Misplacing your iPhone is frustrating, but don’t panic.
Whether it’s lost or stolen, there are steps you can take right away to protect your information and possibly recover your device.
Start with these seven important actions.
1. Use Find My iPhone
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Go to iCloud.com/find or use the Find My app on another Apple device.
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See the last known location.
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Mark it as Lost Mode to lock it remotely and display a custom message.
2. Play a sound (If nearby)
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If you think it’s close by (like lost in your house or at work), use Play Sound in Find My to make it ring, even if it’s on silent.
3. Report it as lost to your carrier
4. Change your apple ID password
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Visit appleid.apple.com and change your password immediately.
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This protects iCloud, iMessage, and other Apple services from unauthorized access.
5. Change other important passwords
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Think: banking, email, social media.
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If your phone had access to these apps or if you had saved passwords, it’s best to secure those accounts too.
6. Report the loss to the police
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Provide the serial number or IMEI of the device (you can find this on the original box, in receipts, or in your iCloud account under “Devices”).
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A police report can help in insurance claims too.
7. Erase your iPhone remotely
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In Find My, if you’re sure the phone won’t be recovered, choose Erase iPhone.
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This wipes all your data but also disables Apple Pay and protects your info.
