Lost Your Cell Phone?

That’s a question that elicits panic in any smart phone owner. But try not to be mad at yourself if you lost or misplaced your phone. You’re in good company. According to a 2014 study by Lookout, a security firm, over 2400 people in the EU responded to a survey where 44% reported losing their smart phones. 

I’ve been in that pickle several times. In 2017, at the Denver Airport, I left my iPhone in the restroom. Once I had realized it missing, I retraced my steps and discovered the phone gone. I had a flight leaving soon to Los Angeles, so I hustled unhappily to my gate. My friend Judy was waiting for me and when I got within a few feet of her, she raised her hand. “Lose this?” A man had found the phone, called my most recent contact, and left it with her on his way to his flight. What a mensch! 

More recently, I lost my phone in my condo. I gave up after hours of searching. Since I live alone and don’t have a landline to call my cell number, I threw in the towel. At 4:00 AM I awoke to an inner voice. “Look under the night table.” Groggy and desperate, I would listen to anyone with an idea, so I stuck my hands under the table and touched the hard frame of a smart phone. A wave of relief washed over me. 

Not everyone is as lucky. I did a bit of research and uncovered a few smart steps people can take if they lose their phones. 

1. Use a friend’s phone and call your number. Perhaps some kind soul found it and is delighted to return it to its rightful owner. 
2. Report to your carrier the loss of your phone to avoid unauthorized cellular usage. Here’s the contact information of the four largest cellular carriers in the United States:

AT&T: 1-800-331-0500 or www.att.com/suspend

Sprint: 1-888-211-4727 or https://www.sprint.com/en/support/solutions/device/report-that-your-device-is-lost-or-stolen.html 

T-Mobile: 1-877-746-0909 or https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-1211 

Verizon: 1-800-922-0204 or https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/suspend-service-faqs/#lost-stolen

• If you can’t find your phone, erase all your data from your iCloud or Google accounts. Also, contact your service provider and ask them to suspend your SIM card so a thief can’t access your mobile wallet. 
• Smartphone companies offer cloud services where your phone data is stored. To prevent the thief from getting your information, change your cloud password and the passwords for your bank, social media, email, and other accounts. It’s better to be safe now than sorry later. 

I’ve been lucky, but many people who lose their cell phones, aren’t. The last time I lost my phone I couldn’t play any of its games, texting my daughters was out, and discovering my calendar plans for the next day wouldn’t happen. First designed for voice communication, smart phones today give us email, access to the Internet, take our pictures, serve as personal digital assistants, and provide our music. We lived nicely without them in the 20^th century, but they’ve become an integral part of our lives today. 

My father used to say, “Find a place to put (whatever), and always store it there.” Follow his sage advice and use the same pocket or section of your purse for your phone when you leave your home and place it in its charger when you arrive home. 

Michael Thal is the author of The Lip Reader.