Lost or stolen phone: what to do in the first hour

Your phone holds your e-mail, your bank and the codes that protect your other accounts. Work through these steps in order.

1. Try to find it

• iPhone: use Find My on another Apple device, or sign in at icloud.com/find
• Android: use Google's Find Hub (formerly Find My Device) on another device or in a web browser
• If it shows somewhere you don't recognise, don't go and get it yourself: tell the police

2. Lock it and show a message

Both services can lock the phone and put a contact number on the screen (Lost Mode on iPhone). Do this straight away, even if you think it's just misplaced.

3. Protect your accounts

• Change your e-mail password from another device, and sign out of other devices
• Call your bank if banking apps were on it
• Check that two-step sign-in codes will reach you: if they went by text to that number, you'll need the replacement SIM first

4. Call your mobile carrier

They can suspend the line so nobody runs up charges or receives your texts, and give you a replacement SIM with your number. Ask them to block the phone if it's stolen.

5. Erase it if it isn't coming back

Erasing remotely wipes your data. Do it once you've given up on getting it back; on an iPhone, keep it on your account afterwards so it stays locked to you.

6. Report it

A police report helps with insurance claims. Have the phone's serial number or IMEI ready if you can (often on the box or in your account).

Getting set up on a new phone, or making sure your photos and contacts were backed up before it happens? We can help with both.

More tips

• How to spot a scam e-mail in 30 seconds
• Is your backup actually working?
• Wi-Fi keeps dropping? Try this first
• What to do if your e-mail or an account gets hacked
• All tips