Is it difficult for you to locate your Android phone when it is turned off? However, the task is definitely pretty difficult, but you can still follow the lost phone. We’ll go over some alternatives that you can employ to track down your Android phone’s location, whether it’s stolen or lost.
Can You Track an Android Phone That Is Turned Off?
As soon as your misplaced Android phone is turned off, it becomes out of cell coverage and immediately, it no longer reports its location. Luckily, the Google’s Find My Device network level is non-operational for your phone tracking for several hours after the device is turned off.
Such feature is also available in Samsung Galaxy phones. These phones may as well send their last known location before they are turned off.
Whereas these features can be helpful, when you need to track an Android phone that is powered off, time is usually of the essence. First, you should track the phone’s IMEI number and file a police report which might assist with the acquisition of the cell.
Use Find My Device to Locate Your Android Phone
Through Google’s Find My Device service, you can easily follow all the Android devices that are linked to any of the accounts associated with your email. Just like Apple’s Find My feature, the app can be employed to track down your missing Android phone and, at the same time, it can lock or wipe your device.
Google’s Find My Device has offline search option that is now only Pixel 8 series supported. The option at the moment is only in the US and Canada, with Google stating to Android Authority that it will be available worldwide by late 2024.
Here’s how you can track your lost and powered-off Android phone’s location using Find My Device on the web:
- Look at your Google Find My Device website on a laptop or another phone.
- Use the same google account that is on your stolen or missing phone to log in.
- Choose the lost device from the left-hand list. This will draw up a map with a last position marked and factory reset or safe mode option.
- In addition, this feature will also tell you how long ago the device was last seen to be active. By turning to the Maps Timeline option, you can review the phone’s location pre-shutdown.
With the phone being turned off, the only place possible on the Google Map is the last known place where the signal was picked up. That is then enough if the phone was been lost and not been stolen. In case your phone is picked up by someone, you can remotely wipe, lock, or erase for factory settings using Find My Device.
Besides, you can enter the Find My Device app on the Android phone of your friend remotely by logging in using your Google account and locate your lost and powered-off phone.
How to Track Your Lost Samsung Phone That Is Switched Off
In addition, Find My Device from Google and SmartThings Find from Samsung which Samsung phones come pre-installed with them are both device tracking features.
However, the pixel phone but can only work offline for the Pixel 8, Samsung’s phone finding feature will, though, work offline with most of their mid and top range Galaxy devices. Therefore, log in to your Samsung account on the device and switch on the tool prior to using it.
- Open a browser on your computer or a device you have access to and log in to the SmartThings Find site using the Samsung account that has your lost phone connected to it.
- Choose Galaxy phone from the side menu.
- SmartThings Find will show the map of its last known location.
Remember that losing devices may only work in the short term only when the device is powered off. You can easily track your phone’s location, so take advantage of it by using the SmartThings Find Track location feature to get a ping of its whereabouts every 15 minutes.
If you have a Galaxy phone, you can check if offline phone-finding is enabled by visiting Settings > Security and privacy > Lost device protection.
Trace Your Steps Using the Google Maps Timeline
Furthermore, your Android phone misplacement problems can be resolved with a glance at where you’ve been using the Google Maps Timeline feature. As we use our phones for navigation and getting directions, Google Map keeps an extensive record of where your phone has been. That will be the case if the Location History is enabled in the Google Maps app.
The Google Maps Timeline will show you the entire trips that you have taken and the shops you have visited. However, this is an unexpected but highly efficient way to track your misplaced or Android phone. It is important to remember that your location history is disabled by default, and you have enabled it to get timeline view.
Follow these steps to locate your Android phone’s whereabouts with the Google Maps Timeline feature:
- On a computer or a phone based, open Google Maps and login with your Google account.
- Tap the icon with three horizontal lines at the top left and then go to Your timeline. Rather than that, go on Google Maps Timeline to view a timeline of your recent trips there.
- To help you to focus your search, please specify the date when you lost you phone by providing date using the drop-down menus.
- You can in turn reach your lost mobile by retracing your steps.
Track Your Phone Using Third-Party Apps
In case you don’t make it a habit to use Google Maps on your phone regularly and the background data is disabled for it, you are not likely to be able to pinpoint it by employing Google’s services.
Fortunately, some third-party apps and services are on par with your phones pings of the last known location. Snapchat is a great representation of this very fact. If you are deep into Snap Map and your friends can see your location via Snapchat; your outcome is an Android phone that has been lost and powered off.
You may have Google Photos configured to take pictures and videos on mobile data, have a look back at the last backup photo to get the location of the device.
Imagine apps on your phone that could have your last location saved. When the situation is as severe as it is today, even the smallest piece of information can contribute to the solution.
It is tricky to track a stolen Android phone when the device is also out of operation. By following these options, however, the likelihood that you will be able to locate your lost Android cell phone and apprehend the culprit is higher. In any case, make sure that you lodge a police report for your safety first as well.
