Lost or Stolen Phone? What to Do in the First Hour

Stay calm and work through it in order

Realizing your phone is gone is a jolt. The first hour matters, because that's when you have the best chance of finding it and the best chance of stopping anyone from getting into your accounts. Work through these steps in order, from another phone, a computer or a friend's device.

Step 1: Locate it

Before assuming it's stolen, check where the phone is. It may be under a car seat or at the coffee shop you just left.

• iPhone: use the Find My app on another Apple device, or sign in at iCloud.com/find from any browser.
• Android (Pixel and most others): use Google's Find Hub (formerly called Find My Device) by signing in with your Google account on another device or browser.
• Samsung Galaxy: Google's tool works, and Samsung also offers its own Find service through your Samsung account.

Play a sound if the map shows it nearby. If it's at a store or restaurant, call them and ask staff to look.

Step 2: Mark it as lost

Lock the phone remotely so nobody can use it, even if they guess or saw your passcode.

• iPhone: turn on Mark As Lost in Find My. It locks the phone, pauses Apple Pay cards and lets you show a message and a contact number on the lock screen.
• Android: choose the option to secure or lock the device in Find Hub, and add a message with a number someone can call.

Use a friend's or family member's number on the lock screen, since your own phone is the one that's missing.

Step 3: Call your carrier

Call your wireless provider from another phone. Ask them to:

1. Suspend your service so nobody can make calls, send texts or use your data on your account.
2. Report the device as lost or stolen. Canadian carriers share a blacklist of reported devices, which stops a stolen phone from being activated on participating networks in Canada.
3. Protect your number. Ask about stopping SIM changes or number transfers on your account, since texts to your number may include bank and login codes.

Write down the phone's IMEI if you can find it. It's often on the original box, on your carrier account or bill, or in your Apple or Google account device list.

Step 4: Change your important passwords

Assume someone may try to get into your accounts. From a trusted device, change passwords in this order:

1. Your Apple Account or Google account, since they control the phone, backups and other passwords.
2. Your main email, because it can reset almost everything else.
3. Banking and payment apps. Call your bank if you used mobile banking or a payment wallet on the phone.
4. Social media and messaging accounts. In WhatsApp, you can re-register your number on a new phone once your carrier gives you a new SIM.

Check your account security pages for any unfamiliar sign-ins and sign the missing phone out of services that let you. Do not remove the phone from Find My or your Google account while you're still trying to find it.

Step 5: File a police report if it was stolen

If the phone was stolen, report it to your local police service. For a theft that isn't an emergency, use the non-emergency line or online reporting where available. Keep the report number. Insurance providers, credit card protection plans and carriers often ask for it before a claim.

Give police the IMEI, the phone's model and colour, and any location information from Find My or Find Hub.

Step 6: Erase it remotely, as a last resort

Remote erase wipes your data so a thief can't get at it. The trade-off is that on many devices, erasing ends or limits your ability to keep tracking the phone. Erase it once you're confident you won't get it back, or right away if it holds sensitive information you can't risk.

Even after an erase, an iPhone with Activation Lock or an Android phone with Factory Reset Protection still needs your account password to be set up again. That's why reported phones are hard to resell, and why our used phone buying guide tells buyers to check for both.

Quick checklist

• Locate the phone and play a sound
• Mark it as lost with a contact number on screen
• Call your carrier to suspend service and report the device
• Change Apple or Google, email and banking passwords
• File a police report and keep the number
• Erase remotely only when you're ready

Next time: set it up before you need it

Once things settle, check that Find My or Find Hub is turned on for every phone in your home, that backups are running, and that each phone uses a strong passcode. On iPhone, consider turning on Stolen Device Protection in Settings › Face ID & Passcode, which adds extra checks before sensitive changes when you're away from familiar places.

Got it back damaged?

Phones that come back after a theft or a fall often have a cracked screen, bent frame or a port that no longer charges. Woman Wireless On The Go can repair it at your home or workplace, with a free quote before any work starts. See our cell phone repair service and the areas we cover, or call or WhatsApp (365) 351-4247.

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