Disabling A Mobile Phone

[KARL]

This is a curiosity question:

Some while back I got the impression that it has been made possible to remotely, completely immobilise a mobile phone, particularly one which has been lost or stolen. The aim would be that nobody can use it unauthorised/illegitimately.

Can someone confirm this and if so, what are the details of how this is arranged, such as who does this, what are the precise details of how it is done, and is it reversible ?

[gingejbee]

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/phone-internet-downloads-or-tv/what-to-do-if-your-mobile-phone-is-lost-or-stolen/

[VHG]

Well I have a Samsung phone and they have this web site Find My Mobile.

https://findmymobile.samsung.com/login.do

You logon and register your phone with them.

Then you can track where it if it is stolen, you can also delete personal information off it, and also "lock" it.

I assume other phone companies have similar services.

Check with the company that made your phone, or with the company that supplied your phone.

[woofgang]

yes you can do it with iphones and ipads too

[Old_Geezer]

I think you can install security apps that allow you to do that. Could be difficult if the thief wipes the phone beforehand though ?

[KARL]

Thank you gingejbee - I notice the advice perhaps assumes (or else only applies if) the phone is tied to a network provider, what if it isn't ? Also, if the phone was bought outside the UK and/or/but is entirely "unblocked" then some of the advice may be nullified. Do you know the position on these points ?

VHG, your response is interesting, thank you. Is there a charge for registering and/or using the Samsung service ? Does the tracing depend on the original owner's SIM still being in the phone (if it does then it would be easy to render the service useless) or will it still work regardless of which SIM is in there (presumably there has at least to be a SIM in the phone) ? I hope you can fill me in on these.

[KARL]

I thought of another question, triggered by Old Geezer's response: Are these recovery/disabling services only available for smartphones or are they also available for straight/pure phones ?

[KARL]

VHG, do you know if the Samsung system works globally (participation in it and its operational reach) ?

[woofgang]

with iphone, its a function of the apple software and nothing to do with the service provider. It has to be activated pretty quickly to work.

[hc4361]

Every mobile phone, smart or basic, has its own IMEI number. If your phone is lost or stolen, report it to the police and your network and it will be blocked, making it useless.

http://www.nmpcu.police.uk/immobilise/

[hc4361]

Karl, I bought my phone outright, unlocked, and GiffGaff is my service provider at the moment.

From the GiffGaff page:

"If you selected to block your phone, it will be put on a national blacklist and no-one will be able to use it.
Even once your phone has been blocked, we advise to change the password for the different applications you may have been running on your phone (email, instant messaging, ...).

f you need to unbar your phone you can do it by contacting an agent here and providing us with your IMEI number. You can find your IMEI number by dialling *#06# with your phone, or on the phone's original box. It will take around 5 working days to unbar your phone."

Every mobile phone service provider can block your phone and SIM card.

[Old_Geezer]

Making it useless for those UK service providers, hc. I don't believe that there is a global agreement to blacklist it worldwide by all providers. Probably fenced and shipped to Africa or somewhere similar. That's why there is value in getting the handset to lock itself.

[hc4361]

I agree, OG, but those apps only work on smart phones. The OP asked about basic phones.

[KARL]

Thank you all for your responses - my curiosity is fairly wide-reaching in that I am grateful for information on how wide the reach is for blocking/locking, plain and/or smart, national/international/global, etc. and a picture is emerging with your help. The one remaining issue is whether, knowing the make and serial number only for a lost/stolen phone it is possible to achieve blocking/locking. Clearly, a network provider can block the number/account from abuse at any time.

[hc4361]

It's the IMEI that is most important, not the serial number.

[Old_Geezer]

Fair comment hc. Sometimes I have the bad habit of returning to a thread and only reading the end bit. I'll go stand in the corner.

[KARL]

Ys, hc, I accept that but if someone (as I expect is not unknown) someone only has the serial number (perhaps for example from the sales documentation)of a lost phone how easy would it be to find out the IMEI ? Those who have not taken the precaution to obtain and record the IMEI at the outset will, after the event, depend on being able to retrieve it for locking/blocking purposes.