How to Find a Lost Android Phone or iPhone

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How to Find a Lost Android Phone or iPhone

Left your phone in a taxi, can't find it at home, or think it was stolen? Both Android and iPhone have free, built-in tools to show it on a map, make it ring, lock it and - as a last resort - erase it. You need another device (a computer, tablet or a friend's phone) and your account password.

Only use these tools on your own phone. Tracking someone else's phone without their permission is not OK and is illegal in many places.

Find a Lost Android Phone (Google Find Hub)

Google's tool is called Find Hub (earlier called Find My Device). Google says it's turned on automatically on phones with a Google Account signed in.

On any browser, go to android.com/find (or open the Find Hub app on another Android device).
Sign in with the Google Account that's on the lost phone.
Select the phone at the top if you have several devices.

You'll see its location on the map, plus these options:

Play sound - rings at full volume for about 5 minutes, even if the phone is on silent. Best for "somewhere in the house".
Mark as lost (called Secure device in some versions) - locks the phone with its PIN, pattern or password. You can add a message or contact number to the lock screen.
Factory reset device (or Erase device) - permanently deletes everything on the phone. Google notes it may not delete an SD card. After an erase, the phone can no longer be located.

Samsung phones can also be found with Samsung's own service (SmartThings Find) if it was set up on the phone - that uses your Samsung account instead.

Find a Lost iPhone (Apple Find My)

On a computer or any browser, go to icloud.com/find and sign in with your Apple Account (Apple ID). Or open the Find My app on another Apple device you own and go to Devices.
Select your iPhone.

The options are:

Play Sound - useful when it's nearby.
Mark As Lost (Lost Mode) - Apple says this locks the iPhone with its passcode and suspends Apple Pay cards. You can show a phone number and message on the lock screen.
Erase This Device - deletes everything. Use it only when you're sure it's gone.

Directions in the Find My app take you to where the iPhone is.

With Stolen Device Protection turned on, Apple notes that Face ID or Touch ID is needed to turn off Lost Mode - so even someone who knows your passcode is locked out.

Phone Shows No Location?

It's off, out of battery or offline: you may see only its last known location. Both Google's and Apple's networks can use other nearby devices to report a phone's location, depending on the model and settings. Newer iPhones can be found for some hours after they power off.
Location or the finder was turned off on the phone: the map won't help. Mark it as lost anyway - the lock still applies when the phone connects to the internet again.
Wrong account: sign in with the exact Google Account or Apple Account that's on the phone.

If You Think It Was Stolen

Mark it as lost straight away (Android or iPhone steps above). Don't go to the location yourself - contact the police.
Change the passwords of your Google Account or Apple Account, then your email and banking apps. See how to recover a hacked Google account if you see sign-ins you don't recognise.
Call your mobile carrier to block the SIM, so no one can use your number (or receive your security codes by text).
Report it to the police. You'll need the phone's IMEI or serial number - it's in your carrier account, on the original box, or in your Google Account's device list or Apple Account's device list.
Contact your bank if payment apps or cards were on the phone.
Erase it once you're sure it won't come back. Don't remove it from your account before erasing: on both systems the lock that stops a thief from setting the phone up again (Google Account protection, iPhone Activation Lock) depends on it staying linked to you.

Be Ready Before It Happens

Take two minutes now:

Android: check Settings > Google > All services > Find Hub (or search Settings for "Find Hub") and make sure it's on. Google also says to set a PIN, pattern or password so the network can help find it.
iPhone: open Settings > [your name] > Find My > Find My iPhone and make sure it's on, along with Find My network and Send Last Location. Turn on Stolen Device Protection in Settings > Face ID & Passcode.
Use a screen lock and turn on two-step verification for your accounts - see how to turn on two factor authentication.
Keep a backup of photos and contacts so losing the phone doesn't mean losing everything.

Menu names change between Android makers and iOS versions. If a menu isn't where described, use the search bar at the top of Settings.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I find my lost Android phone from a computer?

Go to android.com/find in a browser and sign in with the Google Account used on the phone. Google's Find Hub shows the phone's location and lets you play a sound, mark it as lost, or erase it.

How do I find my iPhone from someone else's phone or a computer?

Go to icloud.com/find and sign in with your Apple Account, or use the Find My app on another Apple device you own. Select the iPhone to see it on a map, play a sound, mark it as lost or erase it.

Can I find my phone if it's turned off?

Sometimes. Both Google's Find Hub network and Apple's Find My network can show a device's last known or recent location, depending on the model and settings. Newer iPhones can be found for a while after they switch off.

Should I erase my lost phone straight away?

Not straight away. First try to locate it and mark it as lost - that locks it. Erase it only when you're sure you won't get it back, because after erasing you usually can no longer track it.