How to Find Lost Cell Phones

Today, there is rarely anything that makes a person feel “undressed” like losing a cell phone. We use phones not only to make calls; So when we think about all the data falling into the hands of strangers, we feel extremely panic. Learning how to find your lost cell phone will help keep your information secure and give you peace of mind.

Table of Contents

Search any phone

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Call your phone. The easiest way to find your cell phone is to use another phone to call the lost phone. You can do this to find any cell phone, but not necessarily a smartphone. Ask someone you know to call your mobile number, or use a free web service like wheresmycellphone.com or freecall.com to call from your computer. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Have someone text your phone. Besides making calls, you can have someone text your mobile number. If your phone is lost (for example, it was lost in a public place, rather than left somewhere in the house), you can text your contact information to your phone so someone can find your phone. you will know how to contact you. ^{[2] X Research Source}

If you can’t get someone to text your mobile number, you can use a free web service like txt2day.com.
You can also try mentioning the aftermarket issue in the message. Here’s how to convince the person who found your phone to contact you and set up an appointment. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Remember what happened in the previous period. Remembering the past can help you find any lost or misplaced item, not just your phone. If you realize you’ve left your phone at a place you just visited, going back to where you left off can help you find it (as long as it hasn’t been stolen by someone). ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Whatever you do, you have to stay calm. Being scared will only make the situation worse and it will be difficult for you to concentrate or think clearly. ^{[5] X Research Sources}
Sit down for a moment and think about where you’ve been and what you’ve done. Try to recall the last time and place where you still had or used your phone and start the search process from there.
If you have visited a restaurant or store before you lost your phone, try asking the staff if anyone has found/returned your lost phone. If the staff there is holding your phone, just describe your phone or give the staff a phone number so they can call and verify it’s your phone.

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Contact your mobile carrier. Some carriers have GPS location services available to their customers. Even if your carrier doesn’t have this option, they can at least temporarily block your subscription. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

You can go to the Internet to find the carrier’s customer service number or office address.

Search smartphone

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Find your Android phone. There are two ways to find your lost Android phone. If your phone is still active and has a wireless signal, you can find it from your computer through the Device Manager program. If your phone is powered off or out of range, you only see its last location displayed on your computer. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

To use Device Manager, you can sign in to your Google account on another computer or device. Google’s Device Manager will quickly provide the phone’s location on the Google Maps screen. In addition, Device Manager also has the option to lock the phone, turn on the ringer or erase all data remotely.
Find the last location of your phone by going to google.com/settings/accounthistory. Click “Places You Go” and select “Manage History”. However, this option depends on wi-fi and cellular signals instead of GPS, so it won’t be as accurate as Device Manager.

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Search for your BlackBerry device. BlackBerry devices typically don’t have a phone tracking app or service available. However, you can subscribe to a third-party service like Berry Locator. This service costs US$6.95 (about VND 160,000) and will send a text message to a lost phone and display its location on a map. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Search iPhone. The most basic way to find a lost iPhone is to use the Find My iPhone app. If your phone doesn’t have it, you’ll need to get it from the App Store. The Find My iPhone app gives fairly accurate results, but the phone must be powered on and connected to the internet for it to work. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Use a computer or other mobile device to sign in to your iCloud and open Find My iPhone. The location of your phone will show up on a map, helping you track your movements.
The Find My iPhone app allows you to perform a number of remote actions such as turning on your iPhone’s ringer (to alert you or someone nearby to your phone’s location and lost/stolen status), sending messages message with contact information to the iPhone is lost, or erase all data on the device.

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Windows Phone search. Windows Phone users can use the lost phone feature built into all Windows 8.1 and newer models. Simply visit the Microsoft devices page on your computer or other wireless device to see a list of all the Microsoft phones and tablets you’re using. Next, you can use location services to find the device you’re looking for. ^{[10] X Research Source}

After you sign in to Microsoft’s lost phone service, you can remotely lock or erase your device’s data.

Act

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Insightful and careful. If you think your phone has been stolen, don’t try to find it alone. Instead, report the matter to the police and let them solve the problem for you. Trying to find your phone alone can get you in serious trouble and even life-threatening.

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Remove password and login information. Doing this sooner or later will depend on the level of online interaction on the phone. Some people have only a few interactions, but others do a lot. You also need to cancel the credit/debit card used to register at the online stores on your device (such as the App store).

If you’re worried your phone has fallen into someone’s hands, do so as soon as possible because identity theft is a very serious and frequent problem.
You’d better take the time to reset your password and login information before you start looking for your phone. Here’s how to reduce the potential harm others can do when accessing your information; Once you find your phone, you’ll quickly get used to using a new password.
Let’s start with the most important passwords, such as email, bank accounts, Facebook, online storage services. Process financial and personal information first. After you have changed important passwords, you can reset other passwords.

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Contact your mobile carrier. Be prepared with information related to the subscription so that the network operator can immediately block your subscription. You may need a password or passcode if you have set it up for your subscription. Asking your carrier to lock your subscription will prevent others (whether a thief/robber or someone finding your phone) from making unauthorized calls from your SIM card.

If you use a postpaid instead of prepaid and you can’t find your phone within 2 hours, it’s better to immediately call your carrier and ask them to lock your subscription.

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Go to the police station to report. Smartphone insurance providers often require a police report, if you intend to make a claim under the prepaid option. Some carriers also require a police report to lock your subscription.

Lost phones are often brought to the police station but no one comes to claim them because many people think that no one is kind enough to return the phone when accidentally picked up.

Avoid losing your phone

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Know your phone’s serial number. Every phone has an electronic serial number. Depending on the model and model of your phone, your phone’s proprietary number will be called IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity), MEID (Mobile Equipment Identifier – Mobile Equipment Identity). mobile device format number), or ESN (Electronic Serial Number). This number is usually printed on the sticker under the battery, but the location will vary from phone to phone. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Find the serial number/identifier of the mobile phone after purchase. Write that number down on paper and put it somewhere safe in the house.
If you lose your phone, you can report the serial number/identifier to the police and your mobile carrier.

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Register your phone online. Some online services like MissingPhones.org allow you to register your phone on the website. This is useful when you accidentally lose your phone. ^{[12] X Research Source}

To register your phone, you will need the device’s serial number.

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Determine the location of each item. If you often lose items, you need to find ways to limit this situation, no matter what the item is. Get in the habit of putting items in familiar places so you can find them easily when you need them. ^{[13] X Research Source}

If you often forget your phone somewhere in the house, put it on your nightstand or desk whenever you don’t want to keep it on you.
When you keep your phone on you, you’ll put it in a familiar pocket and always check everything you need to take with you before you leave the house. For example, you can touch the pockets to make sure you have enough keys, wallet, and phone.

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Beware of losing your phone in the future. There are many warnings that you can refer to to apply when you accidentally lose or forget your phone somewhere. You can subscribe to GPS tracking for your phone through your carrier or an independent service like AccuTracking or Belon.gs. You can also keep the serial number/identifier in your wallet or at home. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Advice

Always password protect your phone if you can. Many phones have an optional password screen lock option.
Place contact information on your phone’s home screen. This is a way to help honest people with information to return your phone when they pick it up. However, it also helps dishonest people know who you are and where you live.
Back up the data on the phone, in case the phone is lost or stolen.
In case you lose your phone, you should make a note of the IMEI number. To get information, press the *#06# keys on the phone keypad. Keep your information in a safe place to use in case you lose your phone.
Call your phone. This way, you can track the phone ring, or contact the person who found the phone.
If you have an Android phone and forgot it somewhere in a familiar place, use the ringer tool on Google’s Find My Device page. You can also apply this method to Android tablets. Note, this only works when you know where you left your phone and the phone has not been powered off or out of battery.

Warning

You will feel extremely desperate and angry when you lose your phone. However, remember that a phone is just an item and you can live without it. It’s important to stay vigilant to ensure your personal and financial information remains safe.

Steps

Search any phone

Search smartphone

Act

Avoid losing your phone

Advice

Warning

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