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This guide provides instructions on how to find your Android or iOS phone if it is stolen or lost.
The mobile phone has become one of the most important devices in our daily lives because, apart from its basic function of telephone communication, it allows us to easily do a lot of other things, such as searching for information, banking, organizing our daily schedule, being in touch with anyone in the world using multiple communication methods, listening to music, playing games and much more.
However, since there is always the possibility of losing or having our phone stolen, it is good to know how we can locate it, to remotely erase the valuable information it contains or make it useless to its illegal owner.
How to Locate a Lost Phone Device?
Finding your lost phone depends on whether it’s an Android or iOS device. Fortunately both platforms offer services to help locate, lock or erase a lost phone, and below you’ll see how you can use these services.
How to find your Lost Android Phone.
To locate and manage your Android phone remotely, follow these steps from a desktop/laptop or other phone device:
1. Open a Web browser and sign-in to Android Find My Device service using the Google Account you used to set up your phone for the first time.
2. The “Google Find My Device” service will show you the location of your phone on a map.
3. After finding your phone you have the following options:
- Play a Sound: Force your phone to ring for 5 minutes even its silent. This will help you to locate your device if it is nearby.
- Secure Device: Lock your phone and sign-out from your Google Account.
- Erase Device: Remotely wipe your phone’s sensitive information and data. *
* Important: Only perform this action if you believe that you will not be able to recover your phone. Once your device is erased, you will no longer be able to locate or manage it.
What to do if you can’t locate your Android phone:
If after connecting to the Google Find My Device Android service, you get the message “Device cannot be reached”, it means that either the device is offline, or the device has already been wiped/erased along with your Google Account on it.
In such a case, try again later to locate the device by clicking the “Refresh” icon 
on the ‘Find My Device’ page, or, if you believe that your device is stolen, click the information icon 
How to find your Lost iOS Device.
To locate and manage your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch or AirPods remotely, follow these steps from a desktop/laptop or another phone device:
1. Open a Web browser and sign-in to iCloud Find Device service using the Apple ID you used to set up the device for the first time.
2. After signing, select the lost iOS device in the All Devices list on the left.
3. The “iCloud Find Devices” service will show you the location of iOS device on a map.
4. After finding your device you have the following options:
- Play a Sound: You can play a sound to help locate your iPhone if it’s nearby.
- Mark as Lost: Lets you lock your iOS device so that others can’t access your personal information.
- Erase This Device: Lets you to to erase your iOS device remotely if you think that is stolen.
What to do if you can’t locate your iOS Phone:
If you can’t locate your iOS device using iCloud Find Device, you’ll see “Offline” under the device name and see its last known location displayed for up to 24 hours.
In such a case, select “Notify me when found” to get an email when it’s online again, or find the IMEI number of your phone by going to http://appleid.apple.com and then call your mobile carrier, give them your phone’s IMEI number and ask them to block the phone.
That’s it! Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.
