What to Do If Your Phone Has Been Lost or Stolen

Tech Made Simple illustrated cover for what to do if your phone is lost or stolen

This is for you if… your phone has been lost, stolen or left somewhere and you are not sure what to do first.

I was helping someone near Bury St Edmunds who had misplaced their phone after a busy morning. The panic was understandable, but having a calm order of steps made a big difference.

First: take a breath and work in order

When a phone is missing, it is easy to tap random buttons or change passwords in a panic. Work through the steps below from top to bottom.

Step-by-step: try to find the phone

  1. Use another phone, tablet or computer if you have one.
  2. For iPhone, go to Find My or iCloud Find Devices.
  3. For Android, go to Find My Device.
  4. Sign in with the Apple ID or Google account used on the missing phone.
  5. Look for the phone on the map.
  6. If it is nearby, choose Play Sound.
  7. If it is not nearby, do not go somewhere unsafe to retrieve it.

Step-by-step: secure the phone

  1. If the phone is not safely in your possession, mark it as lost or lock it remotely.
  2. Put a contact message on the lock screen if the service allows.
  3. Do not erase the phone immediately unless you are sure you need to, because erasing can affect tracking.
  4. Contact your mobile network and ask them to block the SIM if you think it is stolen.
  5. If it was stolen, report it to the police and keep the reference number.

Step-by-step: protect your accounts

  1. Start with your email account, because email can reset other passwords.
  2. Change your email password using the official website.
  3. Check bank, PayPal, Apple ID, Google account and shopping accounts.
  4. If you use phone payments, remove or suspend cards through Apple, Google or your bank.
  5. Watch for suspicious texts or emails after the loss.

Before replacing the phone

Check whether your photos, contacts and WhatsApp messages were backed up. This can make moving to a replacement phone much less stressful.

Need help?

If you are in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire or Suffolk, my membership is for ongoing help and peace of mind. For urgent one-off support with a lost or replacement phone, you can book a visit.

Tech Made Simple Quiz