What to Do If Your Device Is Lost or Stolen

Losing your phone or having it stolen is more common than it seems, and what you do in the first few minutes makes the difference between a scare and a serious problem. The first thing is to use remote tracking (Find My iPhone or Find My Device on Android) to locate it or, if it can't be recovered, lock it and erase its content remotely. Next, it's best to immediately change the passwords of the accounts that were open on the phone, starting with email, and notify the organization if the device had access to work information. It's also advisable to notify your carrier to suspend the line and prevent someone from using your number to recover accounts via SMS messages. Having encryption and a strong PIN enabled beforehand greatly reduces the damage, because even if the device disappears, the information inside remains protected.