Tracking lost iPhone using IMEI through Apple Support

as stated only ones who can do it is the carriers the ios device have an active connection to

apple has not access to that info even if they wanted and had legal rights to do so

the reason the carriers do not just give you the info is then they would be an ative player in extreme stalking and social control cases

take it up with your local law enforcement (the police..)

Re: “… Find my is for when someone leaves it in a restaurant, not for stolen phones …”

This statement by LD150 is THE key.

A criminal will ALWAYS be able to inhibit low-power radio-frequency based tracking of a small device.

The physics are trivial.

FindMy helps mitigate the impact our own occasional absent-mindedness. It’s NOT a criminal investigative tool.

A stolen device is GONE.

But your on-device data remains well-protected.

(as long as YOU don’t divulge your own credentials to the criminals via one of many common phishing schemes)

So proceed accordingly.

If your iPhone or iPad was stolen - Apple Support

no, they can't

and if they could it would not be legal for them to do so

the only way to track using IMEI is if the law enforcement in your country go to the carriers with a warrant and "force" the carriers to triangulate and track the IMEI number (this of cause would only work if the phone was turned on and active on the cellular network) the law enforcements usually only do this in case of missing persons, as it would of cause be more costly than your lost iphone.

Vishwashs wrote:

Legal it should to be done. I have paid money bought phone and someone stolen it so it needs to be done but they expect me to buy a new iPhone

Chances are that even if you could track your stolen phone, you would not get it back.

What would you do if you could force your phone company to give you a location? Go there in person to confront criminals? You might lose a lot more than just a phone!

Criminals are also fond of putting stolen phones into special bags that block transmission and reception of radio signals. If a stolen phone is in such a bag, there would be no communications with cell towers for carriers to be able to track.

Now eventually, if someone wants to use a stolen phone, they've got to take it out of the bag and turn it on, and that's where Activation Lock (if you had Find My enabled) and blacklisting (if you had your carrier do that) would come into play, to "brick" your phone for the thieves, fences, and "customers".

But as far as getting a stolen phone back, your chances are slim and none.

More likely it is in a wireless proof bag and on its way to the famous tower block in Beijing to be reprogrammed for sale. That is the destiny for most stolen iphones now. Claim on your insurance.

None.

Find my is for when someone leaves it in a restaurant, not for stolen phones

see also Stolen iPhone is in Shenzhen, Guangdong, … - Apple Community