If your phone is stolen: the first 5 steps

5 steps

1. 1From another device, mark the phone as lost and lock it

   Lock it first so nobody can get in. This works while the phone is on and connected to the internet.

   Android

   On another device, open the Find Hub app or go to android.com/find. Sign in, pick your phone and choose “Mark as lost”. The phone locks with your PIN, pattern or password.

   iPhone

   On another device, go to icloud.com/find, sign in with your Apple Account, pick your phone and choose “Mark as Lost”. Don't remove the phone from Find My.

   If Remote Lock was already on, you can also lock an Android phone at android.com/lock with your verified phone number.

   [Google][Apple]

2. 2Call your carrier and have the line suspended

   From another phone, call your carrier and ask them to suspend your line, so nobody else can use it.

   [Apple]

3. 3Call your bank and have the card and mobile banking temporarily blocked

   Call your bank's customer service from another phone and ask them to temporarily block the card and mobile banking sign-in. The number depends on your bank.

   This is general advice and this page has no official source link for it. For details, see your bank's own help page.

4. 4From another device, change the passwords for your email, Google and Apple accounts

   Email first: the “forgot password” links of your other accounts arrive there. Then your Google and Apple accounts, then banking and social media.

   Choose a new password that is at least 15 characters long and different for every account.

   In your Google Account, go to Security & sign-in > Your devices > Manage all devices, pick the stolen phone and sign out. Changing the password may not be enough: the device you use to verify your identity when you sign in can stay signed in.

   If your two-step verification codes were on the stolen phone, you can sign in with the backup codes you saved.

   If your Apple Account lists devices you don't recognize, remove them.

   [Apple][NIST][Google]

5. 5Tell the police and have the IMEI blocked

   Tell the police. They may ask for the serial number; with an iPhone you can find it even without the phone.

   The IMEI is the phone's 15-digit identifier. If you don't have the phone with you: for Android, open the Find Hub app or go to android.com/find, pick the phone and open Settings; for iPhone, sign in at account.apple.com and look under Devices. A dual-SIM phone has two IMEIs.

   In Türkiye, block the IMEI by filing a report in the “Kayıp/Çalıntı İhbar Bildirimi” (lost/stolen report) service of the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) on e-Devlet (turkiye.gov.tr). The line you use in the phone must be registered in your name; if it is registered to someone else, that person files the report. Enter both IMEIs on a dual-SIM phone. Outside Türkiye, ask your carrier how to block it.

   Once the report is confirmed, the phone can't get service from the mobile network. If you get the phone back, you can cancel the report in e-Devlet's “Kayıp/Çalıntı İhbar Sorgulama/İptal” service.

   In Türkiye the IMEI report is filed on e-Devlet by the owner of the line, and it is separate from telling the police. Suspending the line and blocking the IMEI are also separate actions; do both.

   [Apple][Google][e-Devlet][Mevzuat]

What to set up before it is stolen

Do these before the phone is stolen. Take five minutes to check them now.

• Android: keep Find Hub on. In Settings > Google > All services > Theft protection you'll find options such as Remote Lock; they vary by version and model.[Google]
• iPhone: keep Find My on. Under Settings > Face ID & Passcode, turn on Stolen Device Protection (iOS 17.3 or later; your Apple Account needs two-step verification).[Apple]
• Set a SIM PIN. On an iPhone: Settings > Cellular > SIM PIN; on Android the setting's location varies by phone maker. Don't keep guessing the SIM PIN or PUK code: wrong guesses can lock the SIM permanently. If you forget the PIN, ask your carrier for the PUK code.[Apple]
• Write down the IMEI or serial number somewhere other than the phone. You can find the IMEI by dialling *#06# in the phone app. A dual-SIM phone has two IMEIs; write down both.[e-Devlet]
• Keep your recovery codes and recovery email up to date.Checklist