Find lost Lumia 950

[Shkupjani]

Hi,

On 29.02.2016 around 12:40 I lost/forget my Lumia 950 at toilet located on waiting lounge - Skopje Airport.

The phone was ringing at the beginning but none accepted the calls. Later on it was switched off.

The person who found was made a photo which automatically was uploaded on Onedrive. I am posting the photo.

Since Microsoft knows that my Lumia 950 with IMEI number is registered with my email account, is there any way to help me when somebody wants to reset and register in future?

I don't remember which options were ON for finding the location of the phone.

I tried on windowsphone.com without luck on locating, ringing and lock the phone.

Any other solutions?

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[BaritoneGuy]

If you did not enable reset protection then there is nothing that can be done. Have you tried the find my phone feature from the web?

 

[Shkupjani]

Yes, I tried withou success.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[Alexander Long]

I think by ddefault lumia 950 would be set reset protection, which means others who found your phone can't reset your phone, you can check account.microsoft.com/devices see the last location it was turned on, and if any one tried to reset it.

 

[Shkupjani]

I am not sure was the reset protection ON or OFF.

Last location was OFF because of battery saving

 

[Shkupjani]

Microsoft should help in these cases.

The question would be how?
The answer is simple.

Microsoft knows that the device with specific IMEI is registered with my email address. There should be a link/button to register as lost/stolen the device.
Whoever register the lost/stolen device with other Microsoft account, it should notify the owner by email.

If I am wrong, please correct me...

 

[Pete]

Re: How can I find my lost Nokia Lumia 520 using the imei number?

When someone reports their phone as stolen, the IMEI is listed and then blocked. This happens first on the owners network and then gets spread worldwide.

Given some know-how, the IMEI can be changed on a stolen phone (this is of course illegal in most countries).

So, for any stolen phone, the IMEI is either blocked or changed, so a central database of linking the numbers to email addresses isn't going to work out.

 

[Shkupjani]

Therefore, in my opinion the IMEI shouldn't be blocked. If it is blocked, the phone will be useless and the thief will change the IMEI.

I don't want my phone's IMEI to be blocked. Should I ask the network operators not to block the IMEI?

I want them to locate the phone.

 

[Shkupjani]

Re: How can I find my lost Nokia Lumia 520 using the imei number?

How IPhone is functioning in this case. I must read about this issue how is solved.

 

[Alexander Long]

I am not sure was the reset protection ON or OFF.

Last location was OFF because of battery saving

I believe the reset protection would be ON by default.
just go to account.microsoft.com/devices and you shall see if the protection is ON. if Not, then , it would be your fault not to set it, as MS have the reason to argue that you turned the protection off , so you can sell/give the phone to others.

 

[Shkupjani]

I believe the reset protection would be ON by default.
just go to account.microsoft.com/devices and you shall see if the protection is ON. if Not, then , it would be your fault not to set it, as MS have the reason to argue that you turned the protection off , so you can sell/give the phone to others. View attachment 123451

I didn't know about this feature until I lost my phone. Reset protection doesn't allow to reset and reuse it without owner's permission.
What is the point here? My point is to find the phone. If the reset protection is ON, you will never find the phone.

 

[Pete]

I want them to locate the phone.

The phone cannot be located if the phone is turned off and the SIM removed.

Your phone is gone, the likelihood of you getting it back is very small. All you can do is notify the relevant parties (police/service provider/insurance) and replace the phone.

 

[Shkupjani]

The phone cannot be located if the phone is turned off and the SIM removed.

Your phone is gone, the likelihood of you getting it back is very small. All you can do is notify the relevant parties (police/service provider/insurance) and replace the phone.

Thanks for the info. I know about the procedures and the location of the phone will not function if the phone is OFF and SIM is removed.

I don't know about the database of Microsoft.
For example, If the thief is amateur and insert another SIM. Make hard reset on the phone. Register the phone with his email address. What will happen on this case. Since reset protection was OFF, will Microsoft allow him to register the phone with his/her email address? Will Microsoft inform me about it? How can Microsoft allow my phone to be registered with another email address whereas on my account the device is still registered?

I am not sure do you get my point

 

[Pete]

If you've reported the phone as stolen, the IMEI will be blocked so that someone casually attempting to use the phone after a hard reset will not be able to use the device. Having a database linking email addresses to IMEI numbers is therefore not applicable.

If the thief (or whoever he passes the phone onto) is technical enough to change the IMEI, then you have lost that identifying factor.

Microsoft and other manufacturers are constantly attempting to find ways of preventing stolen phones from being used, hackers are constantly finding ways to bypass that protection.

 

[Shkupjani]

I fully understand you

That's why I used the term amateur - someone who doesn't know about technical issues.

What will happen in this case, if the phone's IMEI is not changed? Will Microsoft allow someone to register my phone with another email address?

 

[Pete]

Only if you haven't reported the phone as stolen and had the IMEI blocked.

 

[Alexander Long]

Originally posted by Pete

Originally Posted by Shkupjani

I want them to locate the phone.

The phone cannot be located if the phone is turned off and the SIM removed.

Your phone is gone, the likelihood of you getting it back is very small. All you can do is notify the relevant parties (police/service provider/insurance) and replace the phone.

Not totally true, if the phone is on reset protection and turned on in the public wifi place, it might still record the GPS location and update that location to MS cloud, so you can see where the phone was turned on.
but as you also mentioned, lost phone to be found normally is very rare, unless the finder of the phone is a good person, which I hope is true. At Least I would return the phone or turn the phone to authority.
Another thing, is even if he can locate the phone, dosn't mean he could get it back either. There was an case last year in Canada, the boy who locate his phone and find the guy who stole/found his phone, and ask it back and ened up killed by the finder.

 

[ssapre]

I fully understand you

That's why I used the term amateur - someone who doesn't know about technical issues.

What will happen in this case, if the phone's IMEI is not changed? Will Microsoft allow someone to register my phone with another email address?

Sorry for your lost phone, but you seem to be double minded here.
You lost your phone at a remote place in airport some time back - possibility of getting it back -> Very less. If the person who got it is honest and if they make some effort, you can get it back.
Phone is not keypad locked -> Even if current owner might / might not reset it, they can use all your info on the phone. Best would be reset password for your account very first.
Reset protection OFF -> It can be formatted and used with any other account.
Location OFF -> not a conventional way for users like me or you to see it on a map like on windowsphone.com

I dont know why you want to go thinking what MS can / cant do to help the other person, better try some options what you can do and if not, better to get at least IMEI blocked so that it will be of no use as that single unit!!

 

[Shkupjani]

Sorry for your lost phone, but you seem to be double minded here.
You lost your phone at a remote place in airport some time back - possibility of getting it back -> Very less. If the person who got it is honest and if they make some effort, you can get it back.
Phone is not keypad locked -> Even if current owner might / might not reset it, they can use all your info on the phone. Best would be reset password for your account very first.
Reset protection OFF -> It can be formatted and used with any other account.
Location OFF -> not a conventional way for users like me or you to see it on a map like on windowsphone.com

I dont know why you want to go thinking what MS can / cant do to help the other person, better try some options what you can do and if not, better to get at least IMEI blocked so that it will be of no use as that single unit!!

The issue is does/why Microsoft allow the same phone (with same IMEI) to be registered again with another email address?
Even if the answer is YES, but it should notify the primary email address about this.

 

[ssapre]

The issue is does/why Microsoft allow the same phone (with same IMEI) to be registered again with another email address?
Even if the answer is YES, but it should notify the primary email address about this.

Thats how technology is ... at least at present. That is where I was confused - whether you are trying to see any sudden change in technology OR you are still trying to get your phone first