If you own an iPhone, then iCloud tracking is one of the most useful tools imaginable. It can keep tabs on your iPhone and, if you lose your iPhone, it makes it so much easier to track down. The problem is that you cannot always rely on iCloud for tracking.
iCloud cannot track phones if you’ve lost your iCloud credentials, nor can it track phones secretly. This means that you cannot, for instance, track where your family members are. It also isn’t great if you’ve lost your iPhone nearby, since it’ll tell you that the iPhone is in the building, but not the exact location.
Thankfully, there are alternate methods for tracking an iPhone without iCloud. We’ll discuss them here. This includes Google Maps, Apple Watch, Snapchat Map, and more. If you’ve lost your iPhone, or want to track somebody else’s (that you know), then this information will help you.
Utilizing Google Maps Timeline
The Google Maps Timeline is a nifty feature if you’ve turned it on. Google Maps will track everywhere you walk, places you go, etc. You’ll need GPS turned on, but it is one of the best alternatives to iCloud tracking. This makes it useful for finding your phone.
The major downside is that the Google Maps Timeline requires you to turn it on beforehand, and most people won’t do that with an Apple phone (why use Google when there are Apple alternatives?), and Google Maps will only work while the phone is turned on. Although, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue if your phone hasn’t moved (you’ve genuinely lost it) as it will record the last known position, but if your phone is on the move (stolen, in a vehicle), then it becomes trickier. Although, that is much the same problem that you would have with iCloud.
Here’s how to use Google Maps Timeline to track an iPhone:
- Install Google Maps on your phone and accept tracking. You’ll not be able to use this feature if Google Maps hasn’t been installed in advance.
- When your iPhone is lost, go to https://timeline.google.com/
- Login to your Google account
- Track the last known location of your iPhone. You should see it if Google Maps is active on your phone (and tracking location). You’ll also see everywhere the phone has been.
Harness the Power of Apple Watch
If you have an Apple Watch connected to your missing iPhone, then you can use it to track the missing iPhone. However, bear in mind that there will be some limitations:
- Not all iPhones are compatible with the Apple Watch.
- The two devices should be connected to the same account. You can only track if they were linked prior to the loss.
- The Apple Watch can only be connected to one iPhone at a time. Although, it can track multiple devices through the same iCloud account.
- You can only view the ‘last known’ position on the map. So, if the iPhone battery has died, you might not have full tracking.
- It won’t offer GPS positioning, just the last data provided by Wi-Fi or cellular service.
Here’s how it works (it is easy):
- Open the ‘Find Devices’ app on your Apple Watch.
- Select the device you want to track.
- This will give you information about where the phone is likely to be, including the charge level on the phone, etc.
- If it can’t find the location, it’ll tell you. You can then ask for notifications when the iPhone is turned back on or finds a connection.
The Snapchat map isn’t the best tool for tracking an iPhone without iCloud, but it is one method that you can use. The Snapchat Map is built into Snapchat and is really meant to be used to show where your friends/family on Snapchat are. It isn’t for tracking devices, but the information is pretty accurate.
Do bear in mind that the Snapchat Map isn’t easy to use, and it’ll only work if the device is connected to Snapchat. If the Snapchat app hasn’t been opened in a while, it won’t display a position on the map. It should also be used sparingly to track others, because of the privacy concerns of being tracked.
Here’s how you get it to work:
- Ask a Snapchat friend to sign into their Snapchat account.
- Ask them to open up the maps feature and locate you on the map.
- Use this information to track down your iPhone.
As we said – the only time they’ll see your device is if the phone has connected to Snapchat recently. If it hasn’t, then this method is useless.
Employ Bluetooth Track Apps (e.g. Bluetooth Inspector)
Bluetooth tracker apps, including Bluetooth Inspector, are for when you’ve lost your device nearby. Essentially, you need to be no more than 20-30 feet away from your lost device. This makes them more useful for nearby lost iPhone tracking, but awful if you’ve no idea where the iPhone actually is.
Bluetooth tracker apps look at all the Bluetooth devices emitting a device close by (you’ll need to have Bluetooth on your missing iPhone switched on). It will then keep tabs on how close/far away, you are from the device. The more intense the signal of the Bluetooth device, the closer you are. Think of it as a technological version of that ‘hot and cold’ game people used to play as kids.
Of course, with so many devices using Bluetooth nowadays, it can be somewhat of a mess to find your iPhone among them. You’ll likely be walking around a building and seeing dozens of devices (particularly if in a public area), but there’s not much you can do about that. If your iPhone has a unique name, then you should be fine, though.
Here’s how to use a Bluetooth tracking app (specifically Bluetooth Inspector, but all work in a similar way):
- Download a Bluetooth tracking app to a device that hasn’t been lost. Can be any Android or iPhone. It doesn’t matter, as long as it has Bluetooth.
- Start scanning for devices using the newly downloaded app.
- Look for your iPhone in the list.
- Walk around, until you find your iPhone (the signal will get stronger/weaker as you do).
Leverage Number Tracker Pro
Number Tracker Pro is one of the best tools for tracking an iPhone without iCloud. It is one of the premier online tools, and user reviews have shown that it can help to track iPhones around the world with ease. All you need is a phone number. It has a wealth of features too:
- Tracking using just a phone number. You can track, even if you have not installed any app on the iPhone prior to it being lost.
- Track the number anywhere in the world. Number Tracker Pro relies on various pieces of tech to help you locate it.
- The tracking is discreet. Nobody will know that you’re tracking the missing iPhone.
- Get information about the owner of the iPhone (which, hopefully, is you).
It is an incredibly useful tool, and using Number Tracker Pro is a breeze. As long as you have the phone number, then you’re ready to roll. Head to the Number Tracker Pro website and tap in the number. The website will show you as much information as it possibly can, and you can use this to track down your iPhone.
Do bear in mind that while Number Tracker Pro is the most useful method on this list, it is not infallible. There are times it may not show the exact location of the iPhone, perhaps because GPS is turned off or something similar. However, you should get enough information to go on, making it easier than ever to track down your missing iPhone without using iCloud.
Conclusion
If you want to find your missing iPhone without iCloud, you have a wealth of options at your disposal. Google Maps, Snapchat Maps, Bluetooth Tracking, Apple Watches, and Number Tracker Pro are tremendous methods for finding even the toughest-to-find iPhones, and you may want to use a combination of them to find that missing device.
Each method brings something different to the table, and some require prior set-up (especially Google Maps and the Apple Watch), so make sure that you get those set up before you lose your device. It’ll make life a lot easier. You may even want to make a note of your iCloud details, just so that you don’t forget them when they’re most important.
If you want to make life as easy as possible for yourself when tracking down a missing iPhone, then we suggest you check out Number Tracker Pro. Reviews indicate it is one of the best tools online, and the experience is so easy, it should be the first method you use (assuming your phone isn’t in your house, then a Bluetooth tracker would be better).
We hope you have a ton of luck finding your missing device. We know how important it is to you.