LostPhones.com

Find My is the fastest way to locate a missing phone. Whether you use iPhone or Android, check this first.

If you have an iPhone:

Go to icloud.com/find or open the Find My app on another Apple device.

Sign in with the same Apple ID used on your missing iPhone.

Select your iPhone from the list.

If a location appears, you'll see it on the map instantly.

If it's offline, you'll still see the last known location, which gives you a starting point.

If you have an Android:

Go to google.com/android/find or open the Find My Device app on another phone.

Sign in with the same Google account used on your missing device.

Select your phone from the list.

If it's online, you'll see its location immediately.

If it's offline, you'll still see the last known location and the time it was last seen.

Good to know:

Find My (on both platforms) updates the moment your phone reconnects to the internet or regains power — even if it was turned off earlier.

Checking early increases your chance of seeing a live, accurate location.

Sometimes your phone is closer than you think. Both iPhones and Android devices let you force a loud alert — even if the phone is on silent or vibrate.

If you have an iPhone:

Go to icloud.com/find or open the Find My app.

Select your missing iPhone.

Tap Play Sound.

Your phone will make a loud alert, even if it's muted or in Do Not Disturb.

If you have an Android:

Go to google.com/android/find or open the Find My Device app.

Select your missing phone.

Tap Play Sound.

Your device will ring at full volume for up to 5 minutes.

Tip:

Walk slowly around your home, car, yard, or office while the sound is playing. Echoes can point you in the right direction.

Locking your phone remotely keeps your data safe and lets someone contact you without unlocking it. Both iPhone and Android have this feature.

If you have an iPhone (Lost Mode):

Open Find My or go to iCloud.com/find.

Select your missing iPhone.

Tap Activate under Mark As Lost (or Lost Mode).

Enter a phone number where someone can reach you.

Add a short message (ex: "This phone is lost. Please call me.").

Once activated on iPhone:

Your iPhone locks instantly.

Apple Pay is disabled.

You'll get alerts if it's turned on or found.

Your custom message appears on the lock screen.

If your iPhone is offline:

Lost Mode will activate automatically once it reconnects.

If you have an Android (Secure Device):

Go to google.com/android/find or open the Find My Device app.

Select your missing phone.

Tap Secure Device.

Add a phone number and an optional lock-screen message.

Once activated on Android:

Your phone locks immediately.

Google Wallet is protected.

Your message appears on the lock screen.

You'll get a notification if your phone is located, powered on, or comes online.

Why this step matters

Locking your phone stops anyone from accessing your apps, texts, email, photos, or saved passwords — even if they have the device in hand.

If you believe your phone was stolen or is in a place where you won't get it back, you can erase it remotely.

This protects your data — but it should be used only as a last resort.

Important to know before erasing:

You cannot track your phone after it's erased (iPhone & Android).

Your recovery message and lock screen will stay active.

Your accounts remain protected — thieves cannot use the device.

The device will still require your Apple ID or Google account to reactivate.

How to erase your phone

If you have an iPhone:

Open Find My or go to iCloud.com/find.

Select your missing iPhone.

Tap Erase iPhone.

Enter your Apple ID password to confirm.

If you have an Android:

Go to google.com/android/find or open the Find My Device app.

Select your missing phone.

Tap Erase Device.

Sign in with your Google account to confirm.

When should you erase it?

If the device was stolen and showing a suspicious or moving location.

If it appears to be in another state, country, or unknown area.

If tracking updates keep pointing to places you've never been.

If police recommend wiping it for safety.

After erasing, your data is removed — but the phone stays locked and unusable.

You remain the rightful owner.

Your carrier can add an extra layer of protection while you work on recovering your phone.

This applies to both iPhone and Android.

What your carrier can do:

Suspend service so no one can make calls, send texts, or use your data.

Block the phone's IMEI, preventing it from being activated on any carrier.

Flag the device as lost or stolen in their system.

Assist with replacement options if you have insurance or device protection.

Who to contact:

AT&T: 800-331-0500

Verizon: 800-922-0204

T-Mobile: 800-937-8997

Spectrum Mobile: 833-224-6603

Google Fi: fi.google.com

Xfinity Mobile: 888-936-4968

(You can shorten or reorder this list anytime.)

Tip:

Ask them to block the IMEI immediately — it makes the phone unusable and worthless to thieves.

If your phone isn't showing up in Find My / Find My Device, or the location hasn't updated, here are the last checks you should do.

✓ Check Find My / Find My Device again in 5–10 minutes

Phones sometimes reconnect to the network after a brief delay.

A quick refresh can suddenly show a new — and accurate — location.

✓ Ask someone nearby to call or text your phone

If the phone turns back on, the incoming call or message can trigger a location update in:

Find My (iPhone)

Find My Device (Android)

✓ Review any recent places you visited

Phones are often forgotten in:

ride-shares

gas stations

stores

restaurants

gym lockers

parking lots

public restrooms

Call or stop by any place that makes sense. Lost phones are turned in more often than people think.

✓ If the phone appears to be moving

A moving location usually means the phone is in someone else's possession:

a rideshare driver

a good samaritan

an employee gathering lost items

or, in some cases, theft

Do not attempt to recover it yourself.

Ask authorities or the location owner to assist.

✓ If nothing updates for hours

Your phone — iPhone or Android — is likely:

powered off

out of battery

erased

or in a low-signal area

At this point, your protections come from:

Lost Mode / Secure Device

Carrier block (IMEI block)

Tracking history

Account security settings

Your data stays protected even if someone has the physical device.

If someone has your phone, they don't just have a device — they have a doorway into your accounts.

Close that doorway immediately.

1. Change your Apple ID or Google Account password

This instantly signs your phone out of iCloud or Google on the lost device.

Apple ID: https://iforgot.apple.com

Google Account: https://accounts.google.com/signin/recovery

This is your single most powerful move to shut down unauthorized access.

2. Change your email password

Your email is the master key.

If someone gets into it, they can reset every other account you own.

Do this even if your email app required Face ID or a passcode — those protections disappear once someone has the physical device and SIM.

3. Update your main banking password(s)

Only needed if:

Your banking apps were logged in, or

Auto-login was enabled

If the app required Face ID / fingerprint / PIN every time, the risk is lower — but updating the password is still smart.

4. Update passwords for any account with money or fast purchases

Examples:

Amazon

PayPal

Venmo / Cash App / Zelle

Credit card apps

Any shopping or delivery app with saved cards

These apps are often the first targets during unauthorized access.

5. If you reuse passwords (most people do)

Change that reused password everywhere you used it.

This prevents a single exposed password from opening multiple doors.

6. Turn on Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

This is non-negotiable.

2FA dramatically reduces the chance that someone can access your accounts — even if they know your password.

Turn it on for:

Apple ID / Google

Email

Banking

Major shopping and payment apps

Social media

Why this step matters

Most of the real damage after a lost phone doesn't come from the device being gone — it comes from what people can access through it.

This step shuts that down.

Your phone number is the real prize.

If someone can redirect your calls or texts, they can break into anything — banking, email, social media — even if you already changed your passwords.

Do this immediately:

1. Call your carrier and add a "Port Freeze" or "Number Lock"

This blocks anyone from transferring your number to another SIM or carrier — a common attack called SIM swapping.

Carrier contacts:

AT&T: 800-331-0500

Verizon: 800-922-0204

T-Mobile: 800-937-8997

Spectrum Mobile: 833-224-6603

Google Fi: https://fi.google.com/account

Tell them clearly:

"I lost my phone. Please place a port freeze and SIM lock on my account immediately."

2. Add or confirm your carrier account PIN

If someone knows your:

name

phone number

ZIP code

…they often have enough to impersonate you with the carrier.

A PIN stops that.

3. Ask the carrier to add an internal note on your account

Have them place this exact note:

"Customer reported device lost — do not activate a new SIM without in-person ID verification."

This puts a hard stop on anyone trying to seize your phone number.

Why this matters

Most major account takeovers happen not through the phone itself —

but by stealing the phone number.

This step shuts that door.

When your phone is missing, scammers come crawling out of the woodwork.

Don't give them a single opening.

1. Never pay any website claiming it can "track your phone"

No website or service can magically locate your device for a fee.

These sites exist only to:

steal your money

steal your card info

disappear

If someone promises to find your phone for a price, it's a scam. Every time.

2. Only enter your Apple ID or Google password at these official links:

iPhone: https://icloud.com/find

Android: https://android.com/find

Nothing else is legitimate, even if the page looks identical.

Scammers clone Apple and Google login screens with frightening accuracy.

3. Do NOT trust texts saying "We found your phone — click here"

These messages are fake.

Scammers spoof Apple, Google, and carrier alerts using:

stolen logos

fake tracking maps

believable wording

If the message contains a link, assume it's a trap.

4. If someone calls claiming to be Apple, Google, or your carrier — hang up

Real support teams do not call you about lost devices.

If someone asks for:

your Apple ID password

your Google verification code

your carrier PIN

your IMEI

or any "security code sent to your phone"

…it's a scam.

Hang up immediately.

5. Never give anyone your verification codes

This includes:

Apple ID codes

Google 2FA codes

Carrier account PINs

Credit card numbers

If someone asks, they're trying to take your accounts.

6. If someone says they "found your phone" and wants money — call the police

Never attempt an in-person meetup with someone demanding payment or acting suspicious.

This protects you from:

robbery setups

intimidation

fake handoffs

dangerous situations

Let authorities handle it.

This step saves more people than any other.

Losing a phone is frustrating — but falling for a scam turns a bad day into a disaster.

Your immediate crisis is handled. Now make sure it never turns into a nightmare again.

1. Change your Apple ID or Google password

Your device is out of your hands — assume someone may try to access your accounts.

Updating this password immediately shuts down that possibility.

2. Review devices logged into your account

Remove anything you don't recognize.

Apple: Settings → Your Name → Devices

Google: https://myaccount.google.com/device-activity

If a device looks unfamiliar, remove it right away.

3. Contact your carrier again tomorrow

Confirm:

your line is still protected

no SIM-swap attempt was made

no new device was added to your account

Carriers sometimes flag suspicious activity after the initial report — this extra call catches anything missed.

4. Update your emergency contact info

Add a spouse, child, or trusted friend as a recovery contact.

This helps if you're ever locked out of your accounts.

5. Enable these features on your next phone (non-negotiable):

Find My iPhone / Find My Device

Auto-lock: 30 seconds

Face ID / fingerprint + a strong PIN

Use eSIM only (reduces physical SIM theft risk)

Strong Apple ID / Google password

These settings turn your next device into a far harder target.

6. Bookmark this page right now

You found us — the hardest part.

Keep this guide one tap away if this ever happens again.

7. Recommended Tools to Protect Your Next Phone

If you want extra peace of mind going forward, these are the exact products that help prevent lost-phone disasters — organized by device type so you know what works for you.

For iPhone Users (Apple Devices) - Best tools for preventing future loss and speeding up recovery on iPhones.

• AirTag — The most reliable tracker for iPhones. If your phone goes missing again, you'll see its last known location instantly through Find My.

• AirTag-Compatible Phone Case — A protective case with a built-in AirTag slot so you never forget the tracker at home.

• AirTag Keychain / Luggage Holder — Great for wallets, bags, backpacks, and anything else you want to keep tabs on.

For Android Users - Reliable trackers and accessories that integrate smoothly with Android devices.

• Samsung SmartTag 2 — Works seamlessly with Samsung Galaxy devices. Lets you locate your phone or items through SmartThings Find.

• Tile Tracker — A cross-platform tracker compatible with most Android phones. Perfect for keys, bags, or keeping your phone findable through the Tile app.

• Combo Phone Case + Tile Holder — For Android users who want a case that always keeps their tracker attached.

These small upgrades make your next lost-phone situation far easier to handle — and in many cases, prevent it entirely.