Lost/stolen smartphone (Android), what to do

[buksida]

I’m starting a thread on this as it has just happened to me and I’m sure I’m not the first or last. We can use it to post tips and ideas to keep our data and devices safe since we’re so reliant on the things these days.

There are several measures you can take to prevent a major data breach or personal identity theft following the loss or theft of your phone.

Change your passwords – do this instantly as you may get locked out of any accounts, social media, email etc. if someone else gains access.

Secure device access is a must, be it a pattern, PIN, password or biometrics – this will slow them down but not prevent access if they’re determined. Most people will just turn the phone off instantly to prevent you locating it.

You should also install the Find My Device app and link it to your google account associated with the phone: https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... m&hl=en_US

If you can find it great, go unleash some kickass. If not you can lock the device or request erasure remotely by logging into the account you had on the phone (if you don’t have 2FA enabled … see below).

Be aware that if you enable 2FA on the account associated with the phone you will not be able to login to it or change the password without the device. It will try and send an SMS to the phone to authenticate you, which obviously you no longer have. Google is no help whatsoever so I would not enable it. It may be a good idea to have a second Gmail account setup on your phone for access purposes. I managed to remotely erase mine with this second account, not the primary one as 2FA locked me out of my own account.

It goes without saying to backup anything important off the device, including your contacts, most apps and services have a cloud backup option now anyway. Even better, do not store anything important on your phone.

If you use Google Authenticator for anything (banking etc) backup the QR codes by taking a screenshot of them on a laptop so you can add them to your new device. You will have to manually contact every company to get access if you lose your Authenticator codes.

You can request a new SIM card with the same number if you have registered it. I went into AIS, told them the number, gave them my passport and had a new SIM with the old number back within 5 minutes. Once you have this you can access any accounts protected by 2FA – providing whoever stole you phone hasn’t changed the passwords already.

If anyone has any more tips and ideas for mobile phone security (aside for not losing the damn thing) please post them here.

[VincentD]

Sorry for your loss. I lost one older Nokia (think when they first started putting cameras on them and bluetooth was something new) Must have fallen out of my pocket when on the motorsai taxi leaving Binta block and going back to where I was staying somewhere towards Khao Takiab. Anyways, phone loss aside, even then you could get a SIM replacement and cancel the old one.
So when I got my Nokia N97 smartphone, I got something called 'Theft Aware', an app that hid in your phone and you could use an SMS to locate it and wipe it if you wanted to. It was a paid app and I really liked it.
Avast bought the company, so it is now part of the Avast range. It is free to download and use, with the same features, unfortunately if you do send an SMS it becomes visible to the thief. Internet connectivity is available to locate it but is a bit spotty.
The one thing I like about it is it is difficult to find and remove, even in non-rooted phones, and will lock up and sound an alarm if a different SIM is placed in it.
I routinely install this app as well as any other native security app (I have a Sony, so that app is activated too).
Not the best, but has worked for me.
Also, always have a lock screen activated, it only takes a second or three to get in.
Google is a help, but only if you've installed it on the phone. It'll at least give you an idea where it was last seen..
Oh, and don't keep sensitive info on the phone. Or at least try not to. That's what little black books (and lockable, encrypted memory sticks) are meant for.

[Homer]

Change your passwords – do this instantly as you may get locked out of any accounts, social media, email etc. if someone else gains access.

IMHO, any account that you'd regret losing is one you sign into and out of every time you use it. Pain in the ass? Yeah. Compare that pain of the ass to the pain of losing access to an account you'd regret losing.

[huahin4ever]

Well if you have an Android device you most likely have a Google account too. If not I recommend setting up one. When you have a Google account you can use a web page called find my Google device. Hopefully you will locate your phone, tablet or other Android device.

https://www.google.com/android/find
https://myaccount.google.com/

[buksida]

Well if you have an Android device you most likely have a Google account too. If not I recommend setting up one. When you have a Google account you can use a web page called find my Google device. Hopefully you will locate your phone, tablet or other Android device.

Yeah, I mentioned that in the OP - doesn't work very well when the phone is off though!

[huahin4ever]

Well if you have an Android device you most likely have a Google account too. If not I recommend setting up one. When you have a Google account you can use a web page called find my Google device. Hopefully you will locate your phone, tablet or other Android device.

Yeah, I mentioned that in the OP - doesn't work very well when the phone is off though!

Very true, so hopefully the phone gets stolen so someone at some point in time will switch it on, of not it's not easy to use the above method as you mention. Anyway I'm a bit impressed since I tried it out yesterday, and both my tablet and phone were found, in the middle of US Gulf of Mexico where I happen to be just now, working, so that was spot on

[buksida]

It was actually quite liberating not having a phone for 48 hours.

The only thing I've really lost is the contacts list which was on the SIM, but half of them are dead and the other half I have little desire to talk to any longer, so all is well.

[VincentD]

It was actually quite liberating not having a phone for 48 hours.

The only thing I've really lost is the contacts list which was on the SIM, but half of them are dead and the other half I have little desire to talk to any longer, so all is well.

That too. Phone numbers and addresses are now stored in some kind of format that seems to be exclusive to the brand of phone you buy so it is a pain sometimes when you change horses (er, I mean brands) You can always keep them in Google contacts.. though I am always wary of the 'cloud' which is basically someone else's large server..