How to find a lost Xiaomi smartphone: 7 working ways + instructions for blocking

Losing a smartphone is stressful, especially if it stores important data, photos or access to accounts. Xiaomi device owners have the advantage of offering several built-in tools to find and lock your phone that work even when your device is turned off (in some cases). In this article, we will examine all the current ways, from the standard features of Find Device to the little-known tricks with the SIM- card and IMEI.

Important: the effectiveness of the methods depends on whether the appropriate settings were turned on before loss. If you are reading this article "for the future" - click on the "Prevention" section and set up protection right now. If the phone is already lost, act on priority: first lock, then search.

1 Search through the official Xiaomi Find Device service

Find Device (formerly Mi Cloud Find Device) is the primary tool for finding Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO phones.

• 🔹 The device is tied to a Mi Account (required!)
• 🔹 Find Device enabled in settings (Settings → Mi Account → Find Device)
• 🔹 The phone is connected to the Internet (Wi-Fi or mobile network)

To use the service:

1. Go to account.xiaomi.com and log in.
2. Select the Find Device tab (or “Find the device” in the Russian version).
3. The map will show the last known location of the phone (if it is online).
4. Available actions: 📍 Call - the phone will emit a loud signal (works even in silent mode). 🔒 Lock - set the password on the lock screen. 🗑️ Erase data - a complete reset to factory settings (irreversible!).

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If your phone is off but has been online at least once in the past 24 hours, the service can show its last location, update the page every 5-10 minutes, and when you turn on, the device will “light up” on the map.

⚠️ Warning: The Erase Device will only work when you connect your phone to the Internet. If the device is off or in airplane mode, the command will be executed when you first log in. Once you reset, you can't track your phone -- you can only use this option as a last resort.

2. Search through Google "Find Device" (for Android)

If your Xiaomi has Google services enabled (which is likely if you’ve used Play Market or Gmail), you can use Google’s universal Find My Device tool.

• 🌍 Works even if Xiaomi’s Find Device feature is disabled.
• 📱 Shows the location of smartphones on Android 8.0 and later.
• 🔄 You can remotely lock the device or erase the data.

Instructions:

1. Go to google.com/android/find.
2. Sign in with the same Google account that was used on your phone.
3. Select the lost device from the list (if there are several).
4. The map will show the current or last location.

⚠️ Warning: If a phone has a custom ROM installed (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), Google services may not work, and then you only have to use Xiaomi or search IMEI.

3. IMEI Tracking: Myths and Reality

The IMEI (Unique Phone Identifier) number is often referred to as a panacea for finding a lost device, and in practice, its capabilities are limited:

• 📡 Police and telecom operators can track the phone on IMEI, but only as part of a criminal case (theft, fraud), and they're unlikely to help in a normal loss.
• 🔍 Online services like imei.info or imei24.com show only the specifications of the device, not its location.
• 🚫 Locking on IMEI is possible through the operator, but it won't help you find the phone - just make it useless for the thief.

How to find out the IMEI of Xiaomi lost:

1. Look at the phone box (usually there is an IMEI sticker).
2. Check your checks or the warranty card.
3. If the phone has been synced to the Mi Account, the IMEI can be found in the device profile on Xiaomi’s website.
4. Dial *#06# on another phone – if your Xiaomi has been connected to this number before, its IMEI may appear (it does not always work).

If you want to lock your phone over IMEI:

1. Write a report to the police (be sure to specify the IMEI and the circumstances of the loss).
2. Ask your mobile operator to block IMEI in the database, and you will need a passport and a number contract.

4 Search via SIM- card: call and SMS- commands

If your SIM- card is installed in the lost phone, you can try the following methods:

Phone call:

• 📞 Call from another number — if the phone is not in no-sound mode, you will hear the signal.
• 🔊 If you don't pick up the phone but you're online, try sending USSD- the command to turn on the loud signal (not all models): Dial from another phone: ##7378423# → Service tests → Vibration test. Sometimes this makes the phone vibrate or make a sound.

SMS- commands (for older Xiaomi models):

Some Xiaomi devices (e.g. Redmi Note 3/4, Mi 5/6) supported hidden commands sent via SMS.

#location#

or

#gps#

If the function is active, the phone can respond with SMS coordinates.Warning: on new models (after 2019), this method does not work.

Make sure that there is no important data on the phone in an unencrypted form

Try tracking through Find Device and Google

Save backup photos/contacts (if you have access to the cloud)

Block bank cards and accounts (Sber, Tinkoff, VK, etc.)

Call the police (if the phone is stolen)-->

5 What to do if the phone is turned off or discharged

If a lost Xiaomi is turned off, discharged, or in airplane mode, the chances of searching are drastically reduced, but there are a few steps to take:

1. Include account login notifications:

• 🔐 In Mi Account: go to Security Settings → Sign-in Notifications and turn on the option. If a thief tries to log in to your account, you will receive SMS or an email.
• 📧 In Google Account: Check Security → Your Devices section – all new logins will be displayed there.

2. Check the connected devices:

If you have other Xiaomi gadgets (such as the Mi Band, smartwatch or speaker), check if the lost phone has connected to them.

3. Monitor activity in cloud services:

If Mi Cloud or Google Photos are enabled on your phone, new uploaded photos can tell you where the device is, for example, if a thief takes a selfie, it will automatically upload to your account.

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Even if the phone is turned off, don’t lose hope: the first time you connect to a charger or network, it can wake up and transmit its location. Check Find Device and Google Find My Device regularly for 3-5 days.

6. Phone lock and data protection

If you can't find the phone, lock it immediately and protect your personal data.

Remote lock:

• 🔒 Using Find Device (Xiaomi) or Find My Device (Google), set the password to the lock screen.
• 📝 If you know the phone number, send SMS with lock 1234 (where 1234 is the new PIN- code).

2. Protection of accounts:

• 🏦 Banking applications: block cards via SberBank Online, Tinkoff, Alpha-Click, etc. Use the function “Block the card” or “Suspicious activity”.
• 📧 Email and social: change your passwords on Gmail, VK, Telegram, Instagram. Enable two-factor authentication.
• 🔑 Mi Account: Change your password and untie your lost device in your account settings.

Erasure of data (last resort):

If your phone has critical data (working documents, personal correspondence), make a remote reset via:

• 🔄 Find Device (Xiaomi) is an Erase Device option.
• 🔄 Find My Device (Google) – the “Erase Data” button.

⚠️ Warning: Once reset, all data will be permanently deleted, including photos, contacts and messages, and if the phone is found later, it will be impossible to recover the information.

7.Where to contact if your phone is stolen

If you are sure that your phone is stolen (not lost), follow the following algorithm:

Police:

• 📝 Write a report of theft at the nearest branch, specify IMEI, serial number (from the box) and phone features (color, cover, scratches).
• 📎 Attach a check or warranty card (if any).

The mobile operator:

• 📱 Ask for the SIM- card to be blocked so that the thief cannot use it.
• 🔍 Check if SIM activity can be tracked (sometimes operators provide information about the latest towers to which the phone has connected).

3. Xiaomi Service Centers:

Report the theft to Xiaomi’s official service center (list on mi.com) and IMEI will help prevent the phone from being resold through official channels.

Billboards:

Monitor Avito, Yulu and local groups on social media, and thieves often sell phones within 1-2 days of the theft. Use IMEI or serial number searches (if the vendor posted a picture of the box).

Preventing: How to protect your phone from loss

The best way to avoid problems is to set up security in advance. Here's a checklist for Xiaomi owners:

1. Mi Account settings:

• 🔐 Link your phone to your Mi Account (Settings → Mi Account).
• 📍 Enable Find Device (Settings → Mi Account → Find Device).
• 🔄 Activate Data Sync for Contacts, Photos, and Notes.

2. Google settings:

• 🌍 Enable Find the Device (Settings → Google → Security → Find the Device).
• 📍 Activate Location Timeline (Settings → Google → Managing Google Account → Data and Personalization → Location Timeline).

Additional protection:

• 🔒 Set a strong password or pattern lock (at least 6 characters).
• 📱 Enable SIM-Card Lock (Settings → SIM-Cards and Mobile Networks → Lock SIM-Cards).
• 🛡️ Install antivirus with anti-theft functionality (e.g. Avast Mobile Security or Kaspersky).

Backup:

Keep important data regularly:

• 📁 Mi Cloud: Auto-reserves contacts, SMS and photos.
• 🖥️ Google Drive: set up backup in Settings → System → Backup.
• 💾 Local Copy: Once a month, connect your phone to your computer and copy files manually.

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Even if you’ve never lost a phone, set up Find Device and Google Find My Device right now.It takes 5 minutes, but saves nerves and data in the event of a theft.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi search