Start with the built-in tracking tools on your phone
Your phone has a tracking system already installed, and it works even if your phone is off or the screen is locked. On an iPhone, this is called Find My iPhone. On Android phones, it is called Find My Mobile (Samsung) or Find My Device (Google). These tools let you see your phone's location on a map from any web browser or another device.
To use Find My on an iPhone, go to iCloud.com on any computer or borrow another iPhone. Sign in with your Apple ID — the same one you use for your phone. Click Find My iPhone, then select your phone from the list. The map will show you where it is right now. You can also make it play a loud sound, lock it remotely, or erase it if you think it is gone for good.
For Android, go to google.com/android/find on any computer. Sign in with your Google account. You will see your phone on a map. You can ring it, lock it, or erase it from this screen. If you have a Samsung phone, you can also use Samsung Find Mobile at findmymobile.samsung.com — it works the same way.
Key Takeaways
- Find My iPhone and Find My Device work even if your phone is off or locked, and you can access them from any computer using your account login.
- If your phone is nearby, use the sound feature to locate it — the phone will ring at full volume for two minutes even in silent mode.
- If your phone is lost far away, check the location history to see where it last connected, then contact local police or your phone carrier with that address.
- Turn on location tracking before you lose your phone by enabling Find My on iPhone or Find My Device on Android in your settings.
- If tracking shows your phone is gone and you cannot recover it, remote erase will wipe your data, but you should also contact your carrier to deactivate the phone line.
Use the sound feature if your phone is nearby
If you lost your phone in your house, car, or somewhere close by, the sound feature is the fastest way to find it. When you click Play Sound in Find My or Find My Device, your phone will ring at maximum volume for two minutes. It will ring even if you set it to silent mode, so you will hear it.
Walk around your home or the area where you think you left it and listen. Check under cushions, in jacket pockets, between car seats, and anywhere you usually set it down. The sound will keep playing for the full two minutes, giving you time to follow it.
Check the location history if your phone is far away
If the map shows your phone is somewhere you cannot reach — at a store, a restaurant, or a friend's house — the location tells you where to look. Write down the address or the name of the place. Call that location and describe your phone: the model, the color, and any case it has. Ask if anyone turned in a phone.
If no one has it, the location history can also tell you if your phone moved after you lost it. If the dot on the map is moving, someone has your phone. If it has stayed in one spot for hours, your phone is probably sitting where you left it and the battery has not died yet.
Contact your phone carrier if tracking does not work
If Find My or Find My Device shows no location, your phone is either off, has no battery, or is not connected to the internet. Call your phone carrier — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or whoever you pay each month — and tell them you lost your phone. They can see the last place your phone connected to their network, which narrows down where to search.
Your carrier can also suspend your phone line right away. This stops anyone from using your phone to make calls or send texts, and it prevents them from running up charges on your account. You can reactivate the line later if you find your phone, or switch to a new phone once you have filed a report.
File a police report if you think it was stolen
If the location shows your phone is at an address you do not recognize, or if it moved after you lost it, contact your local police non-emergency line. Give them the address where your phone is located and explain that you lost it. They can check whether the location is a known theft hotspot or a pawn shop.
A police report also protects you if someone uses your phone to open accounts or make purchases in your name. Keep the report number and share it with your phone carrier and your bank. This creates a record that the phone was not in your possession when the fraud happened.
Turn on location tracking now to prepare for the future
The tracking tools only work if you turned them on before you lost your phone. On iPhone, go to Settings > Your Name > Find My and turn on Find My iPhone. Make sure Find My Network is also on — this lets your phone report its location even if it is not connected to Wi-Fi or cellular.
On Android, go to Settings > Google > Manage Your Google Account > Security and turn on Find My Device. On Samsung phones, go to Settings > Accounts and Backup > Samsung Account and turn on Find Mobile.
Once tracking is on, your phone will send its location to the company's servers every time it connects to the internet. This happens in the background and does not drain your battery or use much data.
Erase your phone remotely if you cannot recover it
If your phone is gone and you do not think you will find it, you can erase all your data from the tracking website. In Find My iPhone, click Erase iPhone. In Find My Device, click Erase Device. This wipes your photos, messages, passwords, and everything else on the phone. The phone will no longer show up in your tracking app.
Before you erase, make sure you have a backup. iPhones back up to iCloud automatically if you turned it on. Android phones back up to Google automatically. You can also check your computer to see if you have a recent backup there. Once you erase, you cannot undo it, so be certain first.
After you erase, call your carrier again and ask them to deactivate the phone line permanently or switch it to a new phone. This stops anyone from using the phone number even if they somehow reactivate the device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find my phone if it is turned off?
Yes, on both iPhone and Android. The phone stores its last known location before the battery died, and the tracking system can show you that spot. However, if the phone stays off, it cannot send you a new location, so the map will not update.
What if I never turned on Find My before I lost my phone?
You cannot use the built-in tracking. Your only option is to call your phone carrier and ask for the last location where your phone connected to their network. This is less precise than Find My, but it can still point you to a general area.
Will Find My work if someone else has my phone?
Yes. The tracking system works as long as the phone is powered on and connected to the internet. The person holding your phone cannot turn off Find My without knowing your password, so you can locate it even if someone else is using it.
Can I see what someone is doing on my lost phone?
No. Find My and Find My Device only show you the location. They do not let you see messages, photos, or activity. If you are worried about privacy, use the remote erase feature to wipe the phone, then contact your bank and email provider to change your passwords from a different device.
Does Find My drain my phone battery?
No. The tracking system uses very little power. It only sends your location when your phone connects to the internet, which happens anyway when you use apps or check email. Turning on Find My will not noticeably shorten your battery life.