What to Do If Your Phone Is Lost or Stolen

A lost or stolen phone feels like a small emergency, and in a way it is. Your phone is not just a device; it is the key to your email, your messages, your banking apps, and often your two-factor codes. The good news is that a calm, ordered response in the first hour does most of the work. This guide walks you through exactly what to do, in the right order, without panic.

First, stay calm and think in layers

There are two things at risk when a phone goes missing: the hardware and everything it can unlock. The hardware is replaceable. The accounts are what you protect first. Modern phones are also far harder to break into than most people assume, especially if you use a strong passcode or biometrics. So take a breath, and work through the steps below in order.

If your phone was clearly stolen, and especially if it happened through force or threat, your safety comes first. Do not try to chase or confront anyone to recover a device.

Use Find My Device from another screen

Both major phone platforms include a built-in locator that you can reach from any browser or a friend's phone:

• iPhone: sign in to iCloud's Find My service from another device or browser.
• Android: use Google's Find My Device from a browser or another Android phone.

Once you are in, you can usually:

• See the last known location on a map, which tells you whether it was simply left behind somewhere.
• Play a sound, useful if it slipped under a car seat or into a couch.
• Mark it as lost or enable Lost Mode, which locks the screen and can show a message with a contact number.
• Erase it remotely as a last resort, wiping your data if you believe recovery is unlikely.

Try locating and locking before you erase. Erasing can end your ability to track the phone, so it is usually the final move, not the first.

Lock the device, do not wipe it yet

Marking the phone as lost does two important things: it locks the screen behind your passcode and it disables mobile payment features so the device cannot be used to tap and pay. On iPhone, Lost Mode also keeps Activation Lock in place, meaning the phone cannot be reactivated without your account credentials. This is why enabling these features ahead of time matters so much.

If the map shows the phone somewhere you cannot safely retrieve it, keep it locked and move on to protecting your accounts.

Protect the accounts tied to your phone

This is the part that actually reduces harm. Even a locked phone is a reminder that your logged-in apps exist, so tighten the accounts that matter most. Our guide to the first accounts to secure after a leak covers the priority order in more detail, but the short version is:

• Your primary email first. It is the reset point for almost everything else. Change the password and check that recovery options still point to you.
• Banking and payment apps. Sign in from a trusted device and review recent activity. If anything looks wrong, contact the provider directly.
• Messaging and social accounts, which scammers love because they can impersonate you to your contacts.

Where possible, sign out of that phone's sessions from within each account's security settings. Many services let you view active devices and remove the missing one.

Handle two-factor codes and your SIM

If you rely on text-message codes for two-factor authentication, a missing phone can lock you out or, worse, hand codes to someone who removes your SIM. Call your mobile carrier and ask them to suspend the SIM and issue a replacement. This also blocks anyone from making calls or racking up charges. If you use an authenticator app, remember that its codes live on the device, so you may need your backup codes to get back in. This is a good moment to understand why the type of two-factor you use matters, and why app-based or passkey methods are sturdier than SMS.

Report the theft

If the phone was stolen, file a report with the police. You may need the report number for insurance, and it creates a record if the device is later found or misused. Note down your phone's serial number or IMEI number, which you can often find in your account with the carrier or the platform. Carriers can sometimes block a stolen device from their network using that number.

Watch for follow-up scams

Thieves and scammers sometimes use a stolen phone's details to send you convincing messages, hoping you will hand over the credentials that unlock it. A common trick is a text or email claiming your phone has been "found" with a link to sign in and see the location. That link is a trap. Always go directly to the official Find My service yourself rather than tapping a link someone sends you. If you are unsure whether a message is genuine, our guide on how to check if an email, text, or link is a scam shows the checks to run before you tap anything.

After the dust settles

Once the immediate crisis is handled, take a little time to make the next incident less painful:

• Set a strong passcode and turn on biometrics so a found phone stays locked.
• Confirm automatic backups are on, so a replacement phone restores your data.
• Keep your two-factor backup codes somewhere safe and offline.
• Review the broader habits in our phone security checklist, which covers app permissions and risky links.

Losing a phone is unpleasant, but it rarely becomes a disaster when you act in order: locate, lock, protect accounts, secure your SIM, and report. The device is the smallest part of what you are really protecting.