Use your phone's built-in location feature to track it down
If your phone is lost but still powered on, you can find it using the location services already built into your device. Both Apple and Google offer free tools that work from any computer or another phone — you do not need to install anything new or pay a service. The catch is that location services must have been turned on before you lost the phone, and your phone must still have battery and a signal.
The process takes about five minutes and will show you the phone's location on a map. If the phone is nearby, you can also make it ring at full volume to help you locate it in your home or car. If it is far away or you cannot reach it, you can lock it remotely or erase it to protect your data.
Key Takeaways
- Apple's Find My and Google's Find My Mobile both work only if location services were turned on before the phone was lost.
- You can access these tools from a computer or another phone without needing the lost phone itself.
- The location shown on the map is approximate and may be off by several hundred feet, especially indoors or in dense buildings.
- If your phone is dead or offline, these tools will show you its last known location before it went offline.
- You can make the phone ring, lock it, or erase it remotely if you cannot retrieve it safely.
Find an iPhone using Apple's Find My
Go to iCloud.com from any computer and sign in with your Apple ID — the same account you use on your iPhone. Click the Find My icon (it looks like a radar circle) and select Find My iPhone from the menu. A map will appear showing your phone's location.
If you do not have access to a computer, you can use another iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Open the Find My app, tap the Devices tab at the bottom, and select your lost phone from the list. The map will show its location and whether it is online or offline. If it is offline, you will see the last place it was seen before the battery died or it lost signal.
Once you see the location, you have three options. Tap Play Sound to make the phone ring at full volume for two minutes — this works even if the phone is on silent. Tap Mark as Lost to lock the phone and display a message on the screen with a phone number someone can call if they find it. Tap Erase This Device to wipe all data from the phone remotely, which you should do only if you are certain you cannot retrieve it.
Find an Android phone using Google's Find My Mobile
Go to google.com/android/find from any computer and sign in with the Google account linked to your Android phone. The map will show your phone's current location or its last known location if it is offline. Like Apple's tool, this works only if location services were enabled before the phone was lost.
You can make the phone ring by clicking Play Sound. The phone will ring for five minutes even if it is set to silent. Click Secure Device to lock the phone with a PIN and display a custom message on the lock screen. Click Erase Device to wipe all data from the phone if you believe it is lost for good and you want to protect your information.
If you do not have a computer nearby, you can also use the Find My Mobile app on another Android phone. Open the app, sign in with your Google account, and select your lost phone from the list of devices. The same options to ring, lock, or erase will appear.
Understand why the location might not be exact
The location shown on the map is an estimate, not a precise point. Depending on where your phone is, the estimate could be off by anywhere from 30 feet to several hundred feet. Indoors, in a basement, or surrounded by tall buildings, the accuracy gets worse because location services rely partly on cell towers and Wi-Fi networks to pinpoint the phone.
If the map shows your phone in a building with multiple units — an apartment complex, office building, or shopping mall — you may need to search the whole building or ask building management for help. The location services cannot tell you which floor or which unit the phone is in. If the phone is in a car or moving, the location updates every few minutes, so refresh the map to see the current position.
What to do if location services were turned off
If you turned off location services before losing your phone, the built-in tracking tools will not work. In this case, your phone's last known location will not appear on the map at all, or it will show a location from days or weeks ago.
Your next option is to contact your phone carrier — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or another provider — and ask whether they offer device location services. Some carriers can locate a phone using cell tower data, though they typically do this only in emergencies or with a police report. You can also file a police report for a lost or stolen phone, which may help if someone finds it and tries to use it.
If the phone is truly gone and you cannot locate it, contact your bank and credit card companies to report the loss and watch for unauthorized charges. Change your passwords for email and other important accounts from a different device, since someone with access to your phone may be able to reset passwords or access accounts.
Prevent this from happening again
Turn on location services now, before you lose your phone. On an iPhone, go to Settings, tap Privacy, then Location Services, and make sure it is toggled on. On Android, go to Settings, tap Location, and turn it on. You can leave location services on all the time — it uses very little battery when you are not actively using maps or navigation.
Consider setting up a trusted contact in your phone's emergency information. On iPhone, go to Health, tap your profile picture, and add emergency contacts. On Android, go to Settings, tap About Phone, and add emergency information. If someone finds your phone, they may be able to call a trusted contact to return it to you.
You can also enable a feature that shows your location to trusted family members. On iPhone, open Find My, tap the People tab, and select Share My Location. On Android, open Find My Mobile and enable Family Sharing. This way, family members can help locate your phone if you lose it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find my phone if it is turned off?
No. Once a phone is powered off, the location tools stop working immediately. You will see only the last location where the phone was online. Some newer iPhones have a feature called Find My when offline that can broadcast the phone's location even when powered down, but this requires an iPhone 15 or newer and must have been enabled before the phone was lost.
What if someone else has my phone and they know my password?
If you suspect the phone was stolen rather than lost, use the lock or erase options immediately. Locking the phone prevents anyone from accessing your data without the password. Erasing it removes everything, which is the safest option if you believe someone is using it to access your accounts or financial information. After erasing, contact your bank and email provider to secure your accounts.
How long does it take for the location to update?
The location refreshes every few minutes when you reload the map. If your phone is moving, you may need to refresh several times to see the current position. If the phone is stationary, the location will remain the same until you refresh again.
Can I find my phone if I never signed into iCloud or Google on it?
No. Apple's Find My requires an Apple ID signed into the phone, and Google's Find My Mobile requires a Google account. If you set up the phone but never signed in to either account, these tools will not work. This is why signing into your accounts during phone setup is important — it enables these recovery features.
What if the map shows my phone in a location I cannot safely reach?
If your phone is in a dangerous area or somewhere you cannot access, use the lock or erase options instead of trying to retrieve it. Locking it prevents anyone from using it, and erasing it removes your personal data. You can then contact your phone carrier or file a police report if you believe it was stolen.