Things you need to do *before* you lose your phone
Losing your phone can be stressful, disruptive, and even dangerous if your personal data falls into the wrong hands. But with a few smart steps today, you can protect yourself from future headaches. Here’s how to prepare now so you’re ready if your phone ever goes missing.
More Info:
What to do to protect yourself if your phone is lost or stolen
Microsoft.com
How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Kiplinger.com
Preparing now for a missing phone takes just a few minutes—but it can save you hours of stress later.
Today’s smartphones are more than just communication tools—they’re part wallet, part computer, and often hold the keys to your most sensitive information. If a cybercriminal gains access to your device, they could drain your bank account within minutes, hijack your email to reset passwords, and even target your contacts with phishing scams.
To safeguard your identity and financial data, take a few simple but powerful steps to secure your phone. A little effort now can prevent major headaches later.
Use a Strong Lock Screen
Set up a PIN, password, or biometric lock (fingerprint or face recognition). This is your first line of defense against unauthorized access. A Pew Research Center survey reveals that one in four users have no lock set on their phone! Do you leave your house front door unlocked? If you take nothing else from this article, add a PIN or password to lock your phone.
Add a PIN or passcode to your phone
- Open Settings.
- Tap Face ID & Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode (depending on your model).
- Tap Turn Passcode On.
- Enter a six-digit passcode (or tap Passcode Options to choose a 4-digit code or custom alphanumeric password).
- Re-enter the passcode to confirm.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Security or Security & privacy.
- Select Screen lock or Device lock.
- Choose your preferred lock type:
- PIN: A numeric code.
- Password: A mix of letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Pattern: A swipe pattern.
- Enter and confirm your chosen PIN or password.
- You may be asked to set up backup options or biometric unlock (fingerprint or face).
Tip: On Samsung devices, go to Settings > Lock screen > Screen lock type.
Enable Device Tracking
This feature, found on both iOS and Android devices allows you to track your phone from a computer or another phone.
However, the “Find My” settings must be enabled while the phone is still in your hands (i.e. BEFORE you lose it). Turn this setting on now.
Enable tracking on your phone
Turn on “Find My iPhone”
Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone and turn it on.
Turn on “Find My Device”
Go to Settings > Security > Find My Device and enable it.
Memorize or Store your Login Info
Make sure you know your Apple ID or Google account credentials. You’ll need access to them quickly to track or wipe your phone remotely if your phone is lost or stolen. Every minute counts. If you keep resetting it because you keep forgetting it, consider using a password manager.
Back Up Your Data Regularly
Backing up your phone ensures you won’t lose important data if your device is lost or stolen. It will allow you to restore your data onto the new phone you purchase. It will also allow you to restore your phone if you wipe it and then get it back.
Back up your phone
- Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup
- Turn on iCloud Backup
- Tap Back Up Now to create a manual backup
- Make sure your device is connected to Wi-Fi and plugged in regularly to allow automatic backups
- Go to Settings > Google > Backup
- Turn on Backup by Google One
- Confirm that Photos, Contacts, Calendar, and App Data are selected
- Tap Back Up Now to start a manual backup
Become familiar with your phone's 'Find My' app
Both iPhones and Android phones have a Find My app. They are designed to help you locate your device by using another device or by logging into iCloud(iPhone) or Google(Android) on a computer. Since time is of the essence, when your phone is missing, you should make yourself familiar now with the options your app provides. The options include:
- Show the location on a Map: This displays the last known location of the phone on a map. It requires that you enabled tracking before the phone was lost (see above). Hopefully, you can go back to the location to retrieve it.
- Play a Sound: This makes your phone play a distinctive noise. This is helpful if you think it just slipped out of your pocket, or you have left it around your house somewhere.
- Post a Message: This message is displayed on the phone, even if it’s locked. It could include your phone number and/or email address, for someone to contact you if they find the phone.
- Wipe the phone: This is more of a “last resort”, but it may be your best choice, if you have exhausted your options and don’t think you’re going to get the phone back. This will wipe your phone back to factory settings, so your data is no longer available. You may want to err on the side of safety here; if you wipe the phone and then get it back, you can always restore your last backup and be back in business (you DO have a backup, don’t you?). More information about wiping your phone is provided below.
Know Who to Contact
You will want to make sure you have a way to contact your phone carrier company to report the loss, and perhaps file a police report, if necessary.
Should you Wipe Your Phone?
If you have tried to locate your phone through the “Find my …” app, and you have given up hope, then you may consider wiping (erasing) the phone remotely.
⚠️ Important Notes:
- Do not wipe the phone until you have given up hope to locate it with Find my, because a wiped phone will no longer respond to the Find my app.
- Once you send the remote wipe command, the phone will be wiped as soon as it has a charge and goes online. This means that if a thief turns off the phone, then it will not be wiped until they turn it back on and it gets a signal.
How to remotely wipe your phone
- Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID. Or you can access Find My through another Apple device.
- Click Find iPhone.
- Select the missing device from the All Devices list.
- Click Erase iPhone.
- After the device is erased, do *not* click Remove from Account. Leaving it connected to your account keeps the Activation Lock in place and prevents the thief from reactivating and using your iPhone.
What Happens After You Wipe an iPhone?
- All data is erased: This includes apps, photos, messages, settings—everything.
- Activation Lock remains enabled: This is a security feature tied to your Apple ID.
- The phone will restart and show the “Hello” setup screen, just like a new iPhone.
- Go to the Find My Device website: Visit https://www.google.com/android/find from any browser.
- Sign in with your Google account: Use the same account linked to the Android phone.
- Select your device: If you have multiple devices, choose the one you want to erase.
- Click on “Erase Device”: This will permanently delete all data on the phone. You may need to confirm your Google account password.
- Confirm the action: Once confirmed, the phone will be wiped the next time it connects to the internet.
What Happens After You Wipe an Android Phone?
- All data is erased: Apps, photos, messages, settings—everything is deleted.
- The phone is reset to factory settings.
- Factory Reset Protection (FRP) is triggered: This is a security feature that prevents someone from using the phone after a reset unless they know the Google account that was previously signed in.
What happens if you get the phone back after you've wiped it?
✅ If You Get the iPhone Back
- Click on the “Hello” setup screen, and follow the steps
- During setup, choose “Restore from iCloud Backup” or “Restore from Mac/PC”.
- Sign in with your Apple ID (the one used before the wipe).
- Select the most recent backup to get your data back. If you do not have a recent backup, then you will need to configure it as a new iPhone.
✅ If You Get the Android Phone Back
- Power it on and go through the setup process.
- When prompted, sign in with the Google account that was previously used on the device.
- This unlocks the phone and confirms you’re the rightful owner.
- Choose to:
- Restore from a backup (if you had one saved to Google Drive).
- Or set up as a new device.
If you have questions about this, please let us know and we will be happy to assist you.
Take care,
