What to do in the first hour after you realize your phone is gone
The first steps matter most. If your phone was stolen in the last few minutes, the thief may not have turned it off yet, and location services might still be active. Open a web browser on any computer or another phone and go directly to your phone's manufacturer's tracking service — Apple's Find My (iCloud.com), Google's Find My Mobile (findmymobile.samsung.com for Samsung, or google.com/android/find for Android), or Microsoft's Find My Mobile for Windows phones. You do not need to call anyone first.
Sign in with the same account you use on your stolen phone. If the phone is still powered on and connected to the internet, you will see its location on a map within seconds. From here you can play a sound to help locate it if it is nearby, lock the screen remotely, or erase all data. Do this step before you do anything else — it takes two minutes and works only while the phone still has power.
If the phone does not appear on the map, it is either powered off, in airplane mode, or the thief has already removed your account. This does not mean it is gone forever, but it does mean the next steps are different.
Key Takeaways
- Check your phone's manufacturer tracking service (Find My for Apple, Find My Mobile for Samsung, Google Find My for Android) within the first few minutes, before the thief powers it off.
- If your phone shows on the map, you can lock it or erase it remotely, but do not attempt to retrieve it yourself if the location is in an unsafe area.
- File a police report with the phone's serial number and IMEI number (dial *#06# to find it), which you should write down now for any phone you own.
- Contact your phone carrier to report the theft and request they block the phone's IMEI so it cannot be used on any network, even with a new SIM card.
- If you have location history turned on in Google Maps or Apple Maps, check those apps for the phone's last known location before it went offline.
Using your phone's built-in tracking before it goes dark
Apple's Find My works on iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. Open iCloud.com on any browser, sign in with your Apple ID, click Find My, and select your phone from the list of devices. The map will show you its last known location if it is currently offline, or its live location if it is still on. From this screen you can send a sound to the phone, lock it with a message, or erase it completely. If you choose to erase it, the phone will wipe itself the next time it connects to the internet, even if that is days later.
Google's Find My Mobile works similarly for Android phones. Go to google.com/android/find, sign in with your Google account, and select your phone. You will see its location, the ability to ring it, lock it, or erase it. Samsung phones also have their own Find My Mobile service at findmymobile.samsung.com, which requires your Samsung account rather than your Google account.
These services work only if you set them up before the phone was stolen. If you never turned on location services or remote management, the phone will not appear on the map. This is why writing down your phone's IMEI number now — before anything happens — matters: you will need it for the next steps.
Getting your phone's IMEI and serial number before reporting it
Your phone's IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is a 15-digit number unique to your device. You can find it by dialing *#06# on the phone itself, or by checking your phone's original box, your carrier's account page, or your phone's settings. Write this number down now and store it somewhere safe, like a note in your email or a document on your computer. If your phone is already stolen, you can often find this number on your carrier's website under your account details, or on your original receipt or invoice.
You will also need your phone's serial number, which is usually on the box or in your phone's settings under About Phone (Android) or About (iPhone). Some carriers print both numbers on your bill. Having these numbers ready before you call the police or your carrier will speed up the process significantly.
Filing a police report and blocking the phone on your carrier's network
Contact your local police department's non-emergency line and file a theft report. You will need the phone's IMEI number, serial number, and the approximate time and location where it was stolen. The police report creates an official record and gives you documentation for your insurance claim. Ask the officer for a report number before you hang up.
Next, call your phone carrier (the company that provides your service — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or another provider) and tell them the phone was stolen. Provide the IMEI number. Ask them to block the phone's IMEI on their network so it cannot be used with any SIM card, even a new one. This is called blacklisting the device. Different carriers use different names for this service, but all major carriers offer it. Blocking the IMEI does not erase your data or lock the phone, but it prevents the thief from using it to make calls or use data on any major U.S. network.
Some carriers also allow you to request a replacement SIM card be sent to you, which will prevent the thief from using your phone number. Ask about this when you call.
Checking your location history if the phone is offline
If your phone does not appear on the manufacturer's tracking map, check Google Maps or Apple Maps on another device to see if location history was turned on. Open Google Maps on a computer, click your profile picture, select Your Timeline, and look at the last location recorded before the phone went offline. This will show you where the phone was when it last connected to Google's servers, which may help you narrow down where it was stolen.
For Apple users, open iCloud.com, go to Find My, and look at the last known location shown for your phone. This is usually more recent than Google's data because Apple updates it more frequently. Neither of these will tell you where the phone is now, but they can tell you where it was when it last had power and internet connection.
What to do if the phone appears at a specific location
If Find My shows your phone at a specific address, do not go there alone or attempt to retrieve it yourself. The person who has your phone may be dangerous, and confronting them could put you at risk. Instead, provide the address to the police officer who took your report and let them handle it. Police have the authority and training to recover stolen property safely.
If the location is a business (a store, restaurant, or office), you can call that business and ask if anyone has turned in a lost phone matching your description. Describe the phone's case, color, and any distinctive features. Some people do turn in phones they find, especially if they are in a business setting.
Protecting your accounts and data after a theft
Once you have reported the theft to the police and your carrier, change the passwords for any accounts that were on your phone — email, banking, social media, and any apps that store sensitive information. Do this from a computer or another phone, not from the stolen device. If your phone had access to your email account, change your email password first, because that account is the key to resetting passwords for everything else.
Check your email and banking accounts for any unauthorized activity. If you see charges or login attempts you did not make, contact your bank and email provider immediately. If you had two-factor authentication set up on your accounts, the thief will have a harder time accessing them even with your password, because they would also need access to your phone to receive the verification codes.
If you had remote erase enabled through Find My, the phone will erase itself the next time it connects to the internet. If you did not have it enabled, your data is at risk. This is why setting up Find My or Google's remote management now, on your current phone, is important for the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I track my phone if I never set up Find My or Google's tracking?
No, the manufacturer's tracking services require you to set them up before the phone is stolen. However, if you had location history turned on in Google Maps or Apple Maps, you can check those apps to see where the phone was when it last connected to the internet. Your carrier can also see which cell towers the phone connected to, but they will only share this with police, not with you directly.
Will the police actually help me find my stolen phone?
Police will take a report and may investigate if the phone was stolen during a robbery or break-in, but they typically do not prioritize locating lost phones unless there is a larger crime involved. Their main role is to create an official record for your insurance claim and to follow up if the phone is used to commit another crime. The manufacturer's tracking service is your best tool for finding it yourself.
What is the difference between blocking the IMEI and erasing the phone remotely?
Blocking the IMEI prevents the phone from connecting to any cellular network, but the data on it remains intact. Erasing the phone remotely (through Find My or Google's service) deletes all your data, but the phone can still connect to Wi-Fi and be used by the thief. If you have both options available, erase the phone first to protect your data, then ask your carrier to block the IMEI to prevent any use.
Can I track my phone if the thief turned it off?
Most phones cannot be tracked once they are powered off, because they are no longer sending location signals. However, some newer iPhones have a feature called Find My when offline, which allows them to be located even when powered down by using Bluetooth signals from nearby Apple devices. Check your phone's settings to see if this feature is enabled. For Android phones, once the phone is off, you cannot track it until it is turned back on.
Should I try to retrieve my phone myself if I see it on the map?
No. If the location is in a public place and you feel safe, you can go there and look around, but do not confront anyone or enter private property. If the location is a residence or an unsafe area, contact the police instead and provide them with the address. Attempting to retrieve a stolen phone yourself can put you in danger and may interfere with a police investigation.