Following some tips can help you find the device and avoid bigger problems!
Just thinking about losing your cell phone can make you feel desperate, right? In addition to being expensive, smartphones can contain a lot of important information, such as bank details, conversations, photos and personal videos, which can be accessed by whoever finds it, and can even cause headaches if these items are disclosed. Access to this information can also leave the owner of the device susceptible to scams and fraudsters with their data.
To prevent losing your cell phone from causing even bigger problems, it is ideal to follow some important measures! See now some tips to follow, if you lose your cell phone.
What to do if it happens to you
First, try calling the cell phone number
Your device may be nearby, but out of sight. Therefore, it is important to call it to try to locate it through its ringing or vibration. make the connection, it is also possible that someone has found it and is trying to locate the owner, and by calling, the person will be able to arrange to deliver the device to you. Although this may be a quick and easy solution, it is important to be careful when arranging the delivery. Arrange to meet in a public place and go with another person, to ensure your safety.
Try to track the cell phone and erase its data
Another effective way to find your cell phone is by using some tracking services available on the devices themselves, whether iOS or Android, with “Find My iPhone” and “Find My Device”. With these tools, in addition to being able to track the device, you can still erase your personal data remotely.
To locate a Android cell phone, simply access the website (myaccount.google.com/find-your-phone) and log in with your Google Account. Then, just select the lost device. After that, the approximate location of the phone will appear on the map. The cell phone will receive a notification that it has been located. If it is not found, you can also try to find its last location, if this option is enabled.
To remotely erase Android data, simply look for the “Wipe Device” option and confirm the option using the account password. However, when you choose this option, it will no longer be possible to track the phone.
To track your iPhone, log in with your details to the “Find My iPhone” app on another device, or via the website (icloud.com). Simply select the lost phone under “All Devices” and wait for its location to appear on the map.
If the device is turned off, it will appear as “offline” and the last recorded location will be available for 24 hours. There is also the option to be notified if the device is turned back on by going to “Notify me when found”.
To erase data, after selecting the lost device in the app or on the website, simply click on “Erase iPhone” and perform a few security steps so that everything is erased. If the device is turned on, the erasing process will be done immediately. If it is turned off, the erasing will be done when the device becomes active again.
Change the password of the active account on your cell phone
To prevent the person who found the phone from accessing personal data, it is important that the user account password is changed as soon as possible, for both Android and iOS phones.
To change your Gmail password, simply access your Google account, click on the “Security” option and then on the “Password” option. You must confirm your user identity and then click on “Change Password”.
Notify your bank
Contact your bank, report the loss and request that your accounts be blocked so that transactions are prevented. Also keep an eye on your statements and transactions. If you notice any problems, notify the institution immediately.
Notify the operator
Notify your operator about the problem and ask for your line to be blocked, so that the person who found your cell phone does not have access to your calls and SMS messages, which could contain possible access codes for applications and accounts.
Make a police report
To protect yourself from any problems resulting from the loss of your device, file a police report with the police in your state. The report can be filed online. Simply access the police website, fill out a form with your details and provide information about the incident. The report must be filed by a person over 18 years of age, with a valid ID and CPF.
