6, 2016 by katana

[momtaz]

Guys,, thanks for all feedback efforts.

this device manager setting require the device to be turned on internet / GPS, otherwise it won't work out,

 

so, my question was that the mobile number was still working that day, and I asked if any option to located the device using the GSM signals instead of the known method of GPS locator,

Let me repeat again, the question was: is there any option to locate the device using the mobile SIM card number that still active within the device? the is what I asked exactly, and mentioned that she was trying to reach her device by calling and calling several times, but no one picked her calls, eventually went silent, and seems gone !

but if any idea relevant to the question, would like to hear it, as we may  share it in future with our friends,,

 

thank you for all the efforts anyway,

 

[Peterw42]

For future reference, ADM doesnt need the GPS turned on (it wont be as accurate), with no GPS  it does a rough triangulation using the cell towers or wifi if its on one. 

Edited October 19, 2016 by Peterw42

[RichCor]

On 10/7/2016 at 2:40 PM, momtaz said:

[...] my question was that the mobile number was still working that day, and I asked if any option to located the device using the GSM signals instead of the known method of GPS locator,

Let me repeat again, the question was: is there any option to locate the device using the mobile SIM card number that still active within the device?

 

[...] and mentioned that she was trying to reach her device by calling and calling several times, but no one picked her calls, eventually went silent, and seems gone !

but if any idea relevant to the question, would like to hear it, as we may  share it in future with our friends,

 

The SIM Card operator is able to track which tower and even triangulate a location of a working device but they are under no obligation to help you in locating your misplaced/lost/stolen device and usually only do so for Emergency or Government related reasons.

 

Some ANDROID mobile phones let you install an location app that works over SMS text.

I had one client that was forever losing track of his phone and only used WiFi for Internet so we installed the SMS text location app and sent an SMS text query when we needed the app to responded back with its LAT LONG ...along with a google maps link giving us a good idea of where he left it.  The app only works on some phones and must be installed before it's lost.

 

So most people rely on the ability of the mobile device to post its GSM (rough) or GPS (more precise) determined location via a working Internet connection. But if your mobile device doesn't have active Internet then... it's not going to happen. 
 

[BKKdreaming]

1 hour ago, RichCor said:

Some ANDROID mobile phones let you install an location app that works over SMS text.

I had one client that was forever losing track of his phone and only used WiFi for Internet so we installed the SMS text location app and sent an SMS text query when we needed the app to responded back with its LAT LONG ...along with a google maps link giving us a good idea of where he left it.  The app only works on some phones and must be installed before it's lost.
 

Hi, do you hav name of the SMS sending App ?

 

thanks

[RichCor]

Do a search on Google PLAY for SMS location.  It should return gobs of applications that purport to do this.

 

Caveat: google keeps modifying their APIs and permissions on newer phones, or other phone apps prevent 3rd party apps from interacting with SMS text messages, preventing these types of apps from functioning.

 

PREY and Lookout were some of the better security/recover apps at the time.  I think Where's My Droid was the one I was using at the time. Unfortunately these either stopped working on the newer android OS or they went to a subscription price plan and I stopped using them.

[mtls2005]

Try sending an SMS, offer a reward. (But doubtful the SIM is still in that phone.)

 

File a police report.

 

The phone can be found, assuming it is registered on any network via the IMEI (located on the original box). But this is cost prohibitive.

 

Phone locating apps. work OK, but what to do when the location is 30 story building, or other similarly dense environment?