If the mobile phone is lost, the trouble is often great – regardless of whether it was carelessly left somewhere or even stolen. Users should act quickly in this situation. Our emergency checklist tells you how best to proceed to recover your smartphone and prevent it from being lost before it’s too late.
Almost one in four smartphone owners has lost their cell phone at some point. According to a survey by the industry association Bitkom, 23 percent of those surveyed have already lost their phone. The causes: theft, but also carelessness while waiting for the train, in the restaurant, during sports. If you don’t pay attention for a moment, your smartphone is gone. But what can you do if you suddenly reach for nothing in your pocket?
Our emergency checklist tells you how to react in this case
Prefer to take a look at our tips? Then here you will find our video in which we explain what to do if the mobile phone is lost:
Lost phone? A phone call can help
If you quickly noticed that you lost your smartphone, it is best to call yourself. If the mobile phone is still nearby, with a bit of luck you can find it again by ringing it. The prerequisite for this is that you have set the ringtone on your smartphone to loud. It is possible that an honest finder will take the call and tell you where you lost your cell phone and where you can pick it up.
This is how you can locate the smartphone
Both iPhones and Android smartphones have options for locating the device already integrated into the system. TECHBOOK reveals how to use them step by step.
Locate android smartphone
1. Go to the “Find my device‘ page and sign in with your Gmail credentials. The page will automatically search for the last used device. Other devices connected to your account are shown as icons at the top left of the screen.
2. The current location of the device is displayed on the map. Accuracy depends on whether GPS is enabled and the device is logged on to a Wi-Fi network.
3. If it is not possible to find the device, a 5-minute alarm can be activated, with which the smartphone will make itself known even if it is set to silent. Alternatively, options are available to lock the device or erase all data.
There are also numerous third-party apps for Android that offer similar functions. For example, Samsung has its own location function for its Galaxy smartphones called Find My Mobile.
Locate iPhone
Similar to Android smartphones, iPhones can also be easily located via Apple’s iCloud service. Storage locking and wiping options are also available through this service. Make sure Find My is enabled on your device by going to settings > AppleID > Where is? navigate.
1. Go to the “Where is?‘ page and sign in with your Apple ID.
2. You can now see the current location of the last used iOS device on a map. Other devices connected to iCloud can be selected from the menu below All devices choose.
3. Click on the green dot marked whereabouts for more options. You can now ring the iPhone, lock it or wipe the phone storage.
Lock SIM card – important phone numbers
If you have searched all your pockets, your own apartment and car and still not found the device, you should block the SIM card of the device. This prevents you from making phone calls, texting or surfing the Internet at your expense. A phone call to your cell phone provider is sufficient to block your account. The numbers of the largest providers are:
As an alternative to the mobile phone provider, the general blocking emergency call can also help. About the Emergency number 116 116 Not only can credit cards, customer cards or employee ID cards be blocked with electronic access control, the SIM card can also be blocked via the phone number if you have lost your mobile phone. Calls from Germany are free of charge. From abroad, you can reach the blocking emergency number for a fee on +49 116 116 or +49 30 4050 405.
Report Cell Phone Theft
If you cannot rule out theft, then report it to the police. Particularly important here: In order for the police to be able to identify your device with certainty, they need its IMEI number. The “International Mobile Equipment Identity” is a manufacturer-independent and individual number with which smartphones can be unequivocally identified.
Depending on the manufacturer, this number can be found on the smartphone packaging, on the back of the device or under the battery. If you received your smartphone as part of a mobile phone contract, it is also worth taking a look at the bill that you received for the mobile phone. The IMEI of each device can be found out particularly easily by dialing *#06# on the telephone keypad – the fifteen-digit number is then displayed directly.
change passwords
Although more than 90 percent of smartphone owners secure their cell phone with at least one PIN or swipe code, this lock is of little use if it is just a simple password such as “1234” or “0000”.
Even wiping patterns are not very reliable if you rely on simple patterns like a Z or G – with a little trying, you can crack them quickly. The following therefore applies: If the smartphone has disappeared and you have not secured it at all or have secured it with an easy-to-guess password, immediately change the passwords for all services that you also use via your smartphone. This includes, for example, e-mail accounts, shopping sites or the access data for your social media profiles.
Prevent cell phone loss
Even if you haven’t lost your cell phone yet, you can make provisions just in case. If you take care of it in good time, you increase the chance of getting your smartphone back in your hands despite losing it.
And the chances are not that bad: The Bitkom study mentioned at the beginning also showed that around a fifth of those surveyed stated that they got their smartphone back. However, it is important to prepare for the event.
Use a secure PIN or swipe code
For your PIN code, choose something that strangers cannot easily guess. Even better: If your smartphone has a fingerprint sensor or iris recognition, you can use it to log into your cell phone even more securely. A swipe code must not be too simple either – the more complex, the better.
Enable location apps
For an iPhone, download the app “Where is?“ or activate it on an Android smartphone Device Manager to locate the device.
Make a note of the IMEI
Simply dial *#06# on the dialing keys and note the number displayed. In the event of loss, it helps to reliably identify the device. Even the Munich police called on Facebook to write down the number:
All further information about the IMEI can be found in this article.
Sync your smartphone to the cloud
If your Android device or iPhone offers you to back up pictures, contacts and numbers to the cloud – do it. This way you don’t lose all your data if you lose your mobile phone. Because these are sometimes far more valuable than the smartphone itself.