Searching for the Lost Xiaomi Redmi 12: How to Enable and Configure All Tracking Ways

Why Finding a Xiaomi Redmi 12 Device Is Not a Luxury, It’s a Necessity

Losing a smartphone is a situation that almost everyone has faced: 34% of users lose their gadgets at least once in their lives, and 12% of devices are returned to owners thanks to remote search features. Xiaomi Redmi 12, despite its budget position, is equipped with several tracking tools: Xiaomi’s built-in Find Device system, Google services and even third-party solutions like Cerberus. But most users do not know how to set them up correctly – or even know about their existence until the phone is lost.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can activate your search on Redmi 12, from basic MIUI settings to hidden features that aren’t mentioned in the official instructions. You’ll learn how to turn on geolocation even if your phone is turned off, why Mi Account is critical to restoring access, and what to do if your smartphone is stolen. And how to bypass search blocking if an attacker resets the phone to factory settings (this may not be on all firmware, but there is a chance!).

Important: Search functions work only if three conditions are met: 1) The device is connected to the Internet (mobile data or Wi-Fi), 2) Geolocation is enabled (at least in the background), 3 Xiaomi or Google account is tied to the phone until it is lost.

If one of the conditions is not met, the chances of success drop sharply, so you should set up in advance.

Method 1: Xiaomi’s Integrated Find Device feature

The most reliable and official method is to use Find Device (formerly Mi Cloud) service, which works even if you have a mobile phone. SIM-The card is extracted, but requires an Mi Account link and an active Internet connection:

1. Open the settings on your Redmi 12.
2. Go to the Mi Account section (at the top of the screen).
3. Sign in if you haven't already. Use a real email, and you'll be linked to search.
4. Return to the main settings menu and select Additional → Find Device.
5. Activate the device search slider and confirm the action with a password from the Mi Account.

After activation, you will be able to:

• 📍 Track the location of the phone on the map in real time (with an accuracy of 5-50 meters).
• 🔊 Turn on the sound signal even if the phone is silent.
• 🔒 Lock the device remotely and display a message with your contacts on the screen.
• 🧹 Erase all data (last chance if phone is stolen and no hope of return).

Mi Account is tied to the phone|Geolocation is included in the settings|The device is connected to Wi-Fi or mobile network|Version. MIUI at least 12 (on Redmi 12, it is default) MIUI 14)

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⚠️ Warning: If you reset your phone to factory settings without an Mi Account detachment, the device will lock and require login/password input when you first turn on, which is anti-theft protection, but it can also play against you if you forget your account details. In this case, unlocking is possible only through the official service Xiaomi (with confirmation of purchase).

Method 2: Searching Google for Find a Device

If you don't trust Chinese services or want a backup, use Google's tool, which is less functional than Find Device, but it works even if the Mi Account is not tied, and the main condition is that the phone must have a Google Account login and geolocation enabled.

Activation takes 30 seconds:

1. Open Settings → Google → Security.
2. Select Find My Device (Find My Device)
3. Enable both sliders: Find this device and Allow lock and reset.

To check the service:

1. Go to google.com/android/find from your computer or other phone.
2. Select your Redmi 12 from the list of devices.
3. The map will display the last known location (updated every 5-15 minutes).

🔹 The benefits of Google Find My Device:

• 🌍 It works in any country (unlike Find Device, which can be blocked in some regions).
• 📱 Supports remote lock and reset even on a locked phone.
• 🔄 The history of movements is saved up to 30 days (if geolocation is turned on permanently).

⚠️ Note: If Redmi 12 has custom firmware installed (not official) MIUI), Google may not work as well, so you’d better rely on Xiaomi’s Find Device or third-party solutions.

Find Device from Xiaomi|Google Find My Device|Both options|Nothing set up.|Other service-->

Method 3: Hidden MIUI features to find phone turned off

Few people know, but the Redmi 12, based on MIUI 14+, supports search even when it's turned off, thanks to Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, which is called Offline Finding, and it works on the principle of fireflies: your phone sends an encrypted signal to nearby Xiaomi devices, which transmit it to the company's server, so that the location is updated even without the Internet.

To activate:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Special features → Offline Search.
2. Turn on the slider Allow search offline.
3. Confirm the action with a password from the Mi Account.

⚠️ Note: Offline Finding uses up to 5% of your battery power per month, even if your phone is turned off. If you rarely lose your device, you’d better turn it off in the settings. Also note that you need a Mi Account to work, without which signals will not be processed by Xiaomi servers.

Method 4: Tracking by IMEI – Myths and Reality

Many users believe that you can find a phone using IMEI (Unique Device Identifier) through police or special services, and in practice this only works in two cases:

1. If the phone is on and yours is installed. SIM-map (the operator can track its location by communication towers).
2. If you have registered the IMEI in the police database in advance (in Russia this is done through the portal of the State Services or when contacting the department).

🔹 What's not working:

• ❌ Online search services IMEI" — All of them are either fraudulent or show the last known location (usually the store where the phone was purchased).
• ❌ Tracking through Google or Xiaomi IMEI — These services use accounts, not hardware identifiers.
• ❌ Lockdown IMEI remotely – this can only be done by the operator on your application (and then not in all countries).

If your Redmi 12 is stolen, follow the following algorithm:

1. Try searching through Find Device or Google (if the phone is still on).
2. Report to the police with the IMEI (it can be found on the box or in the check).
3. Contact the communications operator to block SIM-maps and possible tracking.
4. If the phone is tied to bank cards, block them through the bank’s mobile application.

💡

The IMEI of your Redmi 12 can be found by typing the code *#06# in the phone application. Write it down in advance and store it in a safe place (for example, in Google account notes).

Method 5: Third-party search applications (Cerberus, Prey, Lost Android)

If you don't like standard methods, you can install one of the specialized applications that offer advanced features, such as:

• 📸 Hidden shooting through the front camera with incorrect password entry.
• 🔍 Tracking over Wi-Fi networks even without GPS.
• 📡 Remotely enable mobile data if the phone is only connected to Wi-Fi.
• 🛡️ Protection against removal (the application is disguised as a system).

🔹 Top.-3 supplant 12:

⚠️ Warning: Install anti-theft apps only from official sources (Google Play or a developer site).Some pirated versions contain malicious code that can block your Redmi 12 or steal data. Also note that applications like Cerberus require administrator rights, which may conflict with some features. MIUI (For example, with battery optimization).

💡

Third-party apps are a good fallback, but they won’t replace standard Xiaomi/Google services. Their main drawback is that if an attacker resets the phone, the app will be removed along with all the data.

What to do if your phone is already lost: an emergency plan

If you are reading this article after losing Redmi 12, take the following steps:

1. Don't panic and remember where you last used your phone. Check Find Device and Google Find My Device -- maybe the phone is still in the access zone.
2. If your phone is at home/work but not answering your phone, try: Send SMS with #LOCK# (if configured in Cerberus/Lost Android) and turn on the sound signal via Find Device (even in silent mode).
3. If your phone is stolen: Block it SIM-Change the passwords of social networks, emails and banking applications (from another device). IMEI and check-in.

If the phone is reset to factory settings:

• Try to restore access through the Mi Account (if it was linked).
• If the account is not tied, there is almost no chance of returning the data (except through the police).

🔹 What not to do:

• ❌ Trying to track your phone yourself if it’s in the hands of intruders (it’s dangerous!).
• ❌ Pay for “guaranteed search” IMEI" scammer.
• ❌ Hacking someone else’s Wi-Fi or using illegal tracking methods.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi Redmi search 12