5 Ways to Track Your Stolen iPhone or Android Smartphone
When your smartphone gets stolen, the last thing you want to do is rush out and buy a new one right away. After all, it’s not like the thief took your phone just because they were looking to replace their old model; they probably don’t even know how to use it. There’s no reason to abandon your current device until you can figure out exactly what happened and how you can get it back in your hands (or at least get some justice). Luckily, there are plenty of ways to track your stolen iPhone or Android smartphone without paying full price for a replacement device!
1) Install an anti-theft app
If you're the victim of a lost or stolen smartphone, don't panic. There are a number of things you can do to locate your device. First, try downloading a phone tracker app. These apps use GPS technology to track your phone's whereabouts. Some popular options include Lookout, Find My Phone, and Where's My Droid. Once you've installed the app, open it up and sign in with your username and password. Then, enter your phone's information, such as its make and model. The app will start tracking your phone's location in real-time. You can also use the app to remotely lock or erase your device if it falls into the wrong hands. Other features that come standard on most anti-theft apps include remote call forwarding, taking screenshots of whoever is using your device, locking down the entire system, monitoring incoming text messages and calls, recording audio from the microphone (which is great for catching conversations), and blocking certain people from accessing your personal data. In addition to downloading an anti-theft app for your smartphone, consider installing antivirus software on all of your devices. That way you'll be prepared for any cyber threats before they happen. Another option to protect your privacy is by encrypting all the files on your computer. Encryption scrambles all of the contents of a file so only someone who knows how to decrypt it can read it. The best part about encryption? It doesn't matter what kind of operating system you have because there are programs available for both Macs and PCs. You can encrypt individual files or folders to keep them secure. However, this method won't protect you against spyware attacks. A safer bet is to use encryption on your whole hard drive. Just like with any other protection software, it's important to install updates regularly so that vulnerabilities can be patched up quickly before someone takes advantage of them. Finally, always keep a backup copy of all your sensitive documents in case anything happens to them while they're stored online! Backups might seem time consuming and redundant at first, but when disaster strikes they could save you hours of work--not to mention heartache. One great example is when you lose your mobile phone. After having your handset swiped, you should immediately take the following steps: Download an anti-theft app onto another device and then go to the website where your backup was created to download those documents onto another computer or laptop. Since many web storage sites offer limited storage space, I recommend downloading everything onto a separate device just in case something goes wrong with one of them. An extra security measure would be to create one more backup onto a CD or DVD as well--or even print out copies of everything and store them in safe deposit boxes! With these simple measures, you can help to mitigate the risks of becoming a victim. Remember, though, that the best defense is prevention. To help avoid your device from being lost or stolen in the first place, we recommend setting a strong password and changing it often to ensure you're protected. Also, disable the 'Find my Phone' function in iCloud settings on your phone and use caution when browsing unfamiliar websites with unfamiliar links. Keep your device locked and never lend it to strangers. And lastly, remember to turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your phone whenever you're not using them so they can't be hacked or used without your knowledge. By doing all of the above, you can help protect your device and your private information from being stolen. Now that you know the basics, here are some additional tips for recovering your device in the event that it's been stolen. -If your phone is still turned on and connected to a network, use an app like Lookout to find its location. You can also use their Silent Alarm feature to alert you when someone accesses your device and has made changes--like unlocking it or making changes to passwords or other applications. -If your phone has been switched off or is not connected to a network, contact the company's customer service department and request a remote wipe of all your data. They may charge you for this service, so be sure to ask before initiating any action!
2) Check your phone’s GPS coordinates
If you’re trying to track your stolen iPhone or Android smartphone, the first thing you should do is check your phone’s GPS coordinates. You can do this by opening the Google Maps app and typing in My Location. If your phone is nearby, you should be able to see it on the map. If your phone is not nearby, you can try one of the following five methods. If you’re lucky, you might be able to track your stolen phone using its GPS coordinates. Most smartphones have a built-in GPS chip that can pinpoint your phone’s location within a few feet. To find your phone’s GPS coordinates, you’ll need to use a phone tracking app like Find My iPhone (for iPhones) or Lookout (for Android phones). Once you have the app installed, open it and sign in with your Apple ID or Google account. Then, use the app to locate your lost phone. The app will automatically show you the phone’s location if it’s on, but if it isn’t then the app will notify you when the phone is connected to a wireless network. Tracking apps also allow you to remotely lock your phone and wipe data from it in case it falls into the wrong hands. They even have features where they send alerts when someone tries to log into your email account or social media profiles. It’s important to remember that you may need more than just an app to find your phone – especially if it was switched off at the time of theft. If this is the case, try these steps
3) Back up data remotely
1. Remotely backing up your data is one of the best ways to keep it safe in the event that your phone is lost or stolen.
2. There are a few different ways to do this, depending on what type of phone you have.
3. For iPhones, you can use iCloud to back up your data.
4. To do this, go to Settings > iCloud > Backup and turn on iCloud Backup.
5. You can also use iTunes to back up your iPhone by connecting it to your computer and opening iTunes.
6. Then, click on the device icon in the upper-left corner of the screen and select Back Up Now from the Summary tab. 7. The same applies for Android phones; use Google Drive or Dropbox to back up your data remotely if you don't want to connect your phone directly to your computer. 8. Finally, sign into any account with access to these services and sync the app so all of your information is backed up! In the event that your phone is lost or stolen, it will be much easier to get everything back to normal as soon as possible if you have an online backup stored somewhere else. If you've synced your devices with an email address, take a look at their recent emails - they may contain directions on how to locate the phone. If not, there are still options available for tracking down your lost or stolen cell phone.
The first thing to try is locating its last known location via GPS. You can do this by going to Find My Phone's website (or equivalent) through a web browser and entering the password that was previously set up for your device. Find My Phone locates the device using GPS even when it's turned off - not just when it's connected to Wi-Fi or cellular networks - which means thieves won't be able to escape from being tracked just because they left home without their cell phone. Other things you can do include enabling remote locking and wiping, which will enable you to lock the phone and delete all of its content in case it's lost or stolen. You should also install apps like Lookout Mobile Security, whose anti-theft features will help to find your smartphone no matter where it is. When activated, the app sends out alerts to tell you whenever your phone moves away from its original position, records audio while taking pictures of anyone who picks up your phone, tracks its location by making periodic reports to a service provider (such as AT&T), captures screenshots every time someone unlocks your device, and more.
Lookout Mobile Security has helped recover over 10 million smartphones since 2006 and offers 24/7 customer support for free - which makes it worth installing on every single one of your mobile devices. They also offer other helpful security features, such as the ability to scan your phone for malware and spyware, block unwanted callers, and secure private photos and videos. Overall, it is important to remember that protecting your personal information is just as important as protecting your physical belongings. Make sure you know what to do if your phone gets lost or stolen and follow these tips closely to make sure you don't fall victim to identity theft. 1. Keep your data updated and use a PIN to unlock your phone.
2. Update your antivirus software on your phone and computer, and check for the latest operating system updates on your phone.
3. Don't leave sensitive information, like banking passwords or credit card numbers, on the device - or if you do, make sure it's encrypted with a strong password that isn't easy to guess or crack. 4. Check your location settings - if they're turned on, it's possible that you could be tracked by law enforcement and be arrested for leaving a location that you were not supposed to leave.
5. If your phone is stolen, don't try to catch the thief yourself or confront them in person. Not only can this escalate the situation, but you could also be charged with battery if the thief feels threatened and punches or strikes you.
6. Contact your local police department as soon as possible to file a report about the incident and give them all of the information that you have about your stolen phone, including the device's serial number and model number (which can usually be found under its battery). 7. Take advantage of your phone's tracking capabilities and contact the company that made it to see if there are any additional services you can sign up for, such as finding your phone on a map or getting an alert if your phone is ever located.
8. Download and activate the Find my iPhone or Android Device Manager app, which will allow you to locate, ring, lock, and erase your device remotely - all without needing to have internet access on the device itself.
9. Always change your passwords after any major break-in or theft - especially on bank accounts and credit cards - so that criminals can't get into any of those systems in the event that they steal something else from you down the line. 10. Change your email address and immediately let everyone who might need to reach you know the new one, so that they can update their records accordingly. 11. Install cloud storage backup software like Box or Dropbox, which will store copies of your files online and help you restore everything in case anything happens to your device - even if it's been formatted entirely.
12. Consider using remote data deletion applications like BitLocker, which gives you control over what happens when your smartphone leaves its proximity zone (if someone breaks into your house or office) or goes inactive for too long (if it's been lost or left behind somewhere).
4) Use Apple’s Find My iPhone service
If you’re an iPhone user, the first thing you should do if your phone is stolen is try to find it using Apple’s Find My iPhone service. This service is available for free on all iPhones and can be used to locate a lost or stolen device. To use Find My iPhone, simply open the app and sign in with your Apple ID. Once you’re signed in, you can view the location of your devices on a map. If your device is nearby, you can also choose to play a sound to help you find it. If your device is further away, you can mark it as lost and put it in Lost Mode. This will lock your device and display a custom message on the screen that includes a contact number for whoever finds it. All data stored on the device will be erased after 10 failed passcode attempts, so it's important to set up Find My iPhone before anything happens. If you're an Android user, this might not be possible but don't worry because there are still a few things you can do. You can look through your call history to see who may have taken your phone or access the SIM card through another device and track which tower the SIM card was last registered at.
Of course, you should report the theft to police too just in case they recover your device while investigating something else. Finally, make sure that both passwords and fingerprints are enabled so no one but you has access to it!
If you're an iPhone user, then Apple's Find My iPhone service is a good starting point. After logging into iCloud, go to Settings > Find My iPhone and enter your Apple ID password if prompted. Here you can turn on Find My iPhone for all of your devices. Once activated, you'll be able to log in and find your missing phone on a map by clicking on All Devices under Devices. It will show you the device's name and its approximate location on a map along with any other iOS devices connected to your account. The downside is that only people with Apple devices can use this service; Android users need another option. Thankfully, there are some ways for them to track their phones too. For example, some apps allow you to control your smartphone remotely from another device with the phone being located. You can view contacts, SMS messages, photos and more from afar. There's also software like Lookout that scans your SD card and tracks how long ago it checked in with any WiFi networks - including ones you've never been near before. It works like Find MyiPhone but isn't quite as seamless due to different features between the two operating systems (Android vs iOS). In conclusion: If you haven't already done so, enable passwords and fingerprint locks ASAP to protect yourself against would-be thieves! You won't regret taking these measures when you lose your device down the line. And remember, as soon as you notice your phone has gone missing, you should try to find it. As mentioned above, you can search through your call history to see who may have taken your phone or access the SIM card through another device and track which tower the SIM card was last registered at. Or you could install remote-tracking software like Lookout to keep tabs on where your phone goes. Just remember to update your profile regularly and add a picture of yourself for good measure. Even though you can’t see your phone’s location, the camera is attached to it and you can upload a picture for everyone to see. I know this sounds drastic, but sometimes a good visual image is what you need to find a phone. Add personal information about the owner such as height, weight, hair color and eye color. This way someone can come across your phone and say Hey I know that person! He’s/She’s over 6 feet tall with brown hair and green eyes. Adding a photo to your profile on Find My iPhone is easy: Just click on Edit Profile in the upper right corner, click on Change Photo next to Current Photo and select Take Photo or Choose Existing Photo. Don’t forget to save your changes and you’re ready to roll! Lastly, don’t put your phone in a pocket or purse that might get stolen. This is the first place thieves look for it. If you want to carry it around with you, place it in a backpack or securely hold onto it so that it doesn’t fall out! This can happen to anyone, so it's better to be safe than sorry. Plus, it's always a good idea to have your serial number handy in case you ever do misplace your phone. Not every cell phone company allows you to retrieve the serial number for your device, but Sprint does! Click on My Account and select Subscriber Services. Then scroll down and click on View Subscriber Information and your serial number will pop up! Now, you can give it to the police and they can track your phone's location. You can also report your phone as lost or stolen by logging into ic3.gov from any browser and filling out a form that includes details about the missing device. The site has detailed instructions for how to complete the form in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Arabic and Hindi.
5) Report the theft
If your phone is stolen, the first thing you should do is report the theft to the police. Be sure to have your phone's serial number and any other important information handy. You should also contact your wireless carrier and let them know that your phone has been stolen. They may be able to disable your service so that the thief cannot use your phone. For Apple products, you can also remotely lock your device from iCloud by following these steps: 1) Log in to iCloud on a computer and select Find My iPhone from the list of options. 2) Click on All Devices at the top of the screen to see all of your devices (even if they are offline). 3) Click on Lock for whichever device was lost. 4) When prompted for a passcode, enter one before clicking OK. 5) Make sure this passcode is not used anywhere else because if it ever changes then it will not work anymore! 6) Check back every once in awhile to make sure your phone hasn't come online again and someone isn't using it. While many services can help locate a lost phone, they usually require the person to pay a fee upfront. Here are some apps that offer free tracking services:
-Ring - Used as an app locator when in another person's possession
-Avast Mobile Security & Antivirus - Offers real-time protection against malware, spyware, phishing scams and fake sites
-SecureKid - Secures kids' phones with customized settings based on their age group
Posts
