Theft or loss of your smartphone is a difficult event to experience. Beyond the financial loss and financial investment of buying a new smartphone, we too and above all are concerned about the loss of our personal data.
Some are so sensitive that the fear of falling into the hands of a stranger is as frustrating as losing a smartphone. Here we explain how to react when you have this unpleasant experience.
Precautions to be taken before the smartphone is stolen or lost
This should be a reflex when buying a new smartphone. With precautionary measures, a possible theft or loss in the future becomes less stressful. So let’s start with the basics, namely what to do when buying a phone.
Note down the IMEI number
You’ll see a little later, this trick will come in handy for you. The IMEI is displayed on the box where the smartphone was stored at the time of purchase. You can also get it by composing. *#06# on the phone’s numeric keypad.
Another solution: Settingslater systemHORSE about the phone, to indicate, to declare and Information about the IMEI code. On older models with a removable battery, the code may also be under the battery.
Once you find the IMEI, write it down where you can easily access it. Moreover note in a cloud note taking appLike Google Keep or OneNote.
Secure access to your phone
We remind this too because not everyone has this reflex yet, but secure access to your smartphone. Thus, a thief will not be able to easily access the system and your personal information.
Unlocking your phone every time you use it can be daunting: enter a code, password or draw a diagram… But today there are no excuses anymore. fingerprint readers and face recognition.
They make it possible not to let anyone hack into your smartphone without spoiling the daily user experience.
Back up your important data regularly
To avoid losing all your data (contacts, photos, messages, apps, etc.), we recommend that you back it up regularly or even enable it. automatic cloud backup.
The good news is that some data is automatically backed up to Google account on Android smartphones. This includes contacts, SMS, call history, etc.
if you use Whats upwe recommend you Enable automatic recording of conversations in Google Drive. You can choose daily, weekly or monthly backup. The ideal is to do this every day.
With services like Google Photos, you can also automatically back up your photos to the cloud. But beware, Google has discontinued free and unlimited storage in Photos since June 2021. You now have a 15GB limit (shared with Gmail and Google Drive).
Unless you have a Google Pixel smartphone. Secondly, it always benefits from free and unlimited backups of photos in Google Photos.
Enable Find My Device
Another suggestion we can give you regarding Google is to enable device remote location. To do this, go to: Settings, Security and location Then find my device.
This enables a very useful feature in case the laptop is stolen or lost, but we’ll detail that a little later.
What should you do if your smartphone is lost or stolen?
Everything we’ve seen above is about measures to be taken on the upside. Here are the steps to follow if your smartphone is lost or stolen.
hang line
Is your smartphone lost or stolen? first thing to do contact your carrier to report this and can act accordingly. You can perform the transaction over the phone or through your client area (app or website).
The challenge, of course, is to find another device that will do this, as yours is no longer available. The operator will then continue disable sim card. Thus, you will not be charged for the charges incurred by the thief of your mobile phone.
If you are lucky enough to find the phone, it is possible to reactivate it. Otherwise, in order to keep your number and subscription, you will have to order a new SIM card from the operator, which usually charges 10 euros in such cases.
Find Android smartphone
Thanks to localization, you can try to find it. As we saw earlier, this feature needs to be enabled beforehand. happens later it is possible to locate your lost or stolen smartphone on a map (Google Maps).
You can also play, lock or wipe data remotely. For this you just need go to this web page From any browser on PC, another smartphone or tablet.
If the thief has turned off the smartphone, it becomes impossible to find it. But you can see smartphone was last seen open.
If the device has been dropped somewhere else and is in your home, you can steal it to find it easily. It works even in silent mode.
If you want to try to communicate with the person whose mobile phone is currently in hand, you can also do it through this interface. show message or contact phone number on screen. Who knows, a well-meaning person may have stumbled upon your smartphone and be ready to return it to you.
Wipe mobile data remotely
From the same Google platform described above, you will be able to lock the smartphone, as we have seen. You can disconnect your Google account and even delete all content on your mobilenot be accessible to third parties.
This step is sequential when you are pretty sure you will never see him again. Above all, do not hesitate if you have secret messages or you manage your bank accounts from your mobile phone.
Warning, it will no longer be possible to find the smartphone after the data is deleted. If the device is turned off during manipulation, the wiping will occur when it is turned on again.
Report theft (make a complaint)
Once you’ve secured your data, it’s time to report the theft or loss to the appropriate authorities, ie. police or gendarmerie service. You can do find your cell phone that is, albeit rare.
But this procedure must be done for several reasons. Before anything else, The officer who took your statement will ask for your IMEI number.so you should write it down as described earlier.
You can then send a copy of the ticket to your operator to prove it was stolen. The IMEI will then be recorded in a common database for all French operators and smartphone blocked across the region.
It doesn’t change much for you, but at least you avoid the easy resale of your cell phone. Complicating a thief’s life provides a kind of satisfaction, and if everyone makes this little effort, stealing cell phones for resale will become less interesting and likely reduce these actions.
Unfortunately, it remains possible to resell smartphones blocked in France abroad, where they are perfectly reusable. But blocking the IMEI on French networks makes the smartphone unusable in France.
Before going to the police station, make sure you know the following in addition to the IMEI number: laptop make and model, Phone numbers associated with SIM cards and the identity of the operator(s) providing these SIMs.
You may also be asked to describe accessories (shell, guard, etc.) and will need to describe the conditions of the flight (location, exact date, etc.). If you are insured in case of phone theft and you want to seek your rights, it is also mandatory to file a complaint.
In this case, it is also recommended that you contact the insurance company quickly so they can explain the procedure to you and make your first statement to the insurer.
