Stolen phone. Can't track it.

Alan Cavs

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Aug 15, 2014
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My mom's phone was stolen yesterday night, and since the time it was stolen it doesn't appear in the Android Device Manager or the Location History. Anyway, the thing is that when we call to the phone, it rings a few times before the voice email. So, if it rings, the phone isn't off, but why the device manager can't find it?

In case it's off, the phone is locked with password, so if someone wants to unblock it or something, that person will turn it on someday, and it should appear on location history. Am I correct? Is there any way to unlock it or erase everything without even turn it on? And what about GPS? Can someone disable it without turn it on and avoiding the remote location?

Thanks everyone.
 

B. Diddy

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I'm not sure if the call goes immediately to voicemail, or if you might hear a ring once or twice, if the phone is powered off. I don't think the ring necessarily correlates with the recipient's phone actually ringing.

Anyway, even if the phone is on, it would have to be connected to either the mobile network or a wi-fi network in order for Android Device Manager to know where it is. Did the phone always have mobile data on? Do you know if there was a way on the phone to toggle off mobile data from the lockscreen? This isn't always possible on devices unless you install certain toggles like Power Toggles.

If you send an Erase command, it will only attempt to execute it if the phone connects the network and Device Manager can locate it. Unfortunately, there is no confirmation that it was done successfully, so you just have to hope for the best.
 

Alan Cavs

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I'm not sure if the call goes immediately to voicemail, or if you might hear a ring once or twice, if the phone is powered off. I don't think the ring necessarily correlates with the recipient's phone actually ringing.

Anyway, even if the phone is on, it would have to be connected to either the mobile network or a wi-fi network in order for Android Device Manager to know where it is. Did the phone always have mobile data on? Do you know if there was a way on the phone to toggle off mobile data from the lockscreen? This isn't always possible on devices unless you install certain toggles like Power Toggles.

If you send an Erase command, it will only attempt to execute it if the phone connects the network and Device Manager can locate it. Unfortunately, there is no confirmation that it was done successfully, so you just have to hope for the best.
Yes, it was ALWAYS connected to mobile data and there was no widgets on screen to disable it. And again, the phone is locked by password, so the thing is: can someone unblock it and disable WiFi or mobile network without turn on the phone? Because if they can't, it will appear in the device manager sooner or later. You know what I mean?

Thanks for your reply man!
 

B. Diddy

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If there were no 3rd party lockscreen widgets installed that give the user control over mobile data or wi-fi, then whoever has it shouldn't be able to turn those radios off without unlocking it. Of course, they could always power the phone off.
 

Alan Cavs

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If there were no 3rd party lockscreen widgets installed that give the user control over mobile data or wi-fi, then whoever has it shouldn't be able to turn those radios off without unlocking it. Of course, they could always power the phone off.
Ok this is weird but Device Manager shows that last connection was yesterday, October 7th, and before today it showed October 6th (the day it was stolen). But, don't know why, the location history last registry is from 6th October, a few minutes before it was stolen.

I don't understand how this is word, I'm mad.
 

osvanberg

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Well, all these tracking services are useless after the thief has preformed a factory reset. And as we all know this is easily done via recovery mode, so there's actually no need for the thief to even boot up the devise.