We have given our smartphones so much power. Have you ever wondered what to do when a phone is stolen or how to find a stolen phone? From private pictures and conversations to sensitive bank details, our phones contain so much of our lives! And we need to keep them protected.
In such cases, what shall be your immediate actions? This article might help you avoid panic and take the necessary steps logically.
What To Do When Phone Is Stolen?
Don’t panic. There is an approach for situations like this one to find a stolen phone. The first step would be to take security precautions. Then, you can try to track your phone and determine whether it was stolen or lost.
Safety Measures:
Take these precautions immediately to be sure that your phone is stolen or you have lost your phone.
1. Try Calling The Number Of Your Lost Phone Immediately
The first thing you should do after discovering that your phone is missing is to call it from another number. Maybe you have not lost it yet; perhaps you have replaced it with someone else’s device or mistakenly left it at a store. If your phone is not on silent, you can still hear it and find it.
However, if someone picks up your phone after it falls from your pocket or bag, they may answer it instantly. So if it rings and no one answers, it might be an indication that it is stolen and figure out ways to find lost phone.
2. Deactivate The SIM Card Of The Lost Phone
If you discover your phone is not receiving calls, contact your service provider immediately to suspend your SIM card. This won’t help you know how to find a stolen phone or get the phone back, but it will prevent misuse of your number and protect your linked mobile wallets from unauthorised transactions.
This is a stressful situation, and the last thing you want right now is no balance on your account to buy a new phone.
3. Secure Your Online Accounts
Not only your emails but your social network accounts are also important. The moment someone finds your phone or steals it from you, that person can quickly look into your social media accounts and pretend to be you.
They can access your Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, and other networks and text people you usually do. To prevent this, change your passwords from all accounts, including Google and other emails you have.
Also Read: How To Transfer WhatsApp Data From Android To iOS.
4. Unlink Your Accounts
After changing passwords, you can go a step further and manually unlink all your cloud accounts. Unlinking your cloud storage like Dropbox, Google Drive, etc., can also stop syncing, making your accounts safer.
You can do this from your desktop or another mobile device by going to the account’s security page and removing your lost device from the list.
Also Read: Unveiling The Best Google Drive Storage Plans: Find Your Ideal Fit
How To Find A Stolen Phone?
So we don’t know whether the phone is gone forever or will it make it’s way back. In any case, the following are the measures to take if you are an Android or iOS user.
Android Users Can Track Lost / Stolen With Google Find My Phone:
So you have a Google Account. Log in if not already done.
Also, a disclaimer: This will only work if the settings for ‘Find My Phone’ are turned ON on your phone. Most of the time, it is ON by default. So you don’t need to worry about it.
Now, open the Find My Device app from the Play Store or visit Find My Phone on the web.
You will know how to find a stolen phone in a few seconds with the device’s location. It will be detected on the map if the device is still on.
If you don’t know if the device is in safe hands or not or if you can get it back, take further security measures like:
- Lock your lost phone remotely: Simply click on ‘Secure Device‘ and confirm.
- Erase All Data from the lost phone: click on ‘Factory Reset Device‘ and confirm.
Also Read: Google Find My Device: How to Locate Lost Phone?
iPhone Users Can Rely On Lost Mode:
Before you figure out how to find a stolen phone from Apple, first, make sure your iPhone is linked to your iCloud account. Hopefully, you have the “Find My iPhone” feature enabled on the lost iPhone
Use another Apple device, probably your friend’s iPhone or your spare one. Open Find My App> My Profile> Sign in – with your Apple ID
You will get the location of the lost phone right here. The phone details and options on how to find my lost phone. There are two options to go:
Option 1: Activate Lost Mode
- Select Mark As Lost > Lost Mode.
- Tap Continue.
- Enter a mobile number for contact if the phone is found.
- Enter a message for whoever finds your phone.
- Tap Next, then enter the necessary details and activate Lost Mode (button in the top right corner).
Activating Lost Mode For iPhone From Mac
- Open Safari (or any browser) on your Mac.
- Open icloud.com in the address bar and press Enter.
- Enter your Apple ID and password to sign in. You might need to do this twice.
- Click on the “Find iPhone” icon on your iCloud dashboard.
- Click “All Devices” at the top, then select your lost iPhone from the list.
- Now activate Lost Mode. Then it’s the same drill here.
How Does ‘Lost Mode’ On iPhone Help?
If you aren’t sure what to do when phone is stolen, especially in case of an iPhone, ‘lost mode’ is of great help. The below points will help you understand why:
- Activating this function means receiving a notification/message when the phone is found.
- There will be an Activation lock using your Apple ID. So, no matter what, if they don’t have your Apple ID, they can’t access any of your phone’s data.
- Lost mode will delete all payment services you have, like Apple Pay or similar.
- It leaves a message in a phone number (the other one you are using to track lost phone) when somebody actually finds it.
Option 2: Erase This Device
Well, unfortunately, if you are sure that your iPhone is just not lost but stolen, you don’t need to bother Lost Mode. Instead, select ‘Erase This Device’. Next, enter your Apple ID. This will delete all the data that was stored in your stolen phone.
Also Read: How To Find Lost iPhone Online Easily And Track Its Live Location!
Track Your Phone Using GPS When Lost
If calling does not help, know how to find a stolen phone location using GPS. However, if you haven’t activated your phone’s GPS from the start, this method won’t help you at all.
Your Android devices come with an inbuilt location tracking service that tracks the activities you do with your mobile phone. For example, you can log in to your Google account from another device and go to Google Location History to track the current location of your lost phone.
Also Read: How To Make Any Android Phone Completely Cyberpunk 2077 Themed
How To Find A Stolen Phone With Police Report
Still wondering ‘how should I find my lost phone?’. Well it’s time you should get it legally document it. You do this by filing an FIR. The good thing is that you can file an FIR online in Delhi within minutes. Filing an FIR will prevent the misuse of your phone’s IMEI number, and you won’t be responsible if anything illegal happens.
Though the chance of getting your phone back is nearly zero, you can at least show the reference number to demand your insurance.
But before you head on to the website, make sure you have the following information ready:
- Phone’s IMEI number
- Proof of purchase
- Model number
- Your personal details
Also Read: How To Block SIM Card On Jio / Airtel / Vi And More!
How To Find A Stolen Phone Via Government Website?
If you are looking for more online solutions and wondering ‘If I could find my lost phone through a proper government website’, the most recommended option would be the Central Equipment Identity Register or the CEIR website.
Also known as the Sanchar Sathi portal, this is an all-in-one portal. It is useful when you want to:
- Block the number of your stolen/lost device
- Trace your lost device
- Unblock found the phone.
All you have to do is register to the site by creating an account or log in. Fill out the form in the portal where you will have to give out the phone owner details, information about the loss and phone details like invoice, IMEI, etc.
To know more details about the process, check this out:
How To Track Your Lost Mobile Phone With IMEI Number Tracker?
How To Keep Your Device Safe, Always
Now that we know how to find a stolen phone, let’s now look at something that we can do to keep our beloved devices safe if any mishap happens!
If you have already spent more than three months without your previous smartphone and using a new one, take some precautionary measures so that you are well-equipped with the knowledge about how to find a stolen phone. (just in case)
1. Keep Your Phone Location On
It is easier and much faster to track your phone’s whereabouts when the Location or GPS is kept on.
2. Secure Your Phone With A Password
We have also seen during the process of knowing how to find a stolen phone, how important it is to have device and app passwords. Hence, as soon as you get a new phone in your hand, make sure to secure it with a password, pattern, voice recognition, or anything of that sort to avoid hacking.
3. Keep Your Mobile Internet Data Enabled
A tracking app needs your phone’s location to be turned on, but it also requires your mobile’s internet connection. So even if you have access to a high-speed WIFI network, always keep your mobile data on though it affects your battery life. If you haven’t turned it on, consider it gone forever. This is what you must do when your phone is lost.
4. Back Your Data By Syncing To Cloud Storages
Sync your photos to your cloud storage every day or monthy back up to keep them safe. It will help you keep everything in place when you get a new phone in your hand.
Also Read: Top 5 Cloud Storage Apps for iOS And Android.
5. Invest In Tools
There are some smart tools in the market that come handy when you are out to find lost phone. For Apple users, it’s the Apple AirTag. AirTags use short-range connections like Bluetooth and Ultra-Wideband to communicate. You can find them when you are nearby using the Find My app.
Similar products for Android users are SmartTag Plus (for Samsung) and JioTag Air.
What Can Happen If Your Phone Is Lost/ Stolen?
So now that you know what to do when your phone is stolen, you can immediately take action and save your sensitive data. However, it is always a good idea to learn about the repercussions. When your phone is stolen, here is a list of things that can happen:
- Unauthorized purchases using your saved/ linked accounts, upi apps on your phone
- Accessing credentials of various social media platforms and misusing it
- Hacking your email account
- Misusing your personal pictures and videos
- Running phishing scams targeting your friends and family
- Opening credit cards and loans in your name
That is why, it is crucial to keep your phone safe.
Frequently Asked Question
Q. Can you find the location of a stolen phone?
Yes, you can find the location of a stolen phone via Find My Device app or Find My Phone website for Android Phones and ‘Lost Mode’ for Apple Phones.
Q. How can I track my stolen phone with IMEI number?
Yes, you can track stolen phone with IMEI number by registering the complaint on CEIR website.
Q. How can police track a stolen phone?
Police can track a stolen phone by using the IMEI number of your phone. They will contact the service provider to get furtehr information like call duration, caller details, area code etc.
Q. How to lock phone when lost?
Android users can use the Find My Device app or Find My Phone website to lock the phone remotely. Similarly, Apple users can use ‘Lost mode’ via Mac or another iPhone.
Q. Can I find someone else’s lost phone?
Yes, you can use the Find My Device App on Google Play Store to trace someone else’s lost phone.
Q. Does my phone need to be connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data to find it?
Yes, it is possible to find your phone even when the Wi-Fi or cellular data is off. The GPS remains active that helps in tracing the phone location.
Q. Can I find my stolen phone if it is switched off?
It is not possible to trace the exact location when the phone is turned off as the cell towers stop receiving the signals. However, internet providers can show the last location when turning it back on.
Q. Does Find My iPhone work when my phone is dead?
When the iPhone is dead, it is in a switch-off condition. In that scenario, you may not be able to trace the location as the device stops transmitting signals. However, Find My iPhone can still work even if your phone is dead. For that, the “Send Last Location” or “Find my Network” feature needs to be enabled in Phone settings. It is ON by default, so you would have had to manually switch it off
How To Find A Stolen Phone: Final Words!
And that brings us to the end of our segment and now you know how to find a stolen phone and what to do when such mishaps happen.. Hopefully, this article will help you with your answers. The smartphone is a device that many people adore and appreciate. So, losing or having your phone stolen may be more than an annoyance or financial loss. But don’t worry, everything is not lost. Not yet. The above-mentioned tips might help you understand what to do when your phone is lost.
If you’ve just bought a new phone and don’t know what to do with your old phone, then here’s your answer. Sell old mobile to Cashify and get the best price for it. If you are planning to buy a new phone, check out Cashify’s refurbished mobile phones. You can get your favourite phone at almost half price with six-month warranty, 15 days refund and free delivery.
manidipa ray
An enthusiastic writer with a talent for crafting content across various genres. A devoted chai aficionado, a lover of dogs, and someone who embraces the beauty of all things natural. Let's keep in touch and stay informed about latest Tech events!