What to do if you lose your phone
Our smartphones are increasingly becoming a central part of our lives. We use our phones for much more than making calls – we store valuable photos and information on them, surf the web and do online banking and shopping. Plus, they are expensive pieces of technology so losing them can be a complete nightmare. What do you do? Don’t panic and follow our guide.
Change passwords
Change the passwords to all your online accounts (e.g. email, Facebook, banking) immediately. This means any of your personal or financial information won’t be accessible to anyone who has picked up (or stole) your phone. It also reduces the chance of identity theft. Make sure you do keep a close eye on your accounts just in case anything suspect occurs.
Call and text your phone
Use a friend’s phone or landline to call your phone. If it’s nearby you might hear your phone ringing. If not, some honest stranger might pick it up and answer it. If your phone is ringing out, send a text message to your phone letting whoever picks it up know it’s lost. Include a contact number so they can reach you.
Tracking it down
You must enable the settings on your phone or pre-install these apps for the following to work. If you haven’t done it already, we highly recommend it as it could mean the difference between finding your phone and not!
iPhones - A “Find my iPhone” feature is available for iPhones. Log on to it on another device and it uses the GPS on your phone to track it down on a map. You can even force your phone to play sounds to help you track it down. Turning on “Lost Mode” is also an option that lets you remotely lock your device or wipe all your phone data. You can also install the GadgetTrak app which takes photos of whoever has your phone and emails it back to you
Androids – “Where’s My Droid” is similar to “Find my iPhone” allowing you to text your phone a code word which turns on its GPS and emails the coordinates back to you. Apps like Lookout and Cereberus do similar things letting you remotely lock and wipe your phone.
Windows – Visit the “My Phone” section of Windows Phone website. It will let you ring, lock, erase or show your phone on a map.
Tell your phone company
If it is becoming likely your phone is unfortunately lost for good, let your mobile phone company know. This is crucial because you are still liable for any calls that are made on your phone until you tell them it’s missing.
Report it
Report the incident to the police. They might request the serial number of your device so keep it handy. You might also be in luck – someone may have handed it in! If you have insurance, most companies often want a police report.
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