Many users are asking, “Can Verizon track a lost phone?” It’s not surprising as smartphones are small and can be easily misplaced. Luckily, we know what you should do.
Tracking your lost Verizon phone is surely not impossible. Although, it does take a bit of effort to locate and actually find it.
The good news is that you don’t have to worry since there are many ways to retrieve it.
Can you really track your Verizon device? Let’s find out!
Yes, Verizon makes it possible for you to track your devices and they offer a few options on how to do it. Your phone comes with built-in locator apps, and even Verizon has its own service.
Before we locate a lost phone from Verizon, here are a few things you need to consider.
Important Considerations on Can You Track a Lost Verizon Phone
If you lost your Verizon phone, don’t worry! You can still find it. But you need to make sure you’ve taken preventive measures to keep your data safe first.
Then, you can take a look at some suggestions below:
✅ Enable Tracking Services
Turning on tracking services on your phone allows your phone to track your whereabouts.
By giving apps access to your location, you are able to use them fully.
✅ Switched On for Accurate Tracking
If your phone is switched on, you can track it through GPS and cell tower triangulation.
Your device receives signals from cell towers, which helps determine a highly accurate position.
✅ Built-in Location Tracking
Your Verizon phone can track your location through GPS built into your phone, WiFi, and mobile data.
If your device is connected to an Apple and Google account, there are features to help you find your lost phone.
✅ Verizon’s Tracking Service
Verizon’s Smart Family Premium allows you to monitor the location of your family members, among other things.
The tracking service lets you keep tabs on your kid’s phone and get notifications when they arrive at their destination.
If you still cannot find your phone and think it’s stolen, file a police report. But before that, try the following methods to track your lost Verizon phone.
All The Answers You Need on Can Verizon Track a Lost Phone
Accidental loss or phone theft can happen to anyone. But knowing how to Verizon track phone increases your chance of recovering your device and protecting your data.
So, here’s a breakdown of what you should do if you lose your smartphone.
How Does Verizon Track a Lost Phone
You can track a lost phone in many ways, and Verizon has the technology to take full advantage of them.
When your Verizon phone is lost, you can quickly locate it using GPS, WiFi, and network data. Having access to all of this data allows Verizon to confirm a lost phone’s location.
In addition to these, they can also use the information from nearby towers to help them determine a device’s location.
The towers can identify the phones that connect to them and will help verify your phone’s rough position.
Here are the ways Verizon can track your lost phone:
- GPS data from your phone.
- WiFi and network location data.
- Cellular network position data.
- Location information of connected cell towers.
Note: Verizon can use one or a combination of these ways to determine your phone’s location.
What Are the Requirements for Verizon to Track a Lost Phone
Now that you know that Verizon offers different tools and methods to locate a lost phone, let’s look at the requirements that need to be met for tracking to happen.
One of the things you need to understand is that these services are not switched on by default.
So, you need to do some work while you have your phone to help you find it the moment you lose it.
Here are the main requirements so Verizon can track your phone:
- Location services need to be enabled on your phone.
- Your phone must be turned on for successful tracking.
- A tracking app or service needs to be installed.
- Your Verizon phone needs to be connected to WiFi or data.
Note: By meeting these requirements, you greatly improve the chance of finding your lost phone.
Verizon iPhone Tracking
If you have a Verizon iPhone and you lost it, you can track it and find it quickly.
There are several steps that you need to do to locate it successfully. For the most part, you won’t even need Verizon’s intervention to find it.
Your iPhone does come with all tracking tools that will allow you to find it as soon as you realize you lost it.
Verizon also offers a free tracking service that you can access on its website to verify your phone’s location.
Here’s how to use your iPhone’s tracking features:
- Using a different Apple device, open the Find My app.
- Choose your lost iPhone from the device list.
- Check if the app can detect your iPhone.
- Follow the position on the map to find your device.
Note: You can also go to iCloud.com/find and sign in to your Apple account to track your phone.
Verizon Android Tracking
Since Verizon offers other phone models, not just iPhones, you don’t have to worry even if you lose your Android phone.
Of course, you can do some of the basics, like giving it a ring to see if you misplaced it. However, there are also other methods you can do to track it and successfully find it.
If you lost your Verizon Android phone, here are the steps to follow to track it:
- Open a web browser and go to Android.com/find.
- Log in to your Google account.
- Click on the phone that you’re tracking.
- Select Find My Device to start locating it.
- Wait for your phone to appear on the map.
Note: Once you have successfully located your phone, you can instruct it to play a sound, lock it, or wipe its memory.
Verizon Find My Phone Tracking
It’s not all the time you can rely on your phone’s tracking app to find it. There are instances when you might not have access to these tools or a phone that doesn’t support these.
Don’t worry. Verizon has a tool that can also help you track your lost phone.
Your Verizon account comes with a Find My Phone service, where you’ll be able to locate your device.
All you need to do is log in to your Verizon account and see if their service can find it for you.
Here’s how to use Verizon’s Find My Phone tracking service:
- Visit the Verizon website and log in to your account.
- Go to the My Verizon menu.
- Click on My Devices.
- Select the device that you want to track.
- Click on the Find My Phone button.
Note: These steps will apply to other phone models that don’t have built-in tracking apps.
Can You Track a Lost Phone When Its Off
All of these previous steps are for phones with location services turned on with access to the internet.
However, it’s not always that your phone will have this all the time, especially when you lose it. There are also cases when it can run low on batteries and switch off.
Will you still be able to find it? If your Verizon phone is turned off, it can be more of a challenge to locate it. The good news is there are methods on how you can still successfully find it.
Here are the steps to follow to locate your lost Verizon phone even if it’s turned off:
- Go to the Verizon website.
- Log in to your Verizon account.
- Select the My Devices option.
- Click on your lost phone.
- Select Check for Recent Activity.
Note: Depending on when your phone has turned off, this will show you calls, text messages, or connections your phone has made to estimate its location.
You can track your lost Verizon phone, whether it is turned on or off. If none of these work, you can also contact Verizon customer support and provide your device’s IMEI number so they can give you an area where you might have lost your phone.
Bottom Line
Can Verizon track a lost phone? Yes, they can. You do have several options to choose from.
You can track it using your phone’s locator apps or Verizon account. If all else fails, Verizon has data on which tower your phone has recently connected.
Read Next: How Can I Find My Verizon Phone?
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.