Losing something is never fun, Unfortunately, it’s hardly rare either. According to A recent Lost & Found Survey, Americans spend an average 2.5 days a year looking for misplaced items. Yikes! That’s a lot of wasted time that could otherwise be spent on personal development, pursuing your dreams, finishing that bathroom renovation project you started, or quality family time. Thankfully. I’m a pretty observant and responsible person who rarely misplaces anything, let alone something important. I’m never one who can’t find my glasses, wallet, or keys. Last week was different, however, and my loss of a single item turned my world upside down for a painstaking and stressful 15 minutes.
It all started when I took an Uber to the Las Vegas airport. The driver, Jonathan, arrived early – a good start. His car was clean plus he was polite and great to chat with, thus making my ride with a stranger at the wheel pleasant and stress-free. After arriving at the airport, checking in, and dropping off my luggage, it struck me that I had not yet tipped Jonathan. I reached into my purse and panic immediately washed over me. Where was my phone?! I frantically checked my pockets and every nook and cranny of my purse. I rushed back to the ticket counter, but there was no sign of my phone. My mind went blank for a moment as I stood there in disbelief, not knowing what to do next.
Fortunately, common sense kicked in. I grabbed my laptop, joined the airport’s free Wi-Fi, and logged into Apple’s “Find My iPhone” feature. There was my phone – traveling down Tropicana Avenue, obviously still in Jonathan’s car. Then it dawned on me… I should call my phone. Without hesitation, I approached a nearby family who were kind enough to help. The mother called my number, and when no one answered, she generously began researching how to contact Uber. Meanwhile, her husband kept dialing my number until Jonathan finally picked up my ringing phone in the backseat of his car. It had undoubtedly been out of his reach and was likely driving him bonkers until he was able to pull over and reach it. Incredibly, Jonathan had the heart to turn around and return to the airport to return my phone, even despite not having received a tip from me yet. Crisis averted! I was so grateful for the happy ending to my lost phone drama.
That experience got me thinking: I rely way too much on that tiny computer we call a phone. Had I not been able to recover it quickly, I would have lost a lot more than money. I would have lost a great deal of time and energy trying to track it down. I would have panicked a great deal because of all the banking apps, credit cards, and passwords saved to the device. I would have lost recent family photos that had likely not backed up to iCloud yet. We rely on our phones to do everything from entertaining us with reels to ordering takeout, paying invoices to capturing life’s special moments, and checking the gazillion emails from our kids’ schools to running our businesses. In case you ever find yourself in a similar situation, here are some helpful tips and hacks for when your phone is lost, stolen, or even dropped in a toilet.
Tips & Hacks To Try When You’re Phone’s Gone Missing:
- Utilize Your Device’s Built-in Tracking:
- Find My Device (Apple): Log into your iCloud account on another device and use Find My to locate your lost phone or other device.
- Find My Device (Android):, Locate, lock, or erase your Android phone or other device using Google’s Find My Device feature.
- Remote Lock and Erase: If you believe your phone is stolen, you can remotely lock or erase its data to protect your personal information.
- Check Recent Locations:
- Google Maps Timeline: If you have Location History enabled on your Google account, you can check Google Maps Timeline to see your phone’s recent locations.
- Apple Maps Timeline: Apple Maps also has a Timeline feature that can help you track your phone’s movements.
- You can also think back to the last place you used it and call that restaurant, store, or theater to see if it was turned in.
- Use a Smart Speaker or Wearable:
- Voice Commands: If you have a smart speaker or wearable device linked to your phone, you can often use voice commands to locate it. For example, you might say “Hey Google, find my phone” or “Hey Siri, find my phone.”
- Call Your Phone:
- If your phone is set to a loud ringtone and is nearby, you should be able to hear it ring when you call it from another device, especially if you have personalized your ringtone to a nonstandard ring as it will be recognizable.
- Check Common Places:
- Start by checking the places you frequent, such as your home, office, car, or favorite hangout spots.
- Reach Out to Friends and Family:
- Ask Around: If you’ve been out with friends or visiting family, call them from a borrowed device and ask them if they’ve seen your phone or heard it ring.
- Notify Your Carrier:
- Temporary Suspension: If you believe your phone is lost or stolen and not just temporarily misplaced, contact your carrier to suspend service temporarily. This can help prevent unauthorized use until you decide your next steps.
- Check Social Media:
- Lost and Found Groups: Search for local lost and found groups on social media platforms to see if anyone has posted about finding a phone similar to yours.
- File a Police Report:
- Theft or Loss: If you suspect your phone has been stolen, file a police report. This can be helpful if you need to make insurance claims or if your phone is recovered.
- Rice Method
- Should your phone decide to take a dive into a pool, toilet, or other body of water, get it out as quickly as possible and wipe it down with any piece of nearby fabric but the more absorbent the better. Power off the phone to prevent any electrical shorts. Take the case off if you have one then remove the SIM and SD cards. Place your phone in a bowl of uncooked rice to absorb any additional moisture while you dry off the SIM and SD cards separately to avoid further damage. Avoid turning on the phone until it is completely dry. If those steps fail, seek professional help from your carrier.
By following these tips and hacks, you can increase your chances of finding your lost phone and minimize any potential inconvenience or loss.
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