If your phone is lost or stolen, work in this order: lock it from another device, call your carrier to suspend the line and block the phone, secure your email and bank accounts, then file a police report. Speed matters most for the email and bank steps, because anyone holding an unlocked phone may be able to reach both. Below are an hour-by-hour table, what the official sources say about each step, and a checklist to finish today, before anything goes missing.
If it is a work phone, the order is the same. Also tell whoever manages your accounts, and change the passwords of shared logins that were open on the device.
Hour-by-hour action plan
| When | What to do | What you should have afterward |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes 0 to 5 | From another phone or a computer, open Find My (Apple) or Find Hub (Android) and mark the device as lost. If it was stolen, do not put a phone number on the lock screen. | Screen locked, last known location visible |
| Minutes 5 to 15 | Call your bank's fraud line, using the number on your card or the bank's website, not one from a text. Freeze or replace cards and ask about recent activity. | Cards frozen and a call reference noted |
| Minutes 15 to 30 | Call your carrier. Report the phone lost or stolen, then ask to suspend the line and block the device. | Line suspended, device blocked, confirmation in writing if possible |
| Minutes 30 to 60 | Change your Apple Account or Google Account password, then your email password, then social and messaging apps. Remove the phone from each device list. | Email secured, since it is how most other resets arrive |
| 1 to 3 hours | File a police report with local law enforcement. Have the serial number or IMEI ready. Start a claim if you have device protection. | A report number for insurers and carriers |
| First 24 hours | Get a replacement SIM or eSIM, register WhatsApp again on the new phone, and warn contacts that messages from your number may not be you. | Your number back, contacts alerted |
| First week | Watch bank and card statements. If anyone opened an account in your name, use IdentityTheft.gov. | No charge or account you do not recognize |
Lock, locate and erase, in that order
On the Apple page for a stolen iPhone or iPad, the first step is to sign in at iCloud.com/find and choose Mark as Lost. Apple says to do this even with Stolen Device Protection on, to leave contact details off the screen for a stolen device because a thief could use them in social engineering, and not to remove the device from Find My. If it shows up somewhere unfamiliar on the map, Apple says not to go after it: contact local law enforcement. The FCC gives the same advice, to never try to recover a stolen device alone.
On Android, Find Hub works only if the phone has power, a data or Wi-Fi connection, a signed-in Google Account and Find Hub turned on. Google lists three actions: Play sound, Mark as lost, which locks the phone and lets you show a message, and an erase option in settings. None of this works if Find My or Find Hub was off before the phone disappeared. In that case Apple says to change your Apple Account password right away.
Should you erase it?
Erasing cannot be undone, and Apple says to try everything else first. Google notes that an erased Android no longer shows up in Find Hub, and its owner needs the Google Account password to use it again. An iPhone running iOS 15 or later can still be located after an erase, but Apple says not to remove it from Find My, because that would remove Activation Lock.
Carrier: suspend the line and block the device
Suspending a line and blocking a phone are different requests, and AT&T's support page explains both. A suspended line can only reach 911 and customer care, the phone can still use Wi-Fi data, and the plan's fees keep running. AT&T also warns that once service is suspended you cannot use GPS apps or features to find the phone, so try to locate it first. Blocking the device on AT&T's network means it will not work even with another SIM, and AT&T tells other providers so they can block it too.
T-Mobile says that once you report a device lost or stolen, it reports the IMEI to an international database that blocks the phone on most carrier networks, and that unblocking is simple if you recover it. It also says you can dispute charges made after the loss but before you suspended service. Verizon's lost-phone page likewise says suspending service prevents unauthorized charges. Your carrier's steps and names change, so use the account page or customer care rather than a third-party site.
Protect the number itself
The FTC says a sudden loss of service can mean a SIM swap, where a scammer takes over your number. It recommends a PIN or password on your cellular account and, for sensitive accounts, an authentication app or security key instead of text-message codes. After any theft, ask your carrier to add that PIN.
Bank, email, WhatsApp and social accounts
- Bank and cards. Call the fraud line, freeze or replace cards, change online banking passwords and review recent transactions. The FTC advises checking card, bank and other financial accounts for unauthorized charges or changes and reporting what you find.
- Email and your Apple or Google account. Change the password, remove the stolen phone from the device list and check the recovery phone numbers and addresses. Apple advises reviewing those under Sign-In & Security. If someone is already in, see what to do when your email is hacked.
- WhatsApp. Register the same number on your new phone. WhatsApp's security page says to re-register your number if you lose access and to set a secret PIN you never share. Never pass on a 6-digit code, as explained in the WhatsApp code scam guide.
- Social media and work apps. Change passwords and sign out of all sessions.
If someone opens accounts or loans in your name, IdentityTheft.gov, run by the FTC, gives step-by-step advice to limit the damage, report the theft and repair your credit.
Police report
Apple says to report a theft to local law enforcement, which may ask for the serial number, and Apple notes you can find it without the device. The FCC says to report a theft to the police immediately. Ask for a report number, because an insurer, a device protection plan or your carrier may want it, and ask them which documents they need. Do not confront a thief or go to the phone's location yourself.
If you find it
If you blocked the device, AT&T says to contact it to remove the block, and T-Mobile says unblocking is simple. Before you use the phone again, review the accounts signed in on it.
Do it now, before it happens
- Turn on Find My (iPhone) or Find Hub (Android). Without it, locking and erasing remotely does not work.
- On iPhone, turn on Stolen Device Protection (iOS 17.3 or later) under Settings, Face ID & Passcode. Away from familiar places it requires Face ID or Touch ID, with no passcode fallback, for actions like using saved passwords or erasing the phone, and adds a one-hour wait before you can change your Apple Account password.
- On Android, open Settings, Google, All services and turn on Theft protection: Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock and Remote Lock. Support varies by phone model, and it is not offered on Android Go devices, tablets or wearables.
- Set a PIN or password on your carrier account, and move important accounts from text-message codes to an authentication app or security key.
- Write down the IMEI and serial number somewhere other than the phone. The FCC recommends recording the IMEI or MEID before a loss.
- Keep your bank and carrier numbers on paper or in a second device, and back up your phone.
Menus, policies and carrier steps change: check the official pages linked above before you act.
Frequently asked questions
Should I suspend my service or block my phone?
Usually both, but locate the phone first. AT&T says a suspended line cannot use GPS features to find the phone, while blocking the device makes it unusable even with another SIM. T-Mobile says reporting the device lost or stolen sends its IMEI to an international blocking database.
Should I erase my stolen phone remotely?
Only after the other steps, unless banking apps were open on it and you cannot lock the accounts yet. Apple says erasing cannot be undone, and Google says an erased Android no longer shows in Find Hub.
Can I track down a stolen phone myself?
No. Apple tells you to contact local law enforcement if the phone shows up somewhere unfamiliar, and the FCC advises never trying to recover a stolen device alone.
Do I need a police report for a stolen phone?
Apple and the FCC both advise reporting the theft to police, and Apple says officers may ask for the serial number. Whether your insurer, device protection plan or carrier requires a report number depends on the policy, so ask them.
How do I stop someone from taking over my phone number?
The FTC recommends a PIN or password on your cellular account and an authentication app or security key instead of text-message codes for sensitive accounts. If your service suddenly drops, call your carrier right away.
Sources: Apple Support: If your iPhone or iPad was stolen · Apple Support: About Stolen Device Protection for iPhone · Android Help: Protect your personal data against theft · Android Help: Find, secure, or erase a lost Android device · AT&T Wireless Customer Support: Suspend Wireless Service or Block a Device · T-Mobile Support: Lost or stolen device help · Verizon Support: Lost or stolen phone FAQs · FCC: Preventing Smart Phone Theft & Protecting Your Personal Information (April 8, 2015) · FTC Consumer Alert: SIM Swap Scams, How to Protect Yourself (October 23, 2019) · IdentityTheft.gov: When Information is Lost or Exposed · WhatsApp: Security
