Losing your phone in a foreign city is stressful: it holds your tickets, maps, bank cards and photos. Do not panic. Work through these steps in order – the first ones matter most.
1. Try to locate it
From a friend's phone, a laptop or a hotel computer, sign in to Find My at icloud.com/find (iPhone) or Find My Device at google.com/android/find (Android). If the phone still has battery and a connection, you may see where it is. Left it in a café or taxi? Call the place first.
2. Lock it remotely
Mark the phone as lost. This locks it, shows a message with a contact number on the screen and pauses Apple Pay or Google Wallet. Only erase the phone remotely when you are sure it will not come back – after erasing, you can no longer locate it.
3. Protect your money and accounts
- Call your bank to block cards that were in your mobile wallet if you think the phone was stolen.
- Change the password of your main e-mail account first, then banking and social media.
- Ask your mobile operator to block the SIM card, so nobody can receive your verification codes.
4. Report it
If it was stolen, report it to the police. Your travel insurance will almost always ask for the police report, so keep a copy. Write down your phone's IMEI number if you can find it (it is on the original box or in your Apple or Google account).
5. Get back online
You need a working phone for the rest of your trip. Your photos, contacts and apps come back from your iCloud or Google backup when you set up another phone. Read our backup checklist to check what is saved.
Found your phone but it is damaged? Many repairs are done while you wait.
PhonePlus, Binnen Bantammerstraat 4, Amsterdam – near the Nieuwmarkt and about ten minutes' walk from Centraal Station. Walk in without an appointment.
- Monday: 10:00–19:00
- Tuesday to Saturday: 11:00–21:00
- Sunday: 12:00–21:00
Prevention for the rest of your trip
- Keep the phone in a front or zipped pocket in crowded places like trams, Dam Square and the Red Light District.
- Turn on Find My or Find My Device now, and check that backups are on.
- Set a screen lock with a code, not only a swipe.
