Lost or Stolen Phone? Do These Things in the First Hour

That sinking feeling when you reach for your pocket and your phone isn't there is awful. Your phone holds your photos, your email, your bank app, and the codes that prove you're you. The good news: if you act in the right order, you can almost always protect all of it, and sometimes get the phone back too. Here's the order that works.

What's actually true: a locked phone is hard to break into

If your phone has a passcode, PIN, fingerprint, or face unlock, a thief can't simply open it and browse your life. Modern phones also scramble (encrypt) their stored data, so without your passcode the information is gibberish. That buys you time, but it isn't a reason to wait. Thieves can still try to sell the phone, tap notification previews, or trick you into unlocking it. So move quickly through the steps below.

Step 1: Try to find it (and make sure it's really lost)

Before you panic, call or text your own number from another phone. It may be under a couch cushion or in a friend's car. If nobody answers, use the free tracking tool built into your phone. On an iPhone, that's Find My: sign in at icloud.com/find on any computer, or open the Find My app on another Apple device. On an Android phone, it's Google's Find Hub: go to android.com/find and sign in with the same Google account that's on the phone. Both show the phone's last known location on a map, and both can make it ring even if it's on silent. These only work if the phone is turned on and online, and if the feature was switched on beforehand.

One safety note: if the map shows your phone at a stranger's home, don't go to get it yourself. Give the location to the police and let them handle it.

Step 2: Lock it and leave a message

From the same tracking page, turn on Lost Mode (iPhone) or choose Secure Device (Android). This locks the screen and lets you show a message with a phone number where an honest finder can reach you. Use a number that isn't the lost phone itself, such as a family member's or your work line. Lost Mode also helps stop a thief from switching off tracking or wiping the phone and reusing it.

Step 3: Change your key passwords from a computer

Your phone is probably still signed in to your email and other accounts, so cut off its access. Start with the password for your Apple ID or Google account, because those control the tracking tools and your backups. Next, change your main email password, since a hacker with your email can reset almost every other password. Then do your banking, shopping, and social media accounts. Changing a password usually signs out other devices, including the missing phone. If you use a password manager, change its master password too.

Step 4: Call your phone company

Your carrier (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or whoever bills you) can suspend your service so nobody runs up charges, and, more importantly, stop text-message codes from landing in a thief's hands. Many banks still text you a one-time code to confirm it's you, and a thief holding your phone could read it. Ask the carrier to block the phone's IMEI, which is its unique serial number, so it can't be used on the network. If you're a cardholder, tell your bank too, especially if you use a mobile wallet or banking app.

Step 5: Report it

If you think it was stolen, file a police report and ask for the report number. Your insurance company or carrier may ask for it. If you're sure it's gone for good and have already tried everything above, you can choose Erase Device from the tracking page. Be aware that once you erase it, you can no longer track it, so leave this for last unless the phone holds extremely sensitive information.

Watch out for scam messages

Scammers know people are anxious after losing a phone. You may get a text or email saying "We found your phone, click here to see it" or "Sign in to unlock your device." Those are phishing attempts designed to steal your Apple or Google password. Never tap links in those messages. Always go to the tracking site by typing the address yourself.

Get ready today, before it happens

These few minutes of setup make everything above possible. First, make sure you have a screen lock: a six-digit passcode is better than four digits, and avoid birthdays. Second, turn on Find My (Settings, then your name, then Find My) on an iPhone, or confirm Find Hub is on in your Google settings on Android. Third, keep backups turned on so your photos and contacts are safe if you need to erase the phone. Fourth, write down your phone's IMEI (dial *#06# to see it) and keep it somewhere other than the phone. Finally, look in your security settings for theft protections: recent iPhones offer Stolen Device Protection, and many Android phones offer Theft Detection Lock, which can lock the screen automatically if the phone is snatched and carried away.

Losing a phone is stressful, but it's rarely a disaster if you've got a plan. Bookmark this page, or print the steps and tape them inside a drawer, so a calm version of you is ready when the stressed version needs it.