And so last night you were at that party taking pictures of people you barely knew until you put your cell phone on a table. The next morning - no phone!.
The good news is that all is not lost! Here are some tips on how to find your phone, recover your digital life, and find the person who stole it. Keep reading!
Steps
Step 1. Call your phone
Even if you are 100% sure it has been stolen from you, call it for safety. A friend of yours may have found it and put it in the bag. Or, you might find it in the back pocket of your pants.
Step 2. Offer a reward
Sure, you won't feel generous to the person who stole your phone, but there's more to it than a phone or hurt feelings. You also lost your address book, your notes, your messages, access to your accounts and yes - even the photographs you took at the party. Remember that people who steal do it for food, money, or emotion. You know the thief won't eat your phone, so whoever took it did it for fun or to make some money from eBay. Try these tips:
- Borrow a friend's phone, and send a message to your phone offering the thief a cash reward for calling you back and setting up a meeting to retrieve the phone. Make it clear that if he returns the phone to you, all will be forgiven, and you choose a reward appropriate to the value of the phone.
- A standard phone that you only use for making calls may not be worth the expense, while a state-of-the-art phone that contains a lot of information can be worth more than $ 100. The decision is yours!
Step 3. Find out if another user in your same contract is using a tracking application
Your parents (or a curious spouse) might use a program like iHound to check the location of your phone. If this is the case, notify the police of the location, and they should be able to retrieve your phone.
Method 1 of 4: Windows Phone
Step 1. If you have a Windows Phone, great
Microsoft has implemented software on the phone's official website that allows you to track it, ring it, block it, or wipe your device data as a form of protection.
Step 2. Click on "Ring" to make the phone ring until you press the screen lock button
Step 3. Click on "Lock" to lock your phone
A custom message will be shown, and the device cannot be unlocked until your password is entered.
Step 4. Click on "Erase" to erase all data
You will no longer be able to use tracking or anything else.
Step 5. Contact the police, report your phone stolen and show them the map
They don't have to help you, but it's worth a try anyway. Don't go and get your phone alone, it can be dangerous.
Method 2 of 4: iPhone
Step 1. Congratulations
With a smartphone like iPhone or Android phone, recovering a lost or stolen device is much easier, so you've made a wise choice. Follow the steps below and get your phone back.
Step 2. Log into your iCloud account
Do this as soon as you discover you've lost your phone (and after checking all your pockets).
- Click Find My iPhone. The service will list all your Apple devices. If you have activated Find my iPhone - you did it right? - and your phone is on, it will show you the location of your phone.
- Click on the blue information icon in the black bar, and you will be given the option to ring the phone, send it a message, block it or remove all data from it.
Step 3. Lock your phone
If your phone has been found, and you don't recognize its location, it's pretty sure that the phone hasn't been "saved" by a friend. So lock your phone, before the thief gets a chance to log into your account and disable the Find My iPhone option (among other things).
Give the location directions to the police, who should be able to retrieve the phone. Don't be a hero and don't go pick him up in person. Thieves do not welcome those who try to recover their stolen items with open arms
Method 3 of 4: Android
Step 1. Download Plan B
While there are dozens of applications designed to find a stolen phone, it can be installed after your phone has been lost!
- Go to the Android Market, log in with your account, and install the app on your lost phone. If you are able to install the app and it works, you will receive emails to your Gmail account, with the location information.
- Inform the police and wait for them to retrieve the phone.
Method 4 of 4: Still Couldn't Find Your Phone?
Step 1. Get proof of purchase
Anyone could show up and say "Hey, that's my phone!" You will need evidence to confirm your claims. Find your payment receipt or invoice, or if it's not available, at least one bill - it will have your number at the top, with your name and address.
Do you have an undocumented invoice, and have not kept the receipt? No problem - contact your operator; he may be able to provide you with new documentation confirming your ownership if you give him details about your identity and your contract
Step 2. Report the theft to the police
It will only take a few minutes and a few written statements. Don't expect agents to start collecting fingerprints or making roadblocks. But when and if you find it, you can let them know and they can act quickly.
- Make copies of the documents you sign during this process.
- Don't use 113 for this - you could get in trouble for hitting a line for a trivial reason.
Step 3. Inform your carrier
Send copies of the phone payment receipt and copy of the report, then request that they notify you if the phone is activated.
It is not pleasant to lose your phone. Even less is having to pay for the thief's phone calls and messages
Step 4. Get a warrant
Your carrier may not be able to provide you with additional information about your phone's location for legal reasons, but once you are satisfied that your phone has been stolen, you can try asking the police for a warrant to get that information.
Step 5. As a last resort:
add your phone's IMEI number to a free worldwide database. If your phone is found, they can use the IMEI number to contact you.
Advice
- Users with a smartphone should always take preventative measures by downloading apps to locate and lock the phone remotely, before it is stolen. There are dozens of options (many free) to choose from.
- Keep all contracts, warranties and documentation on your phone in a safe place where you can easily find them.
- If you can't find your phone, ask your carrier to suspend your account and transfer your SIM number. Suspending your account will interrupt your (and your carrier's) phone connections, so don't do this except to protect important information or until you've tried all other options.
- Depending on the country you are in and the carrier, you may be able to sabotage the thief's use of your phone by blacklisting your phone's IMEI number, rendering it unusable with any SIM. Again, use this method as a last resort.
Warnings
- Once the SIM has been removed, there is little you can do to track down your phone. Many thieves know this, so you will have little time to try to find your cell phone.
- If you don't set up your iPhone before it is lost or stolen, there will be no way to locate it or delete its contents.
- It has been reported that Android OS 4 and 3.2 include changes that will prevent Plan B from working, either upon installation or upon sending the activation SMS.
