
If you have lost your mobile phone and, to top it off, it was turned off, you may find yourself in serious trouble. Whether due to theft or loss, finding a turned off phone is not easy, but with the development of technology, what once seemed an impossible mission is now within everyone’s reach.
In this oneHOWTO article we explain how to track a turned off cell phone so that you can locate your mobile even when you have already given it up for lost. Pay attention to these simple methods that we show you and choose the one that is most comfortable for you … let’s go!
How to track a turned off cell phone with Google
Many Android phones work associated with a Google account. In this way, the applications installed on the phone are synchronized to share and save data. If you wonder how to find a lost android, Google can be your salvation, so we explain how to use your account to track a turned off cell phone:
- To use this method, you will need to have the “Location” option activated on your mobile.
- To activate it, and if you are still on time, display the options menu in the upper right corner of the screen. Select the “Location” icon to activate it and click OK to grant the corresponding permissions.
- If you cannot find your cell phone and it is off or in airplane mode, go to your computer, open Google Chrome and visit the page android.com/find.
- Log in with your Gmail email and password.
- Select your device and search the history of recorded locations to see where your phone was last turned on, with an internet connection or mobile data.
- Then, you can choose between three options: lock your mobile so that whoever finds it must enter a PIN code of your choice; set an alarm to sound on your mobile for 5 minutes (in case the last location record corresponds to a nearby place) and, finally, erase all existing data on your mobile. Select this option only if you are sure that your mobile was stolen, as this will protect your files and other confidential information.
Remember that, as we said at the beginning, this method works only if your mobile is Android.

How to track a turned off cell phone with iCloud
If you have an iPhone, Apple also has its tricks, as it has a service specialized in cell phone tracking. By registering your mobile in iCloud, the GPS detector installed in the device allows iCloud to track the location of the phone whenever it is connected to the internet. However, if your iPhone gets lost, you can still track it while it is turned off. Following these simple steps:
- You will need to have at least the iOS13 version of the Apple mobile operating system.
- Download and install the Find My iPhone app on your tablet, mobile or Mac and synchronize the data from your iCloud account.
- Go to phone settings and click on “Privacy”. There, activate the “Location” option so that Apple can locate the cell phone at any time.
- When you cannot locate your phone, open Find My iPhone on your tablet or Mac. Click on the “Devices” option and select your iPhone synced with the app.
- Activate the options “Activate offline search” and “Send last location” to track your switched off mobile.
- Then, click on the “How to get there” option so that the program will show you the route to the place where the mobile was last switched on.
- As soon as your mobile is turned on or is near another iPhone, the program will locate it by means of an encrypted alert code sent through the “Apple private key” assigned to the phone. For this, this encryption system relies not on the mobile data signal, but on the cell phone’s Bluetooth signal.
If you wonder which one is the best application to find your cell phone iPhone, we advise you to try this option before any other. If you want more information on How to find my iPhone, be sure to visit this other article.

How to track a turned off cell phone with Samsung
Samsung has also developed an application to find your cell phone. It is “Find my mobile”, an app designed to track Samsung mobiles lost, as well as to report their theft. To use it, you must have it installed on your mobile before losing it and synchronizing your Google account with your Samsung username. Here we explain, step by step, how to track a turned off mobile with Samsung:
- Check if the Find my mobile app is installed on your phone. If you don’t see it in the main menu, download it from the Google Play Store.
- Go to Settings on your mobile and enable the “Location” function. Similarly, enable the “Device Administration” option. In this way, your Google account and your Samsung user can access the location of the cell phone at all times.
- Open the Find my mobile website on your computer and log in with the credentials of your Samsung user (email and Google password).
- From the main menu, select “Start Tracking.” There you can see all the places where your phone has been in the last 12 hours.
- If you assume your phone was stolen, select the “Lock my phone” option. A) Yes you will disable all the functions of the cell phone and, in addition, you can configure a message with your personal data so that whoever finds your phone can contact you and give it to you.
- You can also delete all the data and files saved on the cell phone with the “Delete my cell phone” option.

How to track a turned off cell phone with Lookout
If you are looking for a cell phone tracking app, Lookout is one of the most effective. With this app you can not only track your lost mobile, but also identify the alleged thief of the phone. Follow these simple steps:
- Download and install the Lookout app on your cell phone.
- Set up your account with your username, password, and device name.
- Then, from your personal computer, log in with your account credentials and check the options on the main Lookout menu.
- With the free version, if you lose your phone, you can make a backup of all the information stored on your mobile (contacts, notes, multimedia files). To do this, go to the Backup menu and activate the data backup.
- If you lose your cell phone, go to the menu, “Lost device” and select the “Signal Flare” function. There you will be able to know the location of your mobile and see a route of all the places it passed through.
- If the registered location is close, you can activate a strong alarm that will help you locate the mobile.
- With the paid version, Lookout Premium, you can select the “Theft alerts” option. If someone steals your cell phone, the app will take a picture of the thief before it turns off the cell phone and it will send it to the email with which you have registered your Lookout account.

How to track a turned off cell phone with Where is My Droid
Where is My Droid is an app designed to track stolen phones. It has a free version and additional paid services, but with the free version it will be enough to learn how to find a lost android. This is how you should use this app to locate your lost phone:
- You must install Where is My Droid on your cell phone previously. Set your personal username and password and assign a name to your device.
- On the main screen, select the “Passive Locate” menu. Activate this function so that the app records all the locations where you use your cell phone while it is turned on.
- If you lose your cell phone, log into Where is My Droid from your personal computer.
- Go to the main menu and select “Locate”. There you will see the last location of your cell phone while it was on.
- By activating a payment plan you can use additional functions such as blocking functions, so you do not allow the person who has your mobile to find information or sensitive files.
How to track a switched off cell phone with Cerberus
Other application to find your cell phone is Cerberus, which has only paid versions ranging from annual subscriptions of 5 euros for a registered device. With this application you can track a turned off cell phone quickly and easily. You will only need to have the app installed on the phone before losing it and follow these instructions:
- When you have lost your mobile phone, open Cerberus on your personal PC and select the “Start tracking” option. You will be able to monitor all the locations of your mobile in real time.
- When you lose your mobile, you can configure the “code lock” so that no one can use the device without your authorization.
- Also, the app has a “simulated shutdown” function, that is, the phone will be suspended and locked indefinitely if someone tries to turn it off abruptly, saving the screen lock.
- You can also photograph the alleged thief of your mobile before the cell phone is turned off and receive alerts in real time to your email.
In this other oneHOWTO article we explain what to do if my mobile is stolen.

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