How to Handle a Lost Smartphone, Part 1

Perhaps the single most common negative cell phone event that occurs today isn’t a broken or damaged phone, it’s a lost one. We misplace small items all the time, and given how often we have our phones out and place them in various locations, it’s no surprise they get lost every now and then.

At FixIT Mobile, while our primary cell phone services come in the realm of phone repair, which we offer for iPhone, Android and all phone models on the market, we’re also happy to help with basic themes and expertise, including finding lost phones. This two-part blog series will go over a series of steps to follow if this happens to you, plus some programs or approaches we recommend for preparing yourself in case you ever misplace your phone.

Before a Phone is Lost

First and foremost, savvy phone owners can take several steps to prepare themselves in case they ever lose their phone. These include:

• Password: All smartphones today have password protection, facial recognition or fingerprint usage. Utilize these tools regularly – if your phone is lost for any period of time, this will keep it safe and secure no matter who finds it.

• Mobile app: Modern smartphones offer features that allow them to be found, remotely locked and more.

• Contact information: Ensure your phone has proper owner information and emergency contact info, which you can add.

Our next several sections will go over what to do if your phone becomes lost.

Calm, Sensible Retracing

Firstly, stay calm and do not panic whenever you discover your phone is missing. This sort of thing happens to everyone – it will likely resolve itself easily, and if you’ve taken the proper steps above, you’re protected in the meantime.

Consider your recent activities and the last time you can remember having your phone. In many cases, this will allow you to recover it pretty quickly by retracing your last few steps. If not, proceed further.

Local Phone Finding Features

In cases where you can’t find your phone immediately but are fairly sure it’s nearby somewhere, there are a few options available. The first is if you use any other devices connected to the phone, such as an Apple Watch for an iPhone – many such devices will allow you to visit the phone’s Control Center remotely and ping the phone to respond visibly and audibly.

If you don’t have any such devices but often utilize Siri or another voice assistant, this is another option. These services are generally programmed to help you find the phone’s location if you can’t do so otherwise.

For more on how to respond if you lose your phone, or to learn about any of our phone repair, tablet repair or other device repair services, speak to the staff at FixIT Mobile today.