EMERGENCY RESPONSE GUIDE

Quick response guides for common digital emergencies

1 Contain / 2 Recover / 3 Prevent

1 Contain

Stop the damage immediately

  1. Locate and lock your phone: iPhone at icloud.com/find, Android at google.com/android/find. Mark as lost to lock the screen and display a contact message.
  2. Remote wipe if stolen: If the phone is moving on the map or in an unknown location, trigger a remote erase. The wipe executes the next time the phone comes online.
  3. Call your carrier to suspend service: This prevents the thief from using your SIM for calls, texts, or intercepting 2FA codes.
  4. Change passwords for critical accounts from another device: Apple ID or Google account first, then email, then banking and social media.
  5. Update 2FA recovery methods: If your phone was used for two-factor authentication, update recovery methods on key accounts or alert those services that your phone is compromised.

2 Recover

Get back to normal

  1. File a police report if stolen. You will need this for insurance claims. Include make, model, and IMEI if possible.
  2. File an insurance claim if you have coverage (carrier insurance, AppleCare+ with theft and loss, or third-party).
  3. Set up your new phone and restore from backup. iCloud Backup for iPhone, Google Backup for Android.
  4. Remove the old device from your Apple or Google account device list.
  5. Verify mobile payment cards (Apple Pay, Google Pay) are suspended on the lost device.
  6. Monitor your phone bill and accounts for a few weeks for any unauthorized activity.

3 Prevent

Stop it from happening again

  • Use a strong PIN (6+ digits) or alphanumeric passcode with biometric lock
  • Set auto-lock to 30 seconds or 1 minute
  • Enable Find My iPhone or Find My Device and keep it active
  • Enable SIM PIN to prevent SIM misuse if the card is moved to another phone
  • Keep cloud backups enabled so a lost phone does not mean lost data
  • Use a password manager so app logins can be changed quickly from any device

Key Contacts

Find My Device

Major Carriers

  • AT&T: 800-331-0500
  • Verizon: 800-922-0204
  • T-Mobile: 800-937-8997

Outside the United States? View international reporting resources

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