What to do if you lost your smartphone or it was stolen from you?

Losing a smartphone can cause serious panic, because for many it is worse than losing a wallet or house keys. This is because, in addition to the material side of the issue, your phone stores a lot of important and private information about you and your family. The thought that this information can be lost is frightening, but what’s even worse is that this information can become available to strangers.

Luckily, there are many effective options for finding your lost phone. Moreover, if your smartphone or tablet runs iOS or Android, you already have the software needed to find it. There are also many third-party apps that you can install to track your phone. About everything in order in our article.

How to find your iPhone by geolocation

The main way to find a lost iPhone is to use the Find My iPhone app. If you don't have the app downloaded to your phone, you'll need to download it through the App Store. The Find My iPhone app is fairly accurate, but it requires the phone to be turned on and connected to the Internet to work.

Using a computer or other mobile device, sign in to your iCloud and open Find My iPhone. Your phone's location should appear on a map, which you can use to track your phone's movements.

"Find My iPhone" gives you the ability to remotely make your iPhone make sounds (to alert you or others nearby to your phone's location and its lost/stolen status), send a message with contact information to your iPhone, or erase content and data from your device .

Is it possible to return a stolen phone?

Remember that losing your phone can very easily turn into it being stolen by a third party. You can’t be sure whether you lost your smartphone or it was stolen; sometimes it’s difficult to prove. After contacting the police, you can rarely count on the robber being found. Statistics say that only 23% of stolen smartphones were returned to their owners. However, don't lose hope. To find a lost phone, all measures will be good!

How to find Windows Phone by geolocation

Windows Phone users can use the built-in phone discovery feature included in all models running Windows 8.1 and later. Simply visit the Microsoft devices page from a computer or other wireless device to see a list of all the Microsoft phones and tablets you own. You can then use a location to track your chosen device.

Once you log into Microsoft's lost phone service, you can remotely lock your cell phone or erase content and data from the device.

Returning a lost phone

Almost every person who purchases their mobile phone legally has:

• Package.
• Package details, headphones, instructions, etc.
• Warranty card.
• Digital number.
• IMEI number.

It is the last point that is the most important, since through it you can quickly find a lost or stolen phone.

How to find a phone by geolocation if you don’t have an account in Google or iCloud

If your gadget does not contain its own applications or services for tracking location, then it is better to install and activate a third-party service in advance. For example, Life360, GeoLocator, GPSme and so on. Some of these apps cost money, but they will allow you to send a message to your lost device and also show you on a map where it is.

Finding the location of a lost phone

You can try to determine the location of a lost gadget in several ways:

• Contacting a cellular operator who is able to determine the location of a mobile device by IMEI.
• You can contact the police (the process of how to write a statement about the loss will be described below).
• It is possible to use a special application (if it is installed on the device), which is designed to search for a phone.
• You can try to bypass random places where used equipment is sold, trying to find your lost one.
• Advertise on social networks or the media, in case someone finds the phone.

Now let’s take a closer look at all the search methods, because each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, as well as varying degrees of effectiveness.

Mobile operator	Call and block the SIM card, try to find out the location of the device
Contacting the police	Visit the police station, taking your passport, packaging with the original IMEI number, receipt confirming the fact of purchase
Application to lock and find your phone	It must be installed in the phone, the device must be connected to the network, the device must not be flashed
Search for advertisements for sale	You can consider special resources, for example, Avito, From Hand to Hand, etc.

When answering the question of how to write a statement to the police, it is worth noting that there is no strict form, but the following data must be indicated: full name of the person who lost the device, the date and time when this event occurred, a description of the circumstances.

If you or the police find your phone in another person’s possession and he claims to have bought it, he must present a document that confirms the purchase (store receipt, warranty in his name). If he cannot prove the legal right of his ownership and there are no documents confirming the purchase, then the device is confiscated and returned to you, as the rightful owner, in compliance with the necessary procedures.

How to restore contacts on iPhone

To recover lost numbers on an Apple gadget, the cloud and iTunes are used. When working with iCloud, the following actions are performed:

1. In “Settings” go to iCloud (top column with name, Apple ID, iTunes and Appstore).
2. Log out and log in to the cloud storage again.
3. Remove the slider from the Contacts program, confirming removal from the gadget.
4. Reboot your smartphone.
5. Reactivate Contacts in iCloud.

Upon completion of the number, return.

iTunes

If the cloud doesn't work, go to the iTunes method:

1. Open a page in the application with information about recent actions.
2. Tap on “Restore from copy”.
3. Select the last save and “Restore iPhone”.

If none of the proposed methods worked, it’s time to contact a service center or operator. And to prevent an unpleasant situation from causing trouble, always have a backup copy on different media.

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Why do my contact numbers disappear on my smartphone?

I know many reasons why contact numbers disappear from a smartphone. The most popular are:

• careless attitude of the user towards data (accidental deletion).
• The phone was reset to factory settings.
• when trying to root your phone.
• firmware update.
• problems synchronizing with services.
• the phone is infected with a virus.

Another popular reason is a failure in the smartphone system, and the contacts are not deleted, but simply become invisible. This can be fixed quite easily.

What to do if you lose your phone

Everyone chooses for themselves what to do in a given situation, but there are generally accepted instructions regarding recommended actions. It is universal and at the same time most effective.

If you have lost your mobile phone, do not immediately panic. You must immediately send a special SMS message to him. It is quite possible that the phone will be very close and when a signal arrives, it can be quickly detected. Maybe you will be able to contact the person who found this device and immediately ask for it back for a symbolic reward.

If the phone does not answer for some reason, you must write a statement to the police stating that it has been stolen or lost.

In this case, you will need to attach the IMEI number, which is an international individual identifier of a mobile device.

For many modern devices, the IMEI is a number that consists of 15 digits. This special identification code is entered into a specific database where all currently existing mobile phones are registered. It is programmed directly in the device firmware.

A similar number can be found on the device box, it is written above the barcode, under the battery. The best option when searching for a device would be to attach a warranty card and a receipt to your application as proof of purchase.

Is it dangerous to lose your phone?

The fact is that it is difficult to unlock your phone, but you can use passwords to access Internet banking. To do this, the attackers will remove the SIM card from your phone, insert it into another and call their number so that it can be identified. They go through the Internet banks of 3-4 largest banks and through “recover password” they receive it in the form of SMS and do whatever they want with your bank card. Therefore, do not be lazy to set a PIN code on your SIM card. In this case, rearranging the SIM card will not give the attackers anything.

Sometimes a lost phone can be found.

How smartphones are usually stolen

Often people, out of confusion, forget their smartphones on tables in restaurants, cafes, taxis, in the office and even on the playground. The theft of an electronic gadget happens when a person falls for the cunning tricks of criminals in shopping centers or subways. For example, one scammer distracts the attention of the future victim, and the second performs a clever trick when he comes close to the victim.

Locking the device and SIM card

To block a stolen phone with a SIM card, you will need Internet access. First, log into your Google account or Apple ID. After logging in, perform a number of actions:

1. The user goes to the “Security” section for smartphones with Android OS or to the “Locator” application for iPhones. Next they look for the missing gadget in the list of devices.
2. When the device is turned off and geolocation is active, the location is still displayed on the map. In this case, it is better to contact the police if the missing phone appears by geolocation.
3. Next, activate the “Block device” option. The system will display a message about displaying a notification on the lock screen and a backup number by which you can contact the owner of the gadget.
4. If personal confidential information is stored in the smartphone’s memory, it is better to erase it remotely. This is done in the same security section. After the operation has been completed, tracking will no longer be available.
5. To block a SIM card, contact the technical support of your mobile operator. You can also suspend service of the number in the online application from your telecom operator.

Features of finding a phone with different OS

An attacker can even unlock a phone encrypted with a password. There are several operating systems on which mobile phones operate. Some of them have built-in helper functions, while others can be found using special third-party utilities. Let's take a closer look at each of the popular options for finding lost cell phones.

You can synchronize your phone with your Google account only when the Internet is activated.

Android operating system: nuances of finding a smartphone

Updated Android smartphones have special search tools in case the gadget is lost or stolen. All the user needs is the ability to log in to a Google account.

Using the Android Remote Control program

This method is available if you have the Android Device Manager application installed by default or pre-installed. Download this service from the official Google Play online store, be sure to configure it and synchronize it with your smartphone model and cell number.

Using one Google account, you can monitor several mobile phones at the same time. After losing a phone with an activated application, actions on the smartphone can be performed directly from a desktop computer.

The program allows the user to call a mobile phone, block it or destroy all confidential information (data from contacts, personal photos, messages). This function will be useless if the smartphone is not connected to the mobile Internet and access to GSM is prohibited.

You can find an Android smartphone from an iPhone only using third-party applications.

Using third party applications

If you own a Samsung or Xiomi phone, you can find the gadget using special applications that are provided only for these phones. For the first type of device, the Find My Mobile program works, and for the second, Mi Cloud, respectively. However, there are also more functional applications:

• Bitdefender Mobile Security+ Antivirus . The package has an Anti-Theft protection system, is capable of scanning the face of an attacker, and also provides access to location using a remote service;
• AVG AntiVirus. A convenient application that includes both antivirus and anti-theft. The software works through a connection to a Google account and finds the smartphone on the map. You can access your cell phone via the Internet or via SMS. Here you can connect and listen to the conversation, turn on the siren or make a call;
• Lost Android . A convenient version that weighs only 170 kb, but has a lot of integrated functions that will be useful in searching for a lost smartphone. You can manage the service from a PC or via SMS;
• Cerberus. A powerful tool for finding smartphones. Capable of finding devices located on any Internet network. Usually this application is hidden and does not appear anywhere when you try to search. If your Android smartphone is rooted, you can make it a system application;
• Prey Anti Theft. This service is a protection complex that is equally suitable for any version of the platform of modern gadgets. If you install the paid version of the service, you can monitor up to 10 devices simultaneously. When installing a budget one, you can only monitor three gadgets.

Special tools help to activate a lost smartphone. GOOD TO KNOW! If the finder disconnects the Internet and replaces the SIM card, almost every application will notify the owner of the data change.

iOS

Despite the fact that Apple devices have a standard built-in utility, many people use third-party applications. Let's talk about everything in more detail and, within the framework of this section, consider the features of each method.

If a smartphone is connected to a remote account, it can be monitored for a long time.

Using Find My iPhone

Having the “Find iPhone” option running, you can use it using your iCloud account. To do this, from any computer where the application is installed, you must log in to your iCloud account. Then in the service menu you need to click the “Find iPhone” button. A city map will appear on the screen. This is where you need to select the “All devices” tab.

The “Find iPhone” option can only be used if you remember your account information. A dot will appear on the map indicating the location of your smartphone. If you hover the mouse cursor over the pointer, an auxiliary menu will launch, with which you can activate “Lost Mode”.

Using third party applications

For phones and other gadgets on the iOS platform, there is a special application that can cope with the task of finding an iPhone.

Third-party search programs work similarly on any gadget, regardless of the type of working platform. The Find My Friends service works on Apple phones using the same iCloud account. However, this application will work provided that the Internet connection and GPS are turned on. This function includes a “Parental Control” option. It will only work with devices that have a similar operating system.

The search option for Apple can be downloaded from the AppStore.

Windows Phone and the Find My Phone option

The smartphone always gets lost unexpectedly. Regardless of its settings, you can find the device using a special useful utility. In Windows OS, this option is activated from a registered Microsoft account. To use this tool, you need to go to the browser on your computer and run the “Find Phone” function in your account.

With its help, you can call a cell phone number or block the device if it is not found by the call. Dear readers, we are waiting for your questions in the comments under the article. We welcome feedback. Our experts will promptly contact you and give a detailed answer.

Mobile application for searching “Find my device” from Google

To use the application, activate the Find My Device function using the instructions above. Download it from Google Play and install it on another smartphone or tablet. Launch the application, log in with your Google account. After a couple of seconds, a piece of map with the exact location of the phone will appear on the screen - go searching. Turn on the call through the application or lock the handset to prevent data theft.