What should you do immediately?

Once you find the phone missing, don’t panic. If you find that your mobile has been missing for a short period of time, there are more chances that you will get it back. After relaxing for a few seconds, call your mobile from your friend’s mobile and see if you can find him. There are chances that you have placed it somewhere and forgotten about it. There are various apps that can be installed to track the stolen phone. We will discuss the features of those apps and the steps that can be taken to keep your device secure.

change passwords

As your mobile phone is for your personal use, there are chances that it has access to your bank account or social networking sites. The immediate step to take is to change the passwords of everything you think is accessible from your mobile. If you have apps installed on your phone, activate them online. You will have provisions to lock your data or back up your information or sometimes if you think it is very sensitive you can also delete it.

block your card

The second important step you need to take is to call your service provider from your friend’s cell phone and block their card as there would be many phone numbers available on it. Once you block your card, please file FIR to the police for your lost card. If you don’t have your bill with you, go to the store where you bought the mobile and get the duplicate and photocopy it and present it at the police station. Write down the IMEI number from the invoice and update it in any database of lost mobiles. When buying second-hand phones, people are likely to check these databases, if the phone is stolen.

Apps that help you track your phone

‘Lookout’ is a well-known app to track your lost phone. It has a feature to turn on the front camera and take a snapshot of the person using it. You can activate that option from your laptop. The photo will be sent to your mail immediately when the Internet is turned on. This app usually sends mail from the front camera, every time the lock code is wrongly used for five times in a row. For iPhones there is an exclusive ‘Find My iPhone’ application for this mobile model. When you sign in to your iCloud account, you will have permission to delete all your mobile data and also trigger an audible alarm from your phone. You can track the location of your mobile phone and also use this app to send a message to the person holding it. There are other apps like Bull Guard and F-secure that have features that help you track the phone. Bull Guard provides space on your server that helps you back up data.

Safety measures to be taken when using the phone

It is always advisable to have this type of application installed on your mobile, even if you always keep your mobile safe. After you buy the cell phone, keep the receipt and warranty card in a very safe place. Insure the mobile when you buy it, since there is a theft insurance that allows you to recover the money from your lost mobile. It is always advisable to have the same position for your cell phone and always take care that you place your mobile only there.