September 17, 2024, 7:56 am | Read time: 9 minutes
Navigating, paying, working – we are doing more and more important things with our smartphones. So it’s all the more annoying when the device is suddenly gone, whether carelessly left somewhere or even stolen. In order to protect all the personally important but also sensitive data, those affected must react quickly. TECHBOOK has, therefore, compiled an emergency checklist.
Nearly one in four smartphone owners has lost their phone at some point. According to a survey by the industry association Bitkom, 23 percent of respondents have lost their phone at some point. The causes include theft and carelessness while waiting for the train, in a restaurant, or during sports. Just one moment of not paying attention and your smartphone is gone. But what can you do if you suddenly reach into your pocket and find it empty? Our emergency checklist tells you how you should react in this case.
Overview
Locate your smartphone
If you quickly notice that your smartphone is gone, it’s best to call yourself. If the phone is still nearby, with a bit of luck, you may be able to find it again by ringing. The prerequisite for this is that you have set the ringtone of your smartphone to a loud volume and know your phone number by heart. An honest finder may also answer the call and be able to tell you where you have lost your phone and can pick it up. Anyone who has ever lost their smartphone in the depths of their own rucksack will know the relief when the familiar ringing sounds.
However, if a call is not possible or proves unsuccessful, you can try to locate the smartphone. Both iPhones and Android smartphones already have options for finding the device integrated into the system. TECHBOOK reveals step-by-step instructions on how to activate them.
Locate your Android smartphone
To be able to locate and lock your smartphone remotely and, if necessary, delete all data, a few requirements must be met. To do this, your device must be linked to your Google account because then the “Find my device” function and the “With network only in high-traffic locations” settings are automatically activated.
1. Go to the “Find My Device” page or open the “Find My Device” app on another Android smartphone and sign in with your Google account. The page will automatically search for the last device you used. Other devices that are connected to your account are displayed as icons at the top left of the screen.
2. The current location of the device is displayed on the map. The accuracy depends on whether GPS is enabled and the device is logged into a Wi-Fi network.
3. If it is not possible to find the device, a 5-minute alarm can be activated to make the smartphone noticeable. This applies even if it is set to silent. If you lose your smartphone on the train, for example, you may be able to find it in time.
There are also numerous third-party apps for Android that offer similar functions. Samsung, for example, also has its own location function for its Galaxy smartphones called Find My Mobile.
Locate iPhone
Similar to Android smartphones, iPhones can also be located via Apple’s iCloud service. Options for locking and deleting the memory are also available via this service. Here, too, the “Where is?” function must be activated on the device in advance. This can be found under “Settings” > “Apple ID” > “Where is?”. In the event of loss, proceed as follows:
1. Go to the “Where is?” page and sign in with your Apple ID.
2. You can now see the current location of the last iOS device you used on a map. You can select other devices that are connected to the iCloud from the menu under “All devices.”
3. Click on the green dot that marks the location of the smartphone to get more options. You can now make the iPhone ring, lock it, or delete the phone’s memory.
Deleting data on the lost smartphone
If the smartphone is irretrievably lost or stolen, you should delete all data remotely so that it cannot be misused by fraudsters. Deleting the data is easier if the device regularly transfers backups to a cloud. This is because the data disappears from the lost device when it is deleted but not from the smartphone owner’s access area.
Deleting data on Android smartphones
To delete the data on an Android smartphone and lock the device, the lost smartphone must be charged, switched on, and connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or mobile data. You must also be logged in with a Google account, and “Find my device” must be activated. Find your lost smartphone as described above in the “Find my device” app or via the website.
- Select the device in the “Find my device” app or website.
- Now open the “Settings”.
- Here, you have the option to delete data by selecting “Reset device to factory settings.” Data stored on the SD card may not be deleted.
Deleting data on the iPhone
In principle, deleting iPhone data remotely works in the same way as with Android smartphones.
- Log in to icloud.com to find your lost smartphone.
- To do this, select the “Find devices” option in the “All devices” list and select the iPhone in question.
- Now select the “Erase this device” option. All data on the iPhone will now be deleted, including the activation lock. This means that anyone can use the device. This can be avoided by leaving “Where is?” activated, as the activation lock is now retained.
Locking the SIM card
If you have searched all your pockets, your home, and your car but still haven’t found the device, you should block the device’s SIM card. This will prevent your phone from being used to make calls, send text messages, or surf the internet at your expense. All you need to do is call your mobile phone provider to block it. The numbers of the largest providers are:
- Vodafone: +49 172 12 172 12
- CallYa: +49 172 229 0 229
- Telekom: 0800 33 02202
- Congstar: 0221 79 700 700
- O2: +49 176 888 55 222 (contract); +49 176 888 55 282 (prepaid)
- Drillisch: 06181 7074 044
As an alternative to the mobile phone provider, the general barring emergency number can also help. The emergency number 116 116 can be used not only to block credit cards, customer cards, or employee ID cards with electronic access control. The number can also be used to block your SIM card if you have lost your smartphone. Calls from Germany are free of charge. From abroad, you can reach the blocking emergency number for a fee via +49 116 116 or +49 30 4050 405.
Change your passwords
In 2019, 38% of adult smartphone users in Germany secured their device with a biometric lock, i.e., either fingerprint or facial recognition. This proportion is now likely to have risen sharply. In addition to the biometric lock, over 90% use a PIN or swipe code. In principle, it is always advisable to secure all devices with a code, but this is of little use if the lock is an easy-to-guess combination such as “1234”, “0000” or swipe patterns in the form of a G and Z.
If the smartphone has been stolen or picked up by a malicious finder, simple locks are quickly cracked, and the sensitive data can be read and misused by strangers. The following, therefore, applies: If your smartphone has disappeared and you have not secured it at all or have secured it with an easy-to-guess password, immediately change the passwords of all services that you also use via your smartphone. This includes email accounts, Google accounts, shopping sites, and the access data for your social media profiles. If you use your smartphone to make payments, for example, via Google Pay or Apple Pay, you should also have your wallet blocked.
Apple offers the option of marking the iPhone as lost in “Where is?”. This function locks the screen with a code and displays a run number and a message of your choice. This allows you to tell a well-intentioned finder the best way to contact the iPhone owner.
If an Android owner is one of the ten percent who do not secure their smartphone with a lock, this can also be done remotely if the device can be tracked down via “Find my device.” In addition to the “Leave ringing” and “Erase” options, there is also the “Lock” function. This allows you to set a password and optionally leave a phone number and message for any finder.
Display smartphone theft
If you cannot rule out the possibility of theft, you should report it to the police. What is particularly important here is that the police need your IMEI number so that they can identify your device. The “International Mobile Equipment Identity” is a manufacturer-independent and individual number with which smartphones can be unequivocally identified.
Depending on the manufacturer, this number can be found on the smartphone packaging, on the back of the device, or under the battery. If you received your smartphone as part of a mobile phone contract, it is also worth taking a look at the invoice you received with your phone. It is particularly easy to find out the IMEI of any device by dialing *#06# on the phone keypad – the fifteen-digit number is displayed directly. To ensure that you have the IMEI to hand, even after the smartphone has been lost or stolen, you should either make a secure note of it or keep the invoice.
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Preliminary measures
If the smartphone is still safely in your pocket, there are still a few things you can do to prepare for a loss. The recommended measures are neither costly nor time-consuming but can save time and nerves in an emergency.
Use a secure PIN or swipe code
Choose a PIN code that cannot be easily guessed by strangers. Better still, if your smartphone has a fingerprint sensor or iris recognition, you can use it to log into your phone even more securely. Even a swipe code should not be too simple – the more complex, the better.
Activate location apps
Download the “Where is?” app on an iPhone or activate the Device Manager on an Android smartphone to locate the device.
Make a note of the IMEI
Dial *#06# on the dial keys and make a note of the IMEI number displayed in a safe place that you have long-term access to. The IMEI helps to identify the device beyond doubt in the event of loss. Even the Munich police have already called on Facebook users to make a note of the number.
Synchronize your smartphone with the cloud
If your Android device or iPhone offers you the option of backing up pictures, contacts, and numbers to the cloud – do so. That way, you won’t lose all your data if you lose your phone because these are sometimes far more valuable than the smartphone itself.