How to Track a Phone Number in Nigeria

The easiest way to track a phone number in Nigeria is by using a tracking app. There are a lot of apps that can provide you with information about a person’s movements and activities. Alternatively, you can contact your network service provider to track a phone number.

There are various reasons why people track phones, one such is when you suddenly discover that your phone has been stolen. Losing your phone can be distressing, but, even if you aren’t tech-savvy, you can still salvage the situation if you’re well-prepared for such circumstances and respond quickly enough. In this article, you will get to know the many methods you can use to track a phone in Nigeria.

How to Track a Phone Number in Nigeria

Phone tracking helps you to identify the exact location of criminals and apprehend them and there are a few different ways to track a phone number in Nigeria. Some of the most known methods are:

• Using a tracking app: There are a number of these apps available and they all work in pretty much the same way. You enter the phone number you want to track and the app will show you its location on a map. An app like Truecaller is a cell phone tracker that most Nigerians know and use to track phone numbers. It’s a caller identification app that allows users to track someone with their phone number. This application is free, and you can use it to track a caller’s location.
• Contacting your network service provider: They may be able to help you track the number if they have records of where it’s been used
• Using a reverse lookup service: These services work by extracting information from public databases about phone numbers and their owners.

How to Track a Stolen Phone

When your phone is stolen, there are chances that you could recover it and save all important personal information, passwords, bank and financial details you wouldn’t want someone else to have access to. The basic items that are most needed to fast-track the process are a phone number, a smartphone or computer system, and internet connection. With these in hand, these two major steps could be helpful in tracking a stolen phone.

Track stolen phone using the find my phone feature on your Phone

One of the first options you will like to take to track your stolen phone is to use the find my phone feature. Most phones in Nigeria, particularly Android phones, come with a special feature called ‘Find my Phone’. This allows you to track your device in Nigeria remotely. For Android phones users, these steps will help you track your phone using the Find My Phone feature.

• Login into the Google account associated with your lost phone on another device via Gmail
• Click on the Google find my phone website https://www.google.com/android/find
• You will see phone icons on the upper-left corner of the webpage. Click the icon for the phone that you want to lock.
• Click Secure Device on the second tab in the left sidebar menu on the webpage. Two textboxes will appear on your screen.
  Enter a message or phone number in the message text box.
• Next, enter a recovery phone number in the Phone number text box. This information will be displayed on the lock screen while the phone is still locked.
• Click on Secure Device to complete the action. This will make it nearly impossible for unauthorised persons to access your data
• Once the device location on your lost phone is still on, you will be notified of the exact location of your phone.
• When “Store recent location” is on, you can find your device even when it’s offline.
• To review recent activities on the lost phone, you will need to continuously click on the security checkup button.

Note: This feature helps you to find, lock, or erase an Android device. But to ensure this works, your device must:

• Be signed in to a Google Account
• Have “Location” turned on
• Have “Find My Device” turned on
• Have “Store recent location” turned on
• Have Google Play installed
• Create a 2-Step Verification backup code
• Be connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi

Blacklist or Block Your Device

To prevent anyone else from using your lost or stolen device, blacklisting the device may be the next quick step you may like to follow. This process will disable the device and suspend it from accessing any other local network. To do this, you will need to call your network service provider. By calling your network provider, You can receive details of the state or city where the phone is.

• Call your service provider’s customer service channels (Dial 180 for MTN, 198 or 300 for Airtel, 200 or 121 for Glo, and 0809 000 0200 for 9mobile users)
•  Ask to talk with a customer service representative to resolve your problem.
• Once you are connected to one, clearly describe your situation and ask that the misplaced SIM card on the mobile phone be blocked.
• To make sure you are the owner of the sim card making the request, the representative will ask you to provide your phone number as identification.
• Your lost number will be promptly blocked after the validity of your information is confirmed.
• Alternatively, you can simply walk into the local office of your service provider near you and lodge your complaints. You will be issued a form where you can provide all the necessary information to enable them to block the phone.

How to Track a Stolen Phone with IMEI Number

Your phone’s International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a unique 15 digits issued by the phone’s manufacturer that functions as your phone’s identifier. No two smartphones or electronic devices share the same IMEI. This means that even when a phone thief can factory reset or wipe your phone to a clean slate, they cannot definitively alter its IMEI.

However, network service providers (and the police) possess a record of the IMEI of all phones connected to the network. So, if your lost phone were to ever connect to a mobile network, it can be identified through its IMEI. Thus, you can use IMEI and a phone tracker to trace any smartphone. Here are the steps to follow when tracking a phone with IMEI.

• Visit Google Play to download and install the IMEI tracker.
• After reading the instructions, grant the application permissions and fill in the necessary details.
• Use the IMEI number of the phone you want to track.
• The application will display the location of the device.

Alternatively, you can visit the Google “IMEI tracker website (it is free). Enter the IMEI of the device you want to locate and the correct country in the appropriate platform, and the system will run a process to deliver your cellphone’s location.

Note: You can find your phone’s IMEI located on its back panel, battery or retail packaging. You can also retrieve your phone’s IMEI by dialing the code *#06#, but that’s assuming you still have your phone.

Track Phone Number and Location Using Google Map

Google Maps is an excellent resource for finding your lost or stolen phone or if you are trying to find someone’s location. As long as your phone number is connected to a Google account, you can use Google Maps to locate it.

For Android users, Google Maps gives you a more detailed view with an integrated street view option. This allows you to look around the location of your device from a 360-degree angle. You can also track the current location of your device in real time. The following steps can serve as a guide

• Open the Google Maps app using a phone or laptop that is connected to the internet.
• Type in the phone number of the lost or stolen you want to track into the search bar and tap “Enter” or “Search.”
• Wait for a few seconds, as Google Maps will show you the exact location of the device

Note: Google Maps app also allows you to monitor activities on the stolen phone, such as where it is going, when and how long it stayed at a particular destination, etc. To do so, you must set up location sharing with the phone in the app. This option will allow you to view their movements on the map without them knowing.

How to Track Someone’s Location with a Phone Number

One of the easiest and quickest ways to find the current location of a person by their phone number in Nigeria is through the use of Truecaller. It is one of the most common phone tracking apps in Nigeria and many people have this application installed on their phones.

Using the Truecaller app enables you to see the identity of an incoming call, whether mobile, pre-paid, or landline, regardless of its location. Also, the app helps the user track PNR status, upcoming bills, recent bank transactions, delivery status, and important SMS. The application doubles as a tracking app and a caller identification application.

Apps such as GPS and Locate Any Phone are also excellent for tracking mobile phones even when they are not connected to the internet. You can obtain the GPS coordinates of a phone number within minutes. Through these apps, you can also track phone numbers via SMS or WhatsApp messages.

How to Use the Truecaller App

To start using Truecaller on your smartphone, all you need is:

• Download the Truecaller app and configure the settings from the app.
• You can also search for the number’s information on the web the Truecaller website
• Type the phone number you are searching for in the search box and click the search button

Tracking a Person’s Phone Number Using GPS-Enabled Devices

Here is a step-by-step guide to using GPS-enabled devices to find the location of a person by their phone number:

• Purchase a GPS-enabled device.
• Install the device on the phone for which you want to find the location.
• Launch the app associated with the device and enter the phone number for which you want to find the location.
• Wait for the app to retrieve the location information.
• The app will display the current location of the phone number on a map.

Note: When choosing a GPS-enabled device that will help you find the location of a person by their phone number, it is important to consider the following tips:

1. Compatibility: Ensure that the GPS-enabled device is compatible with the phone for which you want to find the location.
2. Features: Search for a GPS-enabled device that provides additional features such as real-time location tracking and location history.
3. Price: Choose a GPS-enabled device that best fits your budget.

How to Track a Stolen Phone That is Switched Off

One of the fastest things a phone thief does is to turn off the device to avoid being tracked or captured. But do not worry if you find yourself in this circumstance as there are different ways to track your device, depending on the kind of device, whether Android or iPhone.

Various ways to locate your stolen phone that is turned off

• Locate a lost mobile phone that is turned off through Google Location History, which is now called ‘Timeline’. Google Timeline has a detailed history of where your phone has been—as long as you’ve got Location History in Google Maps enabled on the device. However, the stolen phone needs to be connected to your Google account and should have been connected to the internet before it was turned off.
• Locate stolen device using Find My Device feature. It uses satellite signals to ping the phone and provide a location. It also lock or erase its contents on the misplaced phone
• Use IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers to trace your stolen phone that is switched off.
• For a stolen iPhone that is turned off, Apple has enabled their device users to track their phone when it is lost and turned off with the aid of an Apple ID that is connected to their devices. There are two ways to find a lost iPhone turned off. iPhone users can also locate their lost phone through ‘Find My App’.

Tracking a Non-Smartphone User

Tracking a non-smartphone user can be quite challenging, but you have options. For instance, you can use your device as a GPS device to know its location if you misplace or lose it. If the phone has GPS capabilities, you can track it by logging into the AccuTracking site and setting up an account.