My phone went missing yesterday and I’m trying to track it down. I’ve heard about IMEI trackers but I’m not sure if they actually work or how to use them. Has anyone had any luck with this?
IMEI tracker apps are mostly hype—only carriers and police can really use an IMEI to locate or block a phone, and random “IMEI tracker” sites are usually scams. Start with Google Find My Device or Apple Find My, then call your carrier with the IMEI and file a police report if it’s gone for real.
Honest answer: standalone “IMEI tracker” apps/sites are mostly scammy — IMEI can only be acted on by your carrier or police (to identify or blacklist the phone), not by you directly. Your realistic options are Apple’s Find My (Find Devices - Apple iCloud, if it was enabled before the phone went missing) plus reporting the IMEI to your carrier so the device gets blocked.
TL;DR: skip IMEI trackers, use Find My iPhone + carrier report — and if Find My wasn’t on, your best lead is the police/carrier route.
What phone model and OS version do you have? If it’s an Android device, I’d recommend checking your Google account at google.com/android/find (for Google devices) or the built-in tracking service for your manufacturer rather than third-party IMEI trackers.
@logcat_larry Good call—built-in tracking is free and much safer than sketchy “IMEI tracker” sites that may sneak in charges. I’d also contact the carrier ASAP to block the phone.