Emergency Help
My Phone Was Lost or Stolen
Your phone is the key to your whole digital life. Here's the fastest way to protect what's on it.
A missing phone is stressful because it holds so much. Work through these steps in order — locking accounts matters even more than finding the device.
What to do when your phone is lost or stolen
Protect your accounts first; finding the device is secondary.
- Use Find My (iPhone) or Find My Device (Android) to locate, lock, or erase the phone.
- Call your carrier and suspend the SIM so thieves can't receive your SMS 2FA codes.
- From another device, change your email and account passwords — email first.
- Sign out of important accounts remotely and move two-factor away from SMS.
- If recovery looks unlikely, erase the phone remotely.
Frequently asked questions
Should I try to find the phone or lock my accounts first?
Lock your accounts first. A replaceable phone matters far less than the email, banking, and messaging accounts it can reach. Suspend the SIM and change key passwords, then worry about locating the device.
Why suspend the SIM card?
If your two-factor codes arrive by text, whoever has your SIM can receive them. Suspending the SIM with your carrier cuts that off and also stops call/data charges.
Can I still wipe a phone that's offline?
Yes — you can queue a remote erase, and it will run the next time the phone connects to the internet. Lock it now and set the erase so it happens whenever the device comes back online.
This is general guidance for common situations, not legal or financial advice. When large sums or physical safety are involved, contact your bank and local authorities directly.