Phones have become such an integral part of our everyday life that it has practically become an extension of our hands. To live without a phone would be personal hell for many and the small digital brick in our hands hold so much of our digital life - from social media to work emails to banking - a life without phones is unimaginable in today’s world, therefore it is important to protect these devices.
Here are some things that you should do before and after your phone goes missing.
Let us start with the basics: what to do before your phone goes missing.
There are things you can do to make it less painful if your phone is stolen. Because some of these features are more technical in nature, people often overlook them.
Secure your device as much as possible. At the very least, set a password or enable biometric authentication to unlock it. You can also add similar protection to key apps such as your banking app, WhatsApp, or Facebook to keep your finances and chats safe from thieves.
Additionally, turn on the “Find My Device” feature, available on both iOS and Android.
Samsung also allows its users to use a feature called ‘SmartThings Find’ that allows them to find their phone.
Since the phone is also being used a primary storage for photos and videos by many, it is vital to keep them backed up along with contacts, and other important files. Both Google and Apple allows cloud-based storage back up. Even though the free versions of them have limited storage space it is still a good feature that can be made use to backup important files. You can also use an external hard drive, memory card or even your laptop to store additional files.
However, it is best to use a cloud backup as it allows easy access from multiple devices.
It is also advised by experts to turn off message previews which prevents thieves who are trying to break into your accounts from seeing reset or login codes when the phone is locked.
Turn on newer features
Recent iOS and Android updates include a number of new functions designed to make thefts less attractive.
IPhone users can turn on Stolen Device Protection, which makes it a lot harder for phone thieves to access key functions and settings. Many thieves will want to wipe the data off and reset so they can resell it, but with this feature on, they’ll need a face or fingerprint scan to do so. Apple also recently updated its “activation lock” feature to make it harder for thieves to sell parts from stolen phones.
Android phones, meanwhile, can now use artificial intelligence to detect motion indicating someone snatched it out of your hand and is racing away on foot or a bike, and then lock the screen immediately. And there’s a feature called Private Spaces that lets you hide sensitive files on your phone.
Note down your device number
Take note of your phone’s serial number, also known as an IMEI number. It can link you to the phone if it does eventually get recovered. Call it up by typing (asterisk)#06# on your phone’s keypad. If you’ve already lost your phone you can also find it in other places like the box it came in.
Now, let us talk about what to do if the phone is stolen.
If you’re unlucky enough to have your phone stolen, notify police and file an FIR, then contact your service provider to block your SIM card, and register the device on the CEIR portal using the FIR copy and IMEI number to have the phone blocked nationwide. Notify your bank so they can watch out for suspicious transactions.
Tracking your device
Try to locate your phone with the find my device feature. For iPhones, go to iCloud.com/find from a web browser while Android users should head to www.google.com/android/find. Samsung also has its own service for Galaxy phones.
These services will show your phone’s current or last known location on a map, which is also handy if you’ve just lost track of it somewhere in the house. Apple says even if a phone can’t connect to the internet or has been turned off, it can use Bluetooth to ping any nearby Apple devices using the same network behind its AirTags tracking devices.
Google says newer Pixel phones can be located “for several hours” after they’ve been turned off using similar technology.
You can get the phone to play a sound, even if it’s on silent. You can also put the phone in lost mode, which locks it and displays a message and contact details on the screen for anyone who finds it. Lost mode on iOS also suspends any Apple Pay cards and passes.
If the device shows up in an unfamiliar location on the map, and you suspect it has been stolen, experts say it’s better to notify police rather than trying to get it back yourself.
Cybersecurity company Norton says, “Confronting a thief yourself is not recommended.”
Final steps
If you can’t find your phone, there are some final steps to take.
Log yourself out of all your accounts that might be accessible on the phone, and then remove it from your list of trusted devices that you use to get multifactor authentication codes — but make sure you can get those codes somewhere else, such as email.
Then, as a last resort, you can erase the phone remotely so that there’s no chance of any data falling into the wrong hands. However, take note: Apple says that if the iPhone is offline, the remote erase will only happen the next time it come back online. But if you find the phone before it gets erased, you can cancel the request.
Google warns that SD memory cards plugged into Android phones might not be remotely erased. And after the phone has been wiped, it won’t show up with Find My Device.
Phones hold so much of our digital lives that losing one can feel devastating, but taking the right precautions can make the loss far less painful. By securing your device, backing up important files, enabling tracking features, and knowing the steps to take if it goes missing, you can protect your data and stay in control even in the worst-case scenario.
While no measure can guarantee your phone will never be stolen, staying vigilant and prepared ensures that your personal information, finances, and digital memories remain safe and gives you the best chance of recovering your device if the unexpected happens.
(With inputs from Associated Press)
