Phone stolen: what to do now and in the days after
Your phone is the key to your banking, email and social media. When it goes missing, the first few hours matter most. Here is what to do, most urgent first – for Android and iPhone alike.
Key points
- From another device, open Find Hub (google.com/android/find) for Android or icloud.com/find for iPhone and mark the phone as lost – it locks.
- Call your mobile network to bar the SIM (and, in the UK, block the handset by IMEI), and your bank about cards and banking apps on the phone.
- Remote erase is the last step; on an iPhone, don't remove the device from Find My afterwards.
- Report the theft to the police, and watch out for fake "we found your phone" messages.
First: find and lock the phone remotely
Grab another phone, tablet or computer – a friend's will do – and sign in to your account:
| Phone | Where to find it | What to choose |
|---|---|---|
| Android | Find Hub at google.com/android/find, or the Find Hub app on another Android phone (on a friend's phone, use Sign in as guest) |
Mark as lost – the phone locks with its PIN, pattern or password, and you can show a contact message on the screen |
| iPhone | icloud.com/find, the Find My app on another Apple device, or a Family Sharing member's device |
Mark As Lost (Lost Mode) – locks the phone with your passcode and suspends Apple Pay cards |
- Android shows up on the map only if it's switched on, connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi, signed in to a Google Account and has Find Hub turned on (it turns on automatically when you add a Google Account). Otherwise you may see its last known location.
- iPhone goes into Lost Mode as soon as it connects to Wi-Fi or a mobile network.
- Both services can also play a sound – handy if the phone is just lost somewhere at home.
Straight after: SIM, bank, payments
- Your mobile network – bar the SIM. Call your provider from another phone or use its online account. Barring the SIM stops calls and texts on your account – and above all stops the thief receiving verification codes by text from your bank and other services. Ask how to get a replacement SIM that keeps your number. In the UK, the provider can also block the handset itself by its IMEI number so it can't be used any more; Apple likewise advises reporting the phone as missing to your carrier and asking it to disable the account.
- Your bank – cards and banking apps. If you have a banking app or a card for contactless payments on the phone, contact your bank (the number is on the back of your physical card and on its website) and ask it to block access from the stolen device and, if needed, the card. On an iPhone, Lost Mode suspends Apple Pay cards.
- Passwords and accounts. Change the password for your email (Google Account, Apple Account) and remove the lost phone from your account. Apple advises reviewing your account details and changing your Apple Account password if you see changes you didn't make. If someone has already got into an account, follow our guide Account hacked: how to get it back.
Report the theft to the police
Report a stolen phone to the police straight away, as the UK government's nidirect advice recommends. Apple notes that the police may ask for the iPhone's serial number, which you can find even without the device (the steps are in Apple's help). Have the IMEI ready too: it's on the box and on your receipt, and for Android Google also shows it in Find Hub.
If you have phone insurance – such as AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss – file a claim. Apple says to keep the device in Find My and on your Apple Account until the claim is approved.
The last step: erase it remotely
Once it's clear the phone won't come back, wipe your data from it:
- Android: in Find Hub, choose Factory reset. All data is erased (an SD card may not be), but you can no longer find the phone in Find Hub. Anyone trying to set it up again will need your Google Account password.
- iPhone: start the erase in the Find My app or at
icloud.com/find. If the phone is switched off, it's erased the next time it connects. Apple warns that erasing can't be undone – and after erasing, don't remove the phone from Find My: that would turn off Activation Lock and make it easier for the thief to use or sell the phone.
If Find My (iPhone) or Find Hub (Android) wasn't turned on, you can't lock or erase the phone remotely. What's left is your network, your bank, new passwords and the police.
Beware of "we found your phone" messages – a common scam
After an iPhone is stolen, texts or emails may arrive saying it has been "found", with a link to sign in. It's an attempt to get your Apple Account password and unlock the phone. Apple will never contact you to say your device has been found. Never share your passcode, passwords or verification codes. You can check a suspicious link without opening it using our link checker.
Get ready in advance
- Make sure Find Hub (Android) or Find My (iPhone) is turned on, and that you know your account password – without it you can't lock anything from another device.
- Set a screen lock; the FTC recommends a passcode of at least six digits, or a fingerprint or face scan.
- Note down your IMEI (dial
*#06#), make and model, and keep them somewhere other than the phone, along with the receipt and box. - Back up your phone regularly and turn on two-step verification for your email and important accounts. Create a strong password with our password generator.
Sources
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