What to do when you lose your phone?

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Losing your cell phone often seems like a nightmare, especially since it contains several important data and personal documents.

When this happens, it is natural for panic and anxiety to arise immediately. Even so, try to stay calm and think clearly so you can immediately take the right steps to overcome it.

By following the right steps, you have a great chance of tracking your device again while protecting your personal data from abuse.

Through the following information, ANTARA provides guidance on the steps to take in the event of loss of your mobile phone.

1. Freeze bank accounts

Losing a mobile phone connected to digital financial services can be very dangerous, because irresponsible people can access personal data and carry out transactions without authorization.

So, contact your bank immediately so they can block your access mobile banking services as well as a debit or credit card for a while.

2. Wipe data remotely

This feature is available on almost all mobile devices, such as Find My Device on Android and Find My iPhone on iOS.

Through this feature you can delete all your personal data, from photos, messages, account history, so that it is not misused by other people.

3. Change your account password

The next step is to change the passwords on all accounts linked to the lost cell phone.

Start with an email account, as this account serves as your master key to access various other services and applications. Subsequently also change the password of the other accounts connected to the lost mobile phone.

Use a strong, unique, and different password combination for each account. Don’t forget to activate the feature too two-factor authentication (2FA) to better maintain account security.

4. Monitor account activity

Even if you’ve changed your password, it’s still important to monitor the activity of accounts linked to your phone. Check, for example, for suspicious activity login from an unknown device or location.

After performing the above main steps, you can start trying to track your cell phone location using the following methods.

1. Track using IMEI

Every device circulating in Indonesia, both Android and iOS, has a unique international number Mobile equipment identity (IMEI).

This number serves as the device’s identity and is also used to track the whereabouts of a lost cell phone, even when it is turned off.

Therefore it is very important to know the IMEI number of your mobile phone. Here’s how to check your IMEI number:

Dial *#06# in the phone menu, then press the call button. The IMEI number will appear, so write it down and save it in a safe place.

If your cell phone is lost, immediately report it to the police or cellular operator, including the IMEI number.

They will help block the device from the network or track its location.

2. Track Android phone using Find My Device

For Android users, here are the steps you can follow to track a lost cell phone using the Find My Device feature:

Open the android.com/find link via browser on another device
Login using the Google account linked to the lost phone
From the displayed list, select the device you want to monitor

Google will send notifications via Google Play Services and automatically update the location of the lost cell phone via Google Maps.

If the device is still active and connected to the Internet, Google Maps will show the current location of the mobile phone. Otherwise, Google Maps will show the history of your last location.

3. Track iPhone phone using iCloud

For iPhone users, you can track the location of a lost device using iCloud.

However, this method can only be used if the user has already done so login Apple ID or iCloud account and have Find My turned on on your lost iPhone.

Otherwise, users will not be able to track a lost iPhone using iCloud.

The way to track an iPhone via Find My in iCloud is as follows:

Open the icloud.com/find link via a browser on another device
Login using the iCloud account or Apple ID linked to the lost phone
Select the device you want to monitor from the list provided. Next, a map showing the iPhone’s last location will appear

Through the map in Find My, users can directly track the location of a lost iPhone in real time.

Users can also activate the Lost Mode feature which helps protect the iPhone and makes it easier to find it.

While it may seem problematic, the most important thing is that you have taken the right measures to protect your personal data and identity.

Use this experience as a valuable lesson to always maintain cell phone security, including constantly activating your device’s security features so that similar risks don’t happen again in the future.

Read also: Kemkomdigi says IMEI provides protection if the cell phone is lost or stolen

Read also: Tips for tracking a lost cell phone when it is turned off, see how

Read also: How to quickly and easily track the location of a lost or family cell phone number

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