Olidtech.com – We don’t want this incident to happen, but we can help you at least find your smartphone or even prevent it before happen. If you accidentally forgot your phone, a certain app can help you to locate it. However, a stolen phone is another case of a lost phone and hardly to recovered. Your wallet isn’t the only one to suffer it, but your mail and bank account could be hacked if you aren’t fast enough to freeze the account. Moreover, tracking your phone also depends on the tracking app on your lost phone. How to activate the tracking feature on your phone? And how to prevent your data from being hacked by the thief? We summarize step by step how to track your lost phone with preventive tips to secure your private information.
The following keyword on how to track a lost/stolen phone
- If your phone surely gets stolen and hard to recover
- Additional Tips to improve protection on your phone
- Set the passcode on your phone
- Use the ‘do not disturb’ feature with customizing setting
- Change the password on any account that is connected to the stolen Phone
- Inform the bank or credit card and change the account information
- Surely checklist the backup feature to bring the data back
- Insurance for your valuable item
Preparation To Secure Your Phone In Case It Is Lost or Stolen
In the first place, preparation is important before your phone is lost or stolen (hopefully, it does not happen to you). We don’t know what happen next time we rashly placed your phone. So, we can prevent it with proper action within the phone that makes it easy to find.
Switch on the Find My Device feature
Find My Device or Find My iPhone is a feature that could track the movement on your phone. You need to enable it right now since this feature purposely protects your device while using GPS to track down the location. There are also some additional features that you can remotely control your phone with this app.
Here is the way to switch on Find My iPhone on iOS devices:
- Open the setting app.
- Click on your Apple ID.
- Tap on the Find My section.
- Switch on Find My iPhone by Tapping it.
- Toggle all of the options (Find My iPhone, Find My Network, and Send Last Location).
How to activate Find My Device on Android
- Launch setting app.
- Scroll down the menu and tap the Security & Location section.
- Click on Find My Device.
- Toggle it to enable the system.
- Back to the previous menu, scroll down to advance, and find device admin apps.
- Allow Find My Device as an admin app by turning it on.
- Activate the feature by taping it.
Remember your IMEI Number
Do you know what IMEI is for? Well, it is an International Mobile Equipment Identity that every device should have. Original devices have these numbers and are registered by manufacturers. This identifier is unique to another and always has 15-digits. Remembering this number is cumbersome, so write it down and save it for a later time. Or use the package box also containing IMEI number and detain information of the product. If you want to know exactly the IMEI number of your phone, we show you how to do it right away.
How to get your IMEI number on your iPhone:
- Launch setting app.
- Go to the General section.
- Tap the About menu.
- Scroll down until you find the IMEI number.
Here is the way to know the IMEI number on android:
- Go to the Setting app.
- Click on the System section.
- Tap About phone.
- Swipe down and you will find two IMEI numbers.
Another way to get an IMEI number is by secret number. all you do is go to dial number and press *#06#. It automatically shows you the IMEI number and device information. This number is useful if your phone is stolen by a thief and deactivates the phone remotely. To do that, check out the next section below.
What Should You Do If Your Phone Is Lost or Stolen
In the worse case, you actually lost your phone, there are some tips to find out the location of your phone. This way may reduce the shock after losing your phone and calmly search your phone. At some point, many manufacturers implant their close system to track your lost phone with a single click. Read thoroughly to find the way to retrieve your phone safely.
Call your lost phone to make a noise
Calling your lost phone with your friend’s phone is a common step to finding it. Moreover, it may make some noise, and eventually, you can hear it if you are nearby on your phone. If you make your phone in silent mode, pinpoint the location by feeling the vibration. This attempt can be successful if you lost it in your room or in a place that is less crowded. In Addition, Calling it by mobile data may not be as effective as dialing a phone since the signal can be damped in a narrow place. So dial with regular provider service is good. If you can’t call your phone, there are possibilities of a battery issue.
Track down the lost phone by tracking your way back
Sometimes, you can be a clumsy person and accidentally drop your phone somewhere. If it is the case, you should track your step. Remember the last time you held your phone and carefully swept the area. If it can’t be found, try to wider the search range. Eventually, you can find your phone back with these tips. However, you can do the next step if you give up on finding it solely by your eyes alone.
Tract your lost or stolen device with certain apps
Normally, you can find your phone easily. However, you may search all over the place and still can’t find your phone. The next move is tracking your phone by tracker app. These tips can be used if you previously activate the GPS feature on the phone. There are many apps that you can try to use, but surely you have been activating it first before you lose it. If your phone is android, you can use Google by using Find My Device. And iPhone users can use Find My iPhone instead.
Google integrated app could find your phone
For Android users, Google can’t be separated from our phones because it’s mainly the brain system of Android. Moreover, Google is also concerned about user safety by implanting a tracking system. However, the user also has the right to refuse this feature. In case your phone is lost, this tracking app can be useful to find your phone seamlessly. The feature is called Find My Device and previously we show you how to turn on the feature. So, in this section, we tell you how to use it to find your lost device.
- Open the app link, android.com/find, or browse it by typing ‘Find My Device’.
- Log in with your Google account.
- Choose the device if you using a google account on multiple devices.
- Tap it and it will precisely locate your phone.
After you locate your phone with this site, you can ring it by tapping ‘Play Sound’. It is a good tool to force your phone to make a noise. Even if your phone is in silent mode, it still makes a sound with the highest volume to ensure on searching for your lost phone.
Use MiCloud for tracking Xiaomi devices
Big tech like Xiaomi has a similar system that could store your data with a cloud system called MiCloud. It is pretty the same as Google tech to detect its user and offer many tools like backup data and even locate the phone. If you have a Xiaomi device and accidentally lose it, you also can use this app. Xiaomi user at least has one active account that is connected to the phone and it automatically detects your phone in the background.
How to track your lost phone on Xiaomi devices:
- Go to i.mi.com and press Sign in to your account.
- Log in with your Xiaomi account.
- In the main menu, tap finds the device.
- The map will appear on the screen, click on your device.
- It will locate your location precisely.
Moreover, you can tap ‘sound’ below your phone section to make a fair sound. it could release fairly sound that you can hear it if you are close enough to the phone position.
For Samsung devices, use Find My Mobile
Samsung also has its own way to secure its devices. They create a security system that can track your phone remotely. Moreover, This app has many functions such as playing sound, transferring data with a cloud system, and locking the device. If you register a Samsung account and use a Samsung device, you can use all of these features. Firstly, you should activate Find My Mobile to locate your actual phone position.
Here is how to activate the Find My Mobile feature on your smartphone:
- Launch setting app on Samsung device.
- Scroll down and click on the Biometric and Security section.
- Tap Find My Mobile
- Activate Remote unlock, Send the last location, and Offline finding.
How to track Samsung devices by using the Find My Mobile app:
- Use another device and go to the findmymobile.samsung.com site.
- Sign in with your Samsung account.
- Locate your phone by clicking the phone image and automatically navigate to your phone in real-time.
Locate iPhone with Find My iPhone
Apple usually offers magnificent features based on security and protection to its user completely. Moreover, that also has a flawless method to track your iPhone if you accidentally lost it. On top of that, you can secure your data on your phone remotely. We show you to use iCloud to locate your iPhone.
How to track your iPhone by using iCloud.com
- Go to icloud.com/find or use a search engine and type ‘Find My iPhone’.
- Log in with your Apple ID.
- Tap All Devices and click on your device.
- It immediately finds your iPhone in real-time.
Third-party app with good navigation services
Being cautious is fine as long as you know what are you doing. Set up your phone with tracking apps like LocaToWeb on iPhone or Prey on Android phone is a preventive way to secure your phone. These apps also come with many features like remotely controlling your phone while away from you and locking the device with GPS tracking enabled on the phone. Other apps you can find have the same function as these apps since they have advantages in a certain sector and lack innovation in other features. Consider putting these kinds of apps if you are concerned about your smartphone being lost or stolen other days (And we don’t want that to happen in any case).
Besides it can track your phone, it could also serve as a surveillance camera and some features let you use the camera to capture images or video calls with your children. Other features like track the history of your children or back up the data also possible with this app, however, we can’t sure about its security, so try to use it for tracking only.
If Your Phone Surely Gets Stolen and Hard To Recover
The worst possible thing is your phone isn’t lost, but stolen by someone. You may be upset and panicked at the same time but it won’t help to get your phone back. So, after you are convinced about your stolen phone, we will help you to find the best solution for securing the information within the phone. Surely that is most important than the phone itself. Check these tips to lock your data in your phone properly.
Lock the device with the Find My Device app
If your phone is embedded with an email connected to a Google server, you can lock it as long as it is connected to the internet. The thief may doesn’t have much time to remove your google account, so this attempt should be fast as possible. Locking a phone with Find My Device on Find My iPhone is one way that surely protects the data on your phone and they can’t touch-sensitive data on your phone. Make sure to enable the feature first before this happened.
How to lock your iPhone by using the Find My iPhone app:
- Browser icloud.com/find on your laptop or your friend’s phone.
- Log in with your Apple ID.
- Check All Devices you used and tap your lost iPhone.
- Enable the phone into Lost mode.
For Android phones, here is the way to lock your phone with Find My Device:
- Go to android.com/find or type find my device on the browser and click the first link.
- Log in with a Google account.
- Check the device first if your account is on multiple phones and tap your lost phone.
- Click on the secure device section.
- Give a message or phone number and secure the device by clicking the button.
Certain smartphones like Xiaomi and Samsung, actually have a lock feature within their security system. You can try locking the device by using their feature. To go through their system, it’s the same as tracking the phone we describe before and finding the lock option within that site. Make sure you remember your ID before trying to enter that site.
Contact your carrier to block it
The next step after losing the phone is to contact your carrier. Why? Sometimes scammers can use your number and call your family or friend to lend some money in your name. In the worse case, they could use your number to through some credential information and steal other things. So, calling your carrier is crucial if your phone definitely gets stolen. Inform your carrier about the situation and tell them to freeze the number as a security concern. They will help you to lock the number, and if possible they might track down the phone location.
Erase the data remotely
These tips can be done as long as your phone is connected to the internet. Moreover, this attempt could erase all of the data on your stolen phone and can’t be recovered afterward. If there is no hope for your lost phone to return to you, this tip is fine to go since it absolutely secures your data before the thief can take your personal stuff away.
Here are the tips on how to securely erase your data on your iPhone remotely:
- Go to icloud.com/find.
- Insert your Apple ID.
- Check your device and press Erase iPhone to secure your private data.
How to erase data remotely on an Android phone that is connected to a google account:
- As Usual, the browser android.com/find on the web.
- Put your google account and passcode.
- Search your device at the top of the webpage.
- Click your device and select erase the device.
- Completely erase your data on your stolen phone by taping erase device button.
Inform your lost phone to the law enforcement department
The last thing is to inform the police or law enforcement of your loss. Well, if you have spare time, you can write down your condition and tell them the chronology of your stolen phone. Even though your lost phone can’t return by itself, you help your local police to know the criminality rates in your place and take another measurement to prevent it happen to the next victim. So, it is the right call to do some paperwork to help their job.
Additional Tips To Improve Protection on Your Phone
Installing a tracking app is one thing that may be useful if your phone gets lost. However, you should add some protection all above it before someone reaches your personal data within your phone. We suggest some tips for you to enhance the security of your phone. At least we can prevent them from preying on your phone after you lost it.
Set the passcode on your phone
The common thing that everyone can do is set the passcode. Yes, this is your first defense that should be applied to your phone. The iPhone users usually set 4 – 6 digits passcode to ensure their phone. On the other hand, Android has many choices to put screen lock with code or pattern. Moreover, this passcode could prevent the snatcher to open your phone right away.
How to set the passcode on iPhone:
- Launch setting app.
- Scroll down and find Touch ID & Passcode (Face ID & Passcode in the latest model).
- Tap Turn Passcode On.
- Create new passcode
- Input your password Apple ID as security and save it.
- Toggle ‘erase data’ on the bottom if you are brave enough to take a risk of securing your data.
This feature is also convenient to secure your data. If thieves prey on your phone by hammering it with a passcode, it will automatically delete all data on your iPhone. The limit is 10 attempts so mindful to remember the passcode before using this feature.
How to set the passcode/pattern on an Android phone:
- Go to the Setting app.
- Tap Security & Location.
- In device security, click on the Screen lock.
- Choose the way you want to lock the screen (E.g. pick a pattern lock).
- Put your pattern and press next to complete it.
In addition, don’t use your birth date as your passcode since it obviously not safe. And try to avoid repeating numbers while you create a passcode (E.g. ‘0000’ or ‘5555’). Furthermore, set the number that you can easily remember and are hard to forget like the first date or anniversary date.
Use the ‘do not disturb’ feature with customizing setting
Here is the thing, iPhone has a dedicated button that can switch the sound setting outside the system, but Android doesn’t have it for sure. So, there is a feature called ‘do not disturb’ that you can customize based on your preference. For instance, you can keep your phone ringing on a selected number while staying in silent mode. It is also convenient if you don’t want disturbing while you are working and have a preventive way if it is lost in your sight.
Change the password on any account that connected to the stolen phone
Immediately change the password after your phone is stolen. Why? Because your account is vulnerable to being hacked at any time. Moreover, if you use mobile banking or some credit apps, change that account first. You can change your social media password if it is important to you. For iPhone users, you can use the sign-out feature on icloud.com/find to remove any login that connects to your cloud account.
Inform the bank or credit card and change the account information
The thief may have access to your bank account by your phone, so at least, inform the bank about your lost phone. They may suggest changing the phone number or freezing the account for a short time before replacing it with the new account. We are not sure about the thief’s ability to break the security on your phone, but acting preventively is good to secure your wallet.
Surely checklist the backup feature to bring the data back
The iPhone user has an advantage in features on this matter over the Android users. If you use icloud.com/find, check the account setting on the bottom left on the corner and you have the option to recover the data in your phone to a new device. This is convenient if you have less time to back up your personal data and Apple can automatically back up the data for you. Android may have a way to back up the data, yet it may have less effective than iPhone.
Insurance for your valuable item
Lastly, these tips could reduce the damage of losing your phone. Furthermore, smartphones considerably have high prices depending on the model and type. If you own a phone with a price of more than $1000, We suggest getting insurance for that. Hopefully, your phone is safe in your hand, but prevention is good enough to protect your property properly.
Takeaway
We know the smartphone is a valuable item that everyone might have. Before we sleep or do activities, this thing always pleased us as much as possible. However, it can be lost or even stolen by strangers. We can track it down with certain apps that have GPS features to locate our phone. Some manufacturers also create security systems with the same function as a tracking device. With this feature, we hope your phone can be found and returned to your hand.
