What should you do if your phone has been stolen?

By ITV News producer Jamel Smith

Phone thefts have risen astronomically in the past year, by more than 150%.

Around 78,000 people had phones or bags snatched in Britain between March 2023 and March 2024.

The Home Office has revealed there were more than 200 thefts a day across England and Wales during that period.

Now is the best time to learn tips and tricks to enhance the security of your phone and data, preparing you for the unfortunate event of your phone being stolen.

ITV News is here to give you a comprehensive guide on what to do if your phone is stolen.

Tips to best secure your phone and date in case it's stolen

• Use strong passwords and set up biometric authentication, such as fingerprint or face scanners, on your phone for added security.

• Regularly back up your data to the cloud or an external memory device so you can recover it if your phone is stolen.

Companies like Apple and Samsung offer free cloud services that automatically back up your phone.

• Find My services are essential for securing your phone if it’s stolen.

Most smartphones come with a pre-installed app that lets you locate your device, mark it as lost, play a sound even on silent, and erase all your data.

• To set up Find My iPhone:

- Open the Settings app.

- Tap your name, then go to Find My > Find My iPhone.

- Activate Find My iPhone to locate, lock, or erase your device remotely.

- Enable Find My network to locate the device even when it’s offline.

- Select Send Last Location to automatically send the phone’s last location to Apple when the battery is low.

• To set up Find My Device on an Android phone:

- Go to Settings > Security (or Security & location or Google > Security). You can also search for "Find My" in the Settings search bar.

- Select Find My Device and turn it on.

- Go to Settings > Location and ensure location services are turned on.

• Stolen Device Protection on iPhone

To combat the rate of phone theft, Apple has introduced a new security feature for iPhones running iOS 17.3 or later.

The Stolen Device Protection setting enhances account and personal data security by requiring biometric authentication, like Face ID or Touch ID, when your iPhone is used away from familiar locations.

Importantly, you can no longer use a passcode for these actions.

A one-hour delay is enforced before making security changes, like updating your passcode, which adds an extra layer of protection.

If your iPhone is stolen, the security delay prevents a thief from making critical changes, giving you time to mark your device as lost and secure your Apple account.

• Following Apple, Google has introduced its own theft protection for Android devices.

One feature, Theft Detection Lock, uses AI to detect if someone has snatched your phone and automatically locks it.

Offline Device Lock will lock your device if it’s been disconnected from the internet for a while or after multiple failed authentication attempts.

• To help track your phone if it’s stolen, you can find your IMEI number (International Mobile Equipment Identity), a unique identification number for your device.

Police can use this number to help locate your phone or see if it’s been sold.

- On Android, dial *#06# to find your IMEI number.

- On iPhone, go to Settings > General > About.

• Phone insurance can be a lifesaver if your stolen phone cannot be recovered, as it allows you to get a replacement.

However, most insurers require you to pay an excess fee and may limit the number of theft claims you can make.

For example, AppleCare (Apple's own insurance) charges £109 for a replacement and covers only two incidents of theft or loss every 12 months.

• Register your device on the Immobilise website, a free online database for your possessions that can help increase the chances of recovering them if they are lost or stolen.

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What to do if your phone is stolen?

• As previously said, Find My Services will be your best friend if your phone is stolen.

These services, whether on Apple or Android, can be accessed through a web browser, enabling you to track your device remotely.

- To use Find My iPhone from a computer, visit icloud.com/find or Apple’s Find My app.

- To use Find My Device, visit android.com/find and log in with your Google account.

You can use these services to mark your device as lost, track it, display a message on the screen (available only with Find My iPhone), or erase your data.

This information can be helpful for the police in tracking down the thief.

• Report your phone stolen to the police by contacting 101.

• Tell your bank provider about the theft so they can address any suspicious transactions or possibly change your bank account app password.

• Change your passwords for important accounts. Even if your passwords are stored in your phone’s password manager, it’s wise to update them as a precaution.

• Contact your network provider to cancel your SIM card and prevent any misuse of your mobile service.

• File an insurance claim if your phone cannot be recovered. As already stated, be aware that you may need to pay an excess fee.

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