Phone stolen with your passcode? What to do

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If your phone is stolen, mark it as lost straight away with Find My (iPhone) or Find Hub (Android), then change your Apple Account or Google password from another device. Ask your network to block the SIM and the phone's IMEI, and report the theft to the police online or on 101 to get a crime reference number.

Quick answer

From another device: mark the phone as lost at icloud.com/find or android.com/find. Change your Apple Account or Google password and sign the stolen phone out. Call your network, ideally within 24 hours, to bar the SIM and block the IMEI. Report the theft online or on 101 and note the crime reference number.

What should I do first if my phone is stolen?

Lock it. Lost Mode on iPhone locks the phone with your passcode and suspends the payment cards and passes you use with Apple Pay. Android's Mark as lost puts your contact details on the lock screen. Both work from another device, if Find My or Find Hub was on.

iPhone, using the Find My app on another Apple device

  1. In the Find My app, go to the Devices tab and select your missing iPhone.
  2. Tap the More button, scroll down to Lost iPhone and turn on Lost Mode.
  3. Add contact details if you want them shown, then tap Activate.

You can also do this at icloud.com/find, under All Devices.

Android, using Find Hub

  1. On another device, go to android.com/find or open the Find Hub app, and sign in to your Google Account.
  2. Select the stolen phone.
  3. Tap Mark as lost, then Next, add a message and contact details, and tap Mark as lost again.

If you can't sign in to your Google Account, Remote Lock lets you lock the phone at android.com/lock using your verified phone number, if it was turned on beforehand.

What if the thief knows my passcode?

Change your Apple Account or Google password straight away, from a device you still have. A passcode opens the phone, and the phone may be signed in to everything else, so sign it out of your account too.

Apple Account

  1. On another iPhone or iPad: Settings > [your name] > Sign-In & Security > Change Password. On a Mac: Apple menu > System Settings > [your name] > Sign-In & Security > Change Password. On the web: sign in at account.apple.com, then Sign-In and Security > Password.
  2. When asked, tap Remove Other Devices so other devices must sign in again.

If someone has already changed your Apple Account password, Apple says to reset it instead.

Google Account

  1. Open your Google Account in a browser (a private window, on a borrowed device).
  2. Under Your devices, select Manage devices, choose the stolen phone and select Sign out next to Account Access.
  3. In the Security section, select Signing in to Google, then Password, and set a new one.

If money has been taken, tell your bank and report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk, as the NCSC advises.

How do I block my SIM and IMEI in the UK?

Call your network provider. Ofcom says to do it as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours. Your provider can bar your SIM so calls can't be made on your account, and block the phone's IMEI so nobody else can use the handset. For Three, Virgin Mobile, Vodafone, EE and O2 customers who report within 24 hours, Ofcom says your bill for unauthorised use outside your allowance is capped at £100.

  1. Call your provider from another phone and report the theft.
  2. Ask them to bar the SIM and block the IMEI.
  3. Ask for a replacement SIM with your existing number. Ofcom says you don't need a new contract for this.

The IMEI is a 15-digit serial number. If you no longer have the phone, Citizens Advice says your provider can give it to you. On Android, Find Hub also shows it under the device's Settings.

How do I report a stolen phone to the police?

Report it online with your local force, or call 101, which police.uk lists for a stolen item. Call 999 instead if a serious offence is in progress or has just happened, or if someone is in immediate danger.

  1. Find your local force on police.uk and use its online form, or call 101.
  2. Give the phone's IMEI. Apple says the police may ask for your iPhone's serial number, which you can find without the phone.
  3. Write down the crime reference number. Citizens Advice says you'll need it to claim on insurance.
  4. Register your next phone on Immobilise, a database Ofcom says helps the police identify the owners of property they recover.

Should I erase my phone?

Only once you've given up on getting it back: Apple says erasing can't be undone, and an erased Android phone no longer shows in Find Hub. On iPhone, don't remove the phone from Find My or your Apple Account, even after erasing it, because Apple says that removes Activation Lock.

  1. iPhone: erase from the Find My app or icloud.com/find. If the phone is offline, the erase starts when it next connects.
  2. Android: in Find Hub, select the phone, tap Settings, then Factory reset.
  3. If you have AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, Apple says not to remove the iPhone from Find My or your Apple Account until your claim is fully approved.

How can I protect my next phone before it's stolen?

Turn on the theft features before you need them. On iPhone, Stolen Device Protection (iOS 17.3 or later) means that away from familiar places such as home or work, actions like turning off Lost Mode or using saved passwords need Face ID or Touch ID, with no passcode fallback. Changing your Apple Account password also needs an hour's wait.

  1. iPhone: Settings > Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, then turn on Stolen Device Protection. It needs two-factor authentication, Find My and Significant Locations on.
  2. Android: Settings > Google > All services > Theft protection. Turn on Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock and Remote Lock, and Identity Check if your phone lists it. Some features need Android 10 or later, others Android 15.
  3. Note your IMEI now: Ofcom says you can key *#06# into your phone.

Where Failshot fits

Failshot won't find your phone or stop a theft. What it adds is a photo. On iPhone, you turn Failshot on and lock the phone; whoever unlocks it lands in Failshot and is photographed. It doesn't photograph a wrong passcode at the iPhone Lock Screen. On Android it also photographs a wrong PIN, pattern or password at the real lock screen. The camera light shows each time it takes a photo.

Someone who knows your passcode can't switch it off: that needs Face ID (fingerprint or face on Android) or your own Failshot PIN plus your answer, and a wrong Failshot PIN takes another photo. With the optional web vault, photos are encrypted on the phone and viewable at failshot.app/vault if it's lost or stolen. Optional email alerts send the photo and the time. It's for your own phone only, coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Questions people also ask

Can Apple lock a stolen iPhone?

You can, through Find My. Lost Mode locks the iPhone with your passcode and suspends Apple Pay cards. If the thief knows your passcode, Stolen Device Protection helps: away from familiar locations, turning off Lost Mode needs Face ID or Touch ID, with no passcode alternative.

Should I remove my stolen phone from my Apple Account?

No. Apple says removing the device from your Find My list removes Activation Lock. Keep it on your account even after erasing it. If you're claiming on AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, Apple says to wait until the claim is fully approved.

What if Find My or Find Hub was turned off?

On iPhone, Apple says the phone won't appear in Find My, so you can't mark it as lost or erase it remotely. You can still change your Apple Account password, remove the phone from your account's devices list, block the SIM and IMEI with your network, and report it.

Do I report a stolen phone on 101 or 999?

Use 101 or your force's online form for a stolen item. Police.uk says to call 999 if a serious offence is in progress or has just happened, or if someone is in immediate danger. Keep the crime reference number for your insurer.

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