If there is something no one would ever want to experience in their lifetime, it is losing their precious mobile device. However, it is quite common to misplace your phone. Maybe you forgot it on the payment counter of the grocery store you last visited, or you suspect it to be stolen in the crowded marketplace.
Fortunately, it is possible to track your beloved lost phone for whatever reason. If you are wondering what to do if you don’t have a Google account, don’t worry! Here’s how to track an android phone without google account. So, let’s start.
5 Things To Do If You Lose Your Android Phone
Before trying any technical way to track an Android phone without a Google account, you should try some other things to avoid disastrous or heartbreaking consequences. These are:
- Remotely Lock Or Wipe Your Phone
- Change Password For Essential Services
- Call Your Bank
- Contact Your Mobile Phone Operator
- File A Police Complaint
1. Remotely Lock Or Wipe Your Phone
If you are 100% sure that the phone is stolen, remotely locking or wiping your phone should be your first step. For securing your Android phone, follow these steps.
- Go to the Find my Device website or app.
- Select the Secure Device option.
- Type the new password that you want to set.
- Click on Next.
- To set a lock, follow the instructions provided on the screen.
In case you have decided to wipe your phone, follow these steps to do so.
- On the Find my Device app or site, select Erase Device.
- To continue, select the Erase Device option again on the next screen.
- Sign in to your Google account to authenticate it.
- Once this verification is completed, Find my Device will delete all your phone data. If it is offline, the data will be removed as soon as it is connected to cellular data or a Wi-Fi connection.
Important Tip: Be aware that finding my Device can’t be used to track the cell phone’s location using the service once you remove the data.
2. Change Password For Essential Services
Banking apps that transfer payments on your phone are secured by bio authentication verification and PIN. But it is not the same with your email, shopping accounts, and several other applications. They all lack this security layer.
Therefore, you should change the passwords of all your essential services saved on your Android device. These include everything you frequently use on your phones, including all shopping sites, emails, password manager, online banking, etc., so that there is no unauthorized access or use.
3. Call Your Bank
Though unauthorized access to your banking apps is impossible due to biometric authentication and PIN-based safety, you might have saved your financial credentials on cloud services or emails in some cases.
In such a situation, the safest thing is to block your cards and bank account temporarily by alerting the concerned bank.
Also, you can block UPI and mobile wallet services. You can contact the support desk of the service provider.
Lastly, you should block your SIM card immediately, so there is no chance of resetting the passwords of financial apps.
4. Contact Your Mobile Phone Operator
You should immediately contact your mobile phone operator. You can ask them to immediately block your SIM so no financial transactions can be made with the help of OTP. They can also lock the phone service if you have already paid.
5. File A Police Complaint
If you are certain your phone has been stolen, you should immediately file a police complaint. It will help you in case any fraudulent activities occur or if it has been used for any criminal activities after being stolen.
Also, if you want to claim the insurance, the company requires a police complaint.
It is always better to be prepared for the worst if anything such happens to you.
How to track an android phone without google account?
Tracking a lost Android phone using your Google account is the easiest resort as Android is an operating system by Google itself. But what if you don’t have a Google account in the first place? Don’t worry! We have got your back.
Following are the best and tested ways to track an Android phone without a Google account.
- Through Your Phone’s Manufacturer
- Track Your Phone Through Your Wireless Carrier
- Ping Your Android Device
- Through The Phone’s IMEI Number
- Use Find My Mobile (Only For A Samsung Phone)
- Use A Third-Party Ap
- How To Use Dropbox To Track An Android Phone?
Let’s discuss each of these solutions in detail.
1. Through Your Phone’s Manufacturer
There is a tracking application installed on most Android phones. It helps you effortlessly track your missing handset using its current location. For example, Samsung devices feature a built-in option known as Find My Mobile. It is the same as the Find My Device on Google.
You can easily track your lost or stolen phone with Find My Mobile. However, there is a catch. You should have enabled this setting on your device. Otherwise, it will be of no use.
Hence, always make sure Find My Device is turned on. It will help you identify your phone’s last location and other convenient features.
2. Track Your Phone Through Your Wireless Carrier
Several wireless carriers also help your phone’s location by directing you to the Find My Device. In case your phone is stolen or lost, and there is no way you can have it back, you can report it as missing or stolen with the help of websites or apps of wireless carriers.
There is also the feature of locking it or erasing your phone.
3. Ping Your Android Device
This should be your first hack to find your phone when you lose or cannot access it. Although it won’t work if it is stolen, there is no harm in trying.
Ping your phone or play a sound with the help of Find My Device. If it is near, you can follow the direction from where the sound is coming and get it back.
If it is far, this option will also come in handy for you. When your device rings, someone can pick it up and tell you their location so you can collect it.
4. Through The Phone’s IMEI Number
Another way to track an Android phone without a Google account is through its IMEI number. However, you must install the IMEI tracking app to use it for tracking your lost/stolen phone.
But still, we will advise you to keep it your last option. The best one is still Google’s Find My Device.
The IMEI number consists of 15 unique digits. It stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity. You can access your device’s IMEI number from the phone call app on your phone by dialing a special sequence of numbers.
Tip: Note down the IMEI number of your smartphone somewhere safely.
If you ever lost your phone, this number can help you track it. Report this number to the authorities, and you can block it so that no one else can register the phone in the future.
5. Use Find My Mobile (Only For A Samsung Phone)
This method is only meant for Samsung users. To locate your phone, open the Find My Mobile website on any web browser. For this, the settings must be activated.
Next, follow these steps.
- Log in to your Samsung Account.
- A list of all devices you have activated the Find My Device will appear on the screen.
- If it can detect your phone’s location, it will appear on the map.
- You can also see the current status, network connectivity, and battery life.
Remember that this will only work if the phone is ON and connected to the internet. Hence, try these steps as soon as you realize your phone is not with you to have more possibility of tracking.
6. Use A Third-Party App
We believe that Google’s tools might be enough for tracking your Android phone. However, there is always an option for third-party apps. They provide more security and can also help find the phone quickly, courtesy of their advanced features.
Some of the best third-party tools for tracking an Android phone are:
1. Cerberus
Cerberus is one of the best apps for tracking your device with several remote control options. Following are some of the features offered by this tool.
- Track lost or stolen devices.
- Record audio or video of a person secretly.
- Capture a hidden picture.
- Trigger a safety alarm.
- Wipe your entire phone data to prevent unauthorized access.
You can also hide this application on your phone, making it harder for an unknown person to locate its presence.
The flashable ZIP files can install this if you have rooted your Android phone. And hence, even if any stranger factory reset your phone, Cerberus will still be installed on your phone. And you can then track it.
2. Android Lost
Android Lost is very much similar to Cerberus. It also comes equipped with a vast range of remote control options. Tracking your Android phone also lets you wipe out its stored data and take hidden pictures of the thief.
Interestingly, Android Lost is developed by an engineer instead of a developer. And this is also one of the reasons behind the basic appearance of the website.
Despite this, it functions greatly and fulfills all its claims. The installation process is not difficult at all. Just download it from the Google Play Store. Then, open the app and provide the administrator permissions.
Therefore, if you lost your phone, open the website, log in with the Google account you use on your phone, and start using its features.
3. Prey Anti-Theft
Prey Anti-Theft is mainly known for its theft tool that can be used for both phones and laptops. Another great thing about this is that you can connect three devices simultaneously with it for tracking, all with its free account.
It offers basic features, such as device tracking, scanning nearby internet connections for better performance, remote picture capture, etc.
One limitation of Prey Anti-Theft is that it doesn’t have advanced features like the earlier discussed tools.
4. Life360
Life360 is mainly used for sharing the location with others. Hence in case, you lose your device, you can check its location by tracking it. It was released in 2008 as a family social networking app.
Follow these steps to use this app.
- Install Life360 on your phone.
- Create your circle, inviting only family members.
- Choose the plans best suited for you and your family.
- The process is completed, and you can check the location of your circle.
Other than tracking locations, it also offers the following features.
- You’ll get notifications whenever your circle members leave your most visited places.
- You can get the directions to any circle member by tapping on their images.
- You can see the activities of your driver behind your back.
5. Where’s My Droid
Where’s My Droid also provides the following features along with the tracking feature.
- You can lock your device from anywhere so that anyone leaks no private information.
- It automatically reacts to any potential threat after detecting it.
- It also gets the location of your phone on low power.
- You can take pictures with the camera even if the phone is locked.
- It activates several features once the phone is out of a confined area.
You can use the tool for free. But if you want some additional advanced features, then we will recommend its Elite version.
7. How To Use Dropbox To Track An Android Phone?
Yes, Dropbox can also be used to track an Android phone without a Google account. This method must be the last approach to finding your phone after all the above.
But for this method, you must have installed Dropbox on your phone and turned on the Camera Upload feature. Once enabled, if the person who has stolen your phone takes their pictures on your phone, they will be uploaded to Dropbox. Hence, if they have clicked a selfie, you can identify them.
Also, you can check the pictures closely to examine where he is taking the photos.
Requirements for this method to work are:
- Your device is connected to high-speed internet.
- The Camera Upload feature is activated.
- The other person takes at least one picture through your device.
You can also share the pictures on social media platforms, so if anyone recognizes the person, they can update you about the same. This is the only way you can find your phone with the help of Dropbox.
It won’t provide you with the IP address of the phone. Hence, installing a tracking app is the best option. Because there is no guarantee that the thief will click the picture, they might sell the phone to someone else.
How To Keep Your Device Safe?
We have discussed all the possible ways to track an Android phone without a Google account. But you can try some ways to keep your phone/device safe in the first place. So it won’t be lost or stolen. These ways are:
- Enable Location Tracking
- Secure Your Phone With A Password
- Keep The Internet Data Enabled
- Back-Up Your Data By Syncing To Cloud
- Invest In Phones With Non-removable Batteries
Enable Location Tracking
You should always enable location tracking on your device. Only then can you track your phone in real-time with the help of the Android Device Manager. You can access the Android Device Manager using another phone and track the latest position of your lost device when it was connected to the internet last.
Secure Your Phone With A Password
This is mandatory nowadays. When you buy a device, set a screen lock on it. You can use a PIN, password, voice recognition, face recognition, pattern, etc., for this purpose. Because then, thieves have to hack your phone to get any information.
And you’ll get extra time for blocking the SIM or changing the passwords of your device.
Keep The Internet Data Enabled
A tracking app indeed requires the phone’s location to be turned on. But an active Wi-Fi or data connection is another important thing required.
Hence, it is always recommended to keep your phone’s data on even if you are using Wi-Fi. Because in the absence of any internet connection, the tracker won’t recognize the location and consider your phone gone forever.
Even if the data consumes the battery a little bit more, keep it on.
Back-Up Your Data By Syncing To Cloud
This is useful in case you permanently lose your phone. If you have backed up your data on cloud storage, you can easily recover it from there. Nothing important data of yours will be lost. Hence, always backup your important data by syncing it to the cloud.
Invest In Phones With Non-removable Batteries
If your phone has a removable battery and the thief has removed it, it is impossible to track it. Therefore, always invest in phones with non-removable batteries. It should not be difficult as most phones nowadays don’t come with a removable battery.
Conclusion
So, here you go. These were all the ways through which you can track an Android phone without a Google account. We hope to have solved your problem with this article.
Still, using a Google account for tracking is the safest and least complex way. Hence, it should be your first preference. But we understand there are circumstances when you might not have a Google account, and for a situation like this, we came up with this.
