Start with the location service your phone company provides
The fastest way to find a lost phone is through the service your phone company built in. Apple has Find My iPhone, Google has Find My Mobile, and Samsung has Find My Mobile. These services work even if your phone is off, locked, or in silent mode — as long as location services were turned on before you lost it.
You do not need an app. Go to the website on any computer or another phone: iCloud.com for Apple, Google.com/android/find for Android, or FindMyMobile.samsung.com for Samsung. Sign in with the same account you use on your phone. Within seconds you will see your phone's location on a map, sometimes down to the street address.
If your phone is nearby and on, you can make it ring at full volume even if it is set to silent. If it is far away or you cannot reach it, you can lock it remotely or erase it to protect your data. Do this step first before trying anything else.
Key Takeaways
- Your phone company's built-in location service (Find My iPhone, Find My Mobile, or Find My Mobile for Samsung) works through a website and shows your phone's location on a map.
- These services work even when your phone is off or locked, as long as location services were on before it was lost.
- You can make your phone ring at full volume, lock it remotely, or erase it from the website without needing to touch the phone itself.
- If the built-in service does not work, check your phone's last known location, contact your carrier, and file a police report if you suspect theft.
- Turning on location services and setting up your phone company's tracking service now prevents problems later.
What to do if your phone is not showing up on the map
If you sign in and your phone does not appear, location services were probably turned off before it was lost. This is common — many people disable location to save battery. In this case, the built-in service cannot help you find it.
Check the last known location the service recorded. Most services show the last time your phone connected to the network and where it was at that moment. This is usually hours or days old, but it narrows down where to search. Write down the address or intersection and search that area in person, or call nearby businesses to ask if anyone turned in a phone.
If your phone has a SIM card (most do), your carrier has a record of which cell towers it connected to. Call your carrier's customer service and tell them your phone is lost. They can sometimes narrow down the general area based on tower data, though this is less precise than location services.
Using Google Timeline if you have an Android phone
If you have an Android phone and location history was turned on, Google Timeline shows everywhere your phone has been for the past few months. Go to Google.com/maps/timeline on any computer and sign in with your Google account. You will see a map with your phone's movement history day by day.
Scroll back to the day you lost your phone and look at the last location recorded. This is often more detailed than the Find My Mobile map because it shows your phone's path throughout the day, not just a single point. If you lost your phone at work or a store, Timeline usually shows the exact building.
Timeline only works if location history was on before you lost the phone. If you never turned it on, it will not have any data to show you.
Contacting your carrier and filing a police report
Call your phone carrier (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or your regional carrier) and report the phone lost or stolen. They can disable the SIM card so no one can use your phone number or data plan. This protects you from unexpected charges and prevents someone from accessing your accounts through text message codes.
Ask the carrier if they have any location data from their network. Some carriers keep records of which towers your phone last connected to, though they may not share this without a police report. If you suspect the phone was stolen rather than simply lost, file a report with your local police department. Give them the phone's serial number (IMEI), which you can find on your carrier's account page or your original receipt.
A police report creates an official record and may help you recover the phone if someone tries to sell it or activate it on another network. It also documents the loss for insurance purposes if your phone is covered.
Preventing this from happening again
Turn on location services now, before you need them. On iPhone, go to Settings, Privacy, Location Services and turn it on. On Android, go to Settings, Location and turn it on. These settings drain battery slightly, but the trade-off is worth it — without them, the built-in tracking services cannot work.
Set up your phone company's tracking service while you still have your phone. Sign into iCloud.com, Google.com/android/find, or FindMyMobile.samsung.com and make sure your phone is registered. Test it by signing out and signing back in to confirm it shows your phone's location. This takes five minutes and can save you hours of searching later.
If you use your phone for work or have family members who need to reach you, consider setting up a trusted contact who can see your location in an emergency. Apple's Find My and Google's Family Link both allow this without sharing your location all the time.
What to do if your phone is truly gone and you cannot recover it
If you have searched everywhere, contacted your carrier, and the location service shows nothing, your phone is likely not coming back. At this point, focus on protecting your accounts. Change the passwords for email, banking, social media, and any other account that was on your phone.
Contact your bank and credit card companies to report the phone lost. Some banks will temporarily lock your account or issue a new card if they think there is a risk. Check your credit report through AnnualCreditReport.com to make sure no one opened accounts in your name.
Order a replacement phone from your carrier or a phone store. Bring your ID and account information. Your carrier can transfer your phone number to the new phone and restore your data from a backup if you had one set up. Most people recover most of their photos, contacts, and messages this way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find my phone if it is turned off?
It depends on the phone. iPhones with Find My can be located even when powered off, as long as location services were on before shutdown. Most Android phones cannot be found once they are off. If your phone is off and you cannot locate it, the last known location from before it shut down is your best lead.
What if someone else has my phone and they know my password?
If someone has your phone and knows your password, they can disable Find My or erase the phone themselves. Act fast — sign into your account on another device and lock or erase the phone immediately. Then change your password and contact your carrier to disable the SIM card. This prevents the person from using your phone number or data plan.
Does my phone have to be connected to WiFi or cellular to be found?
No. As long as your phone is powered on and location services were on before it was lost, the built-in tracking service can locate it through GPS, WiFi networks, and cell towers. It does not need an active data plan or WiFi connection, though it works faster with one.
Can I find my phone if I never set up the tracking service?
If you never signed into Find My, Find My Mobile, or your carrier's tracking service, the built-in location tools cannot help. Your only options are the last known location from your carrier, Google Timeline if you have an Android phone with location history on, or searching in person. This is why setting it up now, before you lose your phone, matters.
What if my phone is in airplane mode?
Airplane mode turns off cellular and WiFi but does not turn off GPS. iPhones can still be found through Find My even in airplane mode. Android phones may be harder to locate because they rely more on cellular and WiFi networks. If your phone is in airplane mode, the location may be less precise but still visible on the map.