Yes, it's possible for the thief to factory reset the phone from recovery menu. However, if you had a screen lock set on the phone and your
Erase your phone
Finally, you can use Google Find My Device to erase your Android phone remotely. It will delete all the content from your device. Note that once you perform this, you won't be able to use Find My Device to locate your smartphone, as this is basically a factory reset.
Can a thief unlock my Android phone? Yes. But it's easier to say than to do. If your phone were stolen and restored from a factory reset, the thief would need access to your Google account to bypass the screen lock.
Your iPhone is essentially useless without your Apple ID and password. Some thieves may make an attempt to get that information through phishing attempts like fake emails or messages, so it's best to be aware of this possibility should your iPhone be stolen.
For a Police department to trace a mobile, it should be in a switch-on mode. If the mobile is switched off then the last known location is traced.
Step 1: Go to Android.com/find on your web browser. Step 2: Login with the same Google account paired with your smartphone. Step 3: From here, you can track the live location of your device or even restore it to factory settings. Select "Erase all data."
Users can wipe an Android phone from a PC. You can do this by using the AirDroid Personal app. Just make sure you have already enabled the Find Phone feature on your phone before losing it. With this service, you can even find a lost device that is in silent mode.
By erasing your device remotely, you can help ensure that any sensitive information is not accessible by anyone else if it is lost or stolen. A remote erase will erase all data on the device and may not be recoverable. Make sure to back up any important information before proceeding.
Step 1: On a computer or another device, go to the Find My Device website or app. Step 2: Sign in with your Google account (the one linked to your locked phone). Step 3: Select your locked phone from the list of devices. Step 4: Click on the “Erase Device” option and confirm your decision.
The majority of malware can be removed with a factory reset of your phone. This will, however, wipe any data stored on your device, such as photos, notes, and contacts, so it's important to back up this data before resetting your device.
If your iPhone gets stolen and the thief tries to erase iPhone with the iTunes, your phone will get locked when it is erased. This erased iPhone will then keep prompting for the original owner's iCloud password. If that password cannot be entered, the phone remains locked.
From the Find My Mobile website, select Erase data on the right side of the screen. Read the important information, and then select Erase. You may be asked to verify your Samsung account before the reset starts.
If you find your Android phone allows downloading and installing apps outside of the Google Play Store without asking you first, you might be dealing with mobile spyware. You can check this by going through your Storage permissions in the Settings.
Launch iTunes, and connect the found iPhone to your computer using a USB cable. Click on the found iPhone name, and navigate to where you have the Summary tab. Click on the tab, and select Restore iPhone to proceed. Step 3: Next, tap on Restore again to validate your action, so iTunes can commence screen unlock.
The police said it takes a minimum of 15 days to trace a cellphone, and can happen only after the snatcher or user has inserted a new SIM.
A turned off phone cannot be tracked by its IMEI number because the IMEI is tracked via GSM/WCDMA/OTHER cellular networks which needs the phone to be on at the time of tracking. But you can apply for making the stolen phone useless by requesting an IMEI block through your cellular/network service provider.
How to change the IMEI number on my Phone? Tampering with IMEI numbers is illegal, according to the authorities. Thieves, on the other hand, use a 'flasher' to modify the IMEI number of stolen phones. A flasher is a simple device that allows the user to alter the IMEI number by connecting the handset to a computer.
That means you will be able to find the location of your iPhone even if it runs out of battery. Even better, location tracking will keep working even when the iPhone is reset to factory settings.
An iPhone can become blacklisted for any number of reasons, including if the previous owner has unsettled bills or if someone reported it as stolen or lost. A blacklisted device cannot get connected to any wireless carrier unless it becomes un-blacklisted.
If it's covered by AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, you can sign in with your Apple ID and file a claim for an iPhone replacement.
When a handset is locked it means it will only work with the provider that you bought it from. If your phone is locked it won't automatically become unlocked when your contract expires with your provider. You'll have to specifically ask your carrier to unlock it.
Press and hold the power and volume down buttons until a load screen appears. Use the volume buttons to go down the list and select “Recovery mode.” Press the power button. After the phone restarts, use the volume buttons again to select “Wipe data/factory reset.”