Things to do if your phone gets stolen

Don't freak out if you can't find your phone. Exhaust all reasonable possibilities — perhaps you misplaced it, lent it to someone, or buried it under some documents — and then, sadly, conclude it was stolen. If you read our post on how to protect your smartphone and data and followed the advice, you've protected your data and can restore it on a new phone. Even if you didn't plan ahead of time, you can mitigate the damage.

In the best-case scenario

When your phone went missing, the screen was locked, the data on it was encrypted, and the SIM card was PIN-protected. In this scenario, Use the Find My Device (Android) or Find My (iOS) feature to designate the phone as lost and have the device display an on-screen message with the phone number of a friend or family who can contact you if the device is truly found.

After you've waited as long as you're comfortable with the first step, remotely erase all data on the device and contact your operator to block the SIM card.

Purchase a new smartphone and restore your data from the backup.

We also recommend that you remain watchful following the theft. Thieves frequently exploit such contact information, especially on more costly devices, to lure the owner of the stolen device into divulging the password for their Google or Apple ID account. If they are successful, they can unlink the device from the account and sell the phone whole for more money than disassembling it and selling the pieces.

In short, handle all texts and phone calls from a stolen phone with extreme caution, and never enter or reveal your Google account or Apple ID credentials.

In the worst-case scenario

If the smartphone has fallen into the wrong hands and is not secured, possibly even by a screen lock, time is of importance. The first thing you'll need is another phone to make several calls from. Request that a store or restaurant employee use their phone, or hail a cab and borrow the driver's phone.

Block your SIM card

Your initial call should be to your carrier. Inform the support representative that you have lost your SIM card and request that it be blocked. The thief will no longer be able to impersonate you once the SIM card has been disabled (call from your number or receive a text message with a verification code for changing a password or confirming a transaction, for example).

Warn relatives and friends

Your second call should be to a friend or relative. Explain to them that your phone was stolen, and ask them to warn mutual contacts about the same and that they might get calls or messages from your number for requests for money or maybe some questions, all of which they should ignore. You might want to ask them to post a warning on social media if you share many friends there.

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Blocking smartphone

You will need Internet connectivity to block your stolen smartphone. Use a secure device if at all possible; you will be typing your password.

To begin, sign in to your Google or Apple ID account. It may be difficult to log in from someone else's smartphone if you have two-factor authentication enabled. Obviously, you can't receive a verification text or use a mobile authenticator app because your phone is no longer in your possession. Android users can update their passwords without having to send a text message. If this is the case for you, you must enter one of the backup codes you received when you set up two-factor authentication. iPhone users can regain access to their accounts by having a verification code issued to a trusted phone number or email address.

Here's what you should do once you've logged in to your Google or Apple ID account:

Find your missing smartphone under the device list under Security (for Android phones) or the Find My iPhone app (for iPhones).

Take note of the smartphone's location on the map. If the phone is turned on and geolocation is turned on, the location icon should appear. Even if the thief's path is clear, do not attempt to pursue them. Rather, seek assistance from the police.

Choose Lost Mode- The system will prompt you to input a message on the lock screen as well as a backup phone number to contact you. This message will now be the only thing displayed on your smartphone screen. The person who finds your phone will be able to contact you if the phone was merely lost and not stolen. Keep an eye out for phishing messages and phone calls; thieves may masquerade as help representatives and contact you to obtain your account password; if your device contains essential and sensitive information, consider wiping it remotely. However, keep in mind that this option is irreversible, and it also means giving up the ability to remotely find the phone.

Unlink all bank cards

When you block your smartphone with Find My or Find My Device, Apple or Google may recommend unlinking any related cards, but if it doesn't, you can manually unlink bank cards from your device under the account settings. You do not need to block the cards unless they were taken along with the phone.

For Android devices:

Click Payment settings in the Payments & subscriptions area;

and then remove your cards.

For iPhone:

locate the missing iPhone in the Devices section

and click Remove all cards.

Blocking the smartphone’s IMEI number

In some countries, in addition to blocking the SIM card, you can put the IMEI of a stolen phone to the carrier's blocklist. To do so, provide the carrier with this number. The number can be found on the box in which the phone was delivered.

Android allows us to use the Find your phone feature to find the IMEI: Click on the encircled “i” next to the image of your phone and the IMEI code will be shown.

iPhone users can find their IMEI at appleid.apple.com by signing in with the Apple ID used on the stolen PHONE, scrolling down to Devices, and selecting the iPhone to see its IMEI.

In fact, once the IMEI is added to the blocklist by the carrier, the smartphone will be unable to connect to the mobile network, even with a different SIM card. This function is available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Latvia, and a few Latin American countries.

What to do next?

After you've taken precautionary measures to safeguard yourself and your data, it's time to focus on limiting other potential effects.

Contacting the police

Report the theft to the police, providing information such as the carrier and phone number. Even though the chances are minimal, you can still get your phone back. Phones are sometimes returned after being gone for years.

Change all your passwords

Change as many passwords in your apps and mobile browser as you can. After you've changed the passwords, enable two-factor authentication.

Restore your data to the new device

If you enabled backup on the device while it was still in your care, you will be able to recover all data, including text messages, on your new smartphone.

Here are the steps to do this on Android and iPhone.

Cheer up😁

The loss of a smartphone is undoubtedly stressful, and it poses a risk to your data. However, if you follow the methods outlined above and back up your data ahead of time, you can minimize your losses. Do not be disheartened if your device has been lost or stolen; your personal safety comes first.

What to do if your phone gets stolen