How to find your stolen phone using CEIR

Smartphones have become an essential part of our life and contain a lot of important information about us. While most of the data is synced online, losing a phone is no small issue. It’s likely that either you or someone you know may have lost their phone and tried to find it.

It’s not easy finding a stolen phone and you will most likely have to get a new phone. Google offers a solution to this problem in the form of ‘Find My Device’. However, this does not always work as the user has to turn on ‘Find My Device’ and the phone must have an internet connection for the device to be tracked.

To help users find their stolen phones, the Department of Telecommunications has launched a new portal, the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR). The new portal will help users block their stolen phones and help police track it.

How to block your stolen phone using CEIR

If you lost your phone or it has been stolen, you can get the device blocked to prevent misuse of your data.

• File an FIR with the police and keep a copy of the report.
  
• Now, get a duplicate SIM card for the lost number. This will be required to get an OTP while submitting the request for blocking your IMEI.
  
• Go to the CEIR website and fill the form with the required details.
  
• You will have to upload a copy of the FIR and an identity proof on the website.
  
• In the end, enter your phone number and click on ‘Get OTP’.
  
• Now, accept the declaration checkbox and click on submit.
  
• Copy the ‘Request ID’ that will be shown after you submit the request.
  

How to unblock your phone after it is found

Once you have found your device, you can unblock it by following the steps below:

• Once again, go to the CEIR website.
  
• Now, at the bottom, click on “Un-block Found Mobile”.
  
• Now, enter the ‘Request ID’ and your phone number.
  
• Once you submit the application, your IMEI will be unblocked.
  

At present, this service is available in Mumbai and Delhi. It will be rolled out to the rest of the country in the coming months.

See also:

How to track and recover a lost smartphone

How to transfer WhatsApp messages from Android to iPhone