Follow these important steps if you lose your smartphone, and keep your data safe!
Nowadays smartphones have become an important part of our lives. They contain not only our personal information but also banking details, contact lists, photos, videos and many other important data. Losing or stealing a smartphone has now become a serious problem, as it can lead to your personal and financial data going into the wrong hands. In this situation, you must take some quick and important steps so that your data remains safe and nothing untoward happens. Let us know what steps you should take in case of losing a smartphone:
Track the phone immediately
- The first step in case of losing a phone is to track it. Google and Apple have provided useful tracking services for this purpose.
- Android phone: You can use Google’s ‘Find My Device’. For this, go to Find My Device from another device or computer and login with your Google account. If the phone is on and connected to the internet, you will get the phone’s location.
- iPhone: Login to iCloud and activate the ‘Find My iPhone’ option. If the phone is online, you can see its location. iPhone has a “Last Known Location” feature that shows the last known location of the phone.
Lock the phone and show a message on the screen
- After tracking the phone, immediately lock it and put a message on the screen, so that no one can try to open the phone.
- Android: Go to Find My Device and select the ‘Secure Device’ option. You can put a custom message on the screen, such as “This phone is lost, please call this number.”
- iPhone: Go to iCloud and activate ‘Lost Mode’. Here you can put your contact number and message on the phone’s screen.
Block the SIM card
If the SIM card is lost, this is the first step. Contact your network provider and get the SIM card blocked.
- Airtel: 121
- Jio: 199
- Vodafone-Idea: 199
Change the password
To secure the apps and services present in the phone, it is necessary to change their passwords immediately.
- Google Account: Change the password by going to the security settings of the Google account.
- Social Media Accounts: Change the passwords of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
- Net Banking: If there is information related to banking apps, then change the password as well as inform the bank.
Delete or secure the data
- If your phone is not being tracked or cannot be recovered, then delete the data present in it immediately.
- Android: Go to Find My Device and select the ‘Erase Device’ option, which will factory reset the phone.
- iPhone: Go to iCloud and click on the ‘Erase iPhone’ option, which will completely delete your phone.
Keep backups on
The best way to keep your data safe is to do regular backups.
- Android: Go to Google Backup settings and click ‘Backup Now’.
- iPhone: Keep iCloud backup on and go to Settings > iCloud > iCloud Backup.
Set screen lock and security
- Strengthen the screen lock and security settings to keep the phone safe.
- Use fingerprint or face unlock.
- Set a 6-digit PIN or alphanumeric password.
- Some phones have ‘Trust Devices’ and ‘On-body detection’ features, so keep them off so that the phone cannot be unlocked.
What is the first step if you lose your smartphone?
If you lose your smartphone, first track it. For this, you can use Google’s ‘Find My Device’ (Android) or ‘Find My iPhone’ (iPhone) on iCloud.
Can I lock the smartphone?
Yes, you can lock the phone. Activate the ‘Secure Device’ option in Android and ‘Lost Mode’ in iPhone so that no one else can open the phone and you can put a message on the screen.
What should I do if I lose my phone’s SIM card?
If you lose your SIM card, contact your network provider immediately and get it blocked.
Should I change my account passwords?
Yes, after losing your phone, it is important to change the passwords of Google accounts, social media accounts, and net banking apps so that no unauthorized person can access them.
Should I delete my data if I can’t recover my phone?
If I can’t recover my phone, delete your data immediately. You can use the ‘Erase Device’ option on Android phones and the ‘Erase iPhone’ option on iPhones.
Should I back up my data?
Yes, you should always back up your data. Set up Google Backup on Android and iCloud Backup on iPhone.
Should I strengthen the screen lock and security settings on my phone?
Yes, strengthen the screen lock and security settings to keep the phone secure. Set up fingerprint, face unlock, or a 6-digit PIN.