Most of us spend a lot of time looking at our phones. Try putting your phone in a different room for a while and see how long it takes before you start to feel separation anxiety. Not only does it feel strange to be away from your phone, but it also creates worries about losing or having it stolen. Think about all the private and personal information stored on your device, from conversations with your closest friends and family to details of your current bank balance and ways to transfer it anywhere in the world.
So when your phone is lost or stolen, it’s serious—it’s more than just a minor inconvenience. If for some reason you no longer have access to it, here’s what you need to do to keep your account and information safe.
Lock your phone remotely
Whether your phone is running iOS or Android, you can lock it remotely—assuming you’ve done the homework beforehand. On iPhone, go to Face/Touch ID and Passcode Protect your lock screen from Settings and turn on Stolen device protection, which means more features on your phone require authentication. In Settings, you should also click your name and then looking for mine This way you can locate your phone remotely.
On Android, available for Pixel phonesopen Settings, then tap Security and privacyThen Device unlock (for lock screen saver) and Device Finder (for remote access). For Galaxy phones, open Set and select Security and privacyThen lock screen (for lock screen settings) and Lost device protection (For remote access to your phone). Enabling these features can make your life easier if your phone is lost or stolen.
If you are separated from your iPhone, find a web browser and enable iCloud on the Internet. Go to looking for mine Section: You’ll be able to see your phone’s last reported location and enable Lost Mode (this will give someone who finds the device some details to get it back to you). You can also remotely wipe a device to ensure that others cannot access it.
For Android, you can use Find My Device for Google phones and SmartThings Find for Samsung phones. The options on these portals are similar to Apple’s: you can lock your phone remotely if you think someone might find it and want to return it to you; Erase it. You can also try tracking your phone on a map, but we don’t recommend confronting the thief in person.
Reset your account login information
If you’ve followed all the steps above, the chances of someone else accessing your messages, emails, bank details, and other sensitive information should be slim, unless they somehow manage to clone your face or fingerprints. However, it’s better to be overly cautious than complacent when it comes to the security of your various accounts.
You may want to consider changing your passwords for your most important apps. This will automatically log you out of your account on other devices you’re signed into, including lost or stolen phones. You should also enable two-step authentication on any available accounts If you haven’t done so already.
If you can log into your account on another device, you can usually log out remotely from there in all other locations. For example, on Instagram web, you can click Where you are logged in Exit your device – It’s actually a good idea to check these lists regularly to keep an eye out for suspicious activity.
Google and Apple Covers this very well as well. For Google Accounts (including Android login), go to the Security page on your Google dashboard on the web and click Manage all your devices. Meanwhile, on macOS, open apple menu and choose system program View a list of all devices you’re logged into (or remotely log out if needed).
Contact important people
In addition to the steps we’ve already mentioned, it doesn’t hurt to contact a few key people and companies to let them know that your phone could be in the wrong hands. If they could somehow access everything on your phone, that would be a pretty big security risk.
Contacting your telecommunications provider is a good start as they can block your number and ensure no charges are made to your account. Once someone has access to your mobile number, they can use it to impersonate you in a variety of ways if the number remains active, and they can intercept any authorization codes sent to your phone.
Then there’s your bank. Nowadays, almost all banks and mobile payment apps are biometrically protected, so the risk of someone using your phone for a spending spree should be relatively low. However, when it comes to your money, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Last but not least, it’s worth contacting friends and family to let them know that communications that appear to be from you may not actually be from you. This means people in your social circles can be more alert to potential scams (such as messages asking for money or containing phishing links).
