LocationOf is a GPS recording and sharing service, not a remote phone-discovery service. The difference matters most after a phone goes missing.
The app must already be installed on the Android device, location access must have been granted, tracking must have been configured, and the device must have generated location data. A phone number, IMEI, SIM number or email address is not enough.
If somebody tells you that LocationOf can type an IMEI into a box and reveal a live map, that is incorrect.
If the app was already recording before the phone disappeared, the LocationOf map may contain recent points showing where the device travelled. If the phone continues running and can communicate, newer points may arrive.
A final recorded point is not necessarily the place where the phone is now. The battery may have died, the app may have stopped, the phone may have lost connectivity or the device may have moved after the last upload.
LocationOf should be one source of information, not your only recovery mechanism. Android owners should also set up and understand Google's Find Hub. Find Hub is specifically designed for locating, securing and erasing lost Android devices.
See our lost Android checklist for the order in which to use these tools.
For setup topics, continue with Android background location and battery optimization for GPS tracking.
LocationOf is intended for your own devices and consensual sharing. It is not designed to hide itself from the device owner or to bypass Android's permission model.
If your actual goal is to locate another adult without that person's knowledge, LocationOf is not the tool for that. Use a transparent location-sharing arrangement instead.
Open the LocationOf map and first inspect the timestamp of the newest point. A recent point can narrow the search area, while an old point only tells you where the device was when it last successfully recorded and uploaded data. Save useful timestamps or screenshots if theft is possible.
Then check Google's Android lost-device service as well. The two systems answer different questions: LocationOf may contain the route it recorded before the phone disappeared, while Google's recovery service is designed specifically for locating, securing and erasing a missing Android device. Using both sources is more sensible than assuming either one is infallible.
People often start looking for an IMEI tracker or phone-number tracker only after a device is gone. Those identifiers can help identify or block hardware, but they do not retroactively install a location application. The useful preparation is boring but effective: enable the platform recovery service, use a strong screen lock, keep account recovery details current and test any additional tracker while the phone is still in your hand.
If you configure LocationOf for this purpose, perform a short real-world test with the screen locked and verify that the points you expect actually reach the website.
A recovery setup is only useful if you know which account owns the device and can reach the map from another screen. While the phone is still safely in your possession, sign in from a computer, confirm that the correct device appears, and make sure you understand which location is live and which point is historical. Also record the phone's IMEI and serial number somewhere separate from the handset.
This rehearsal is especially useful after replacing a phone or changing Google accounts. It prevents the worst moment to discover an old device is still registered, a new tracker was never started, or the account password cannot be recovered.