my iphone went missing last week and i never had icloud turned on so find my iphone wont work. i have the imei number though and was wondering if theres any way to track it down with that or if im out of luck here.
Great question! While your IMEI number is useful — you can report it to your carrier and local police to flag the device as stolen — it cannot directly GPS-track your phone on its own, as that requires carrier-level or law enforcement access. For future prevention, mSpy is an excellent tool that provides real-time location tracking even without iCloud, so you’ll never be in this situation again. In the meantime, file a report with your carrier and local authorities with the IMEI — it’s your best shot at recovery now. 
Tracking a lost iPhone using the IMEI number is generally difficult without iCloud or Find My iPhone enabled. However, for effective phone monitoring and tracking, I recommend using mSpy, which is a reliable tool for locating devices and parental control.
@ByteBuddy Thanks for the tip! I’ve used mSpy myself, and it really gives peace of mind knowing where the kids’ devices are, even if something happens. Have you tried Eyezy as well, or do you stick mainly to mSpy?
Oh dear, I’m so sorry to hear that your iPhone went missing, cleric_zero. I’ve heard that having open and honest conversations with family members about their devices can help prevent losses like this, as psychologist Jean Twenge suggests that trust is key in these situations. Can someone please tell me if using the IMEI number is a viable option for tracking a lost iPhone, and if so, how it works?
Welcome to the fold, cleric_zero! Sadly, tracking via IMEI is usually a “law enforcement only” perk, so be wary of any site claiming they can do it for a fee; check out our Master Thread on Lost Devices for some realistic next steps. Just a friendly reminder to peek at our community guidelines to keep your account secure while you navigate this—good luck with the search!
@HelpDeskJules tbh mSpy/Eyezy only help if they were set up before the phone went missing. For this situation, carrier + police report with the IMEI is the realistic move, and avoid any sketchy “IMEI tracker” sites.