How to Find a Lost or Stolen Phone
On Android, open Find Hub on another device, or go to android.com/find in a browser, and sign in with the phone's Google account. On iPhone, open the Find My app on another Apple device, or go to icloud.com/find. From there you can play a sound, see the phone on a map, mark it as lost with a contact message, or erase it. If it's been stolen, don't go after it yourself. Report it to the police and ask your carrier to suspend the line.
Free methods, step by step
- Android: open Find Hub. On another Android device, open the Find Hub app and sign in. If you don't have one, use a browser and go to android.com/find. Select the lost phone. You may be asked for its screen-lock PIN.
- iPhone: open Find My. On another Apple device, open Find My and choose Devices. Without one, sign in at icloud.com/find. Select the phone to see it on a map.
- Ring it if it's nearby. On Android, Play sound rings at full volume for 5 minutes, even on silent. On iPhone, tap Play Sound.
- Mark it as lost. On Android, choose Mark as lost, add a contact number and a message, and confirm. It locks the phone. On iPhone, choose Lost Mode, which locks the phone, shows your message and suspends Apple Pay cards.
- If there's no current location, check the last known one. Find My shows a last known location for up to seven days; icloud.com/find shows locations for up to 24 hours. Find Hub may show the last known location if the current one isn't available.
- Erase only as a last resort. Apple says erasing can't be undone. On iOS 15 or later you can still locate the phone after erasing; on Android, a factory-reset phone no longer appears in Find Hub.
Example walkthrough
Left on a bus
Illustrative example. The names, numbers and details are invented placeholders, not a real person or case.
You realise your Android phone is gone ten minutes after getting off a bus. On a friend's phone you open Find Hub, choose Sign in as guest and sign in. The map shows the phone moving along the bus route, so you mark it as lost with your partner's number on the lock screen and call the transit company's lost property line. The bus goes back to the depot, and you collect the phone the next morning. Had the map shown it in an unfamiliar flat, you'd have given the location to the police rather than going there.
If it's stolen
Report it to the police with the phone's IMEI (it's on the box, on your carrier account, or in your Google or Apple account's device list). Call your carrier to suspend the line and ask for an IMEI block. Change the passwords for your email and banking apps, starting from another device.
Set it up before you lose it
Check that Find Hub (Android, formerly Find My Device) or Find My (iPhone) is turned on now, note your IMEI, and use a screen lock. Without location and an account sign-in, there's nothing to find.
Common dead ends, and why they fail
- Apps or sites that "track any phone by number". Location comes from the phone's own Google or Apple account. A website can't locate a phone from its number.
- Tracking by IMEI yourself. Carriers use the IMEI to block a phone, not to give you its location.
- Location turned off or the battery dead. Then there's no live location, only a last known one if the phone sent it.
- Removing the phone from your account. Apple warns that removing it turns off Activation Lock, which makes it more useful to a thief.
What if nothing works
- Report it to the police with the IMEI, which Find Hub shows in the device's settings.
- Ask your carrier to suspend the line and block the phone.
- Change the passwords for your email, banking and social accounts from another device, and tell your bank if payment apps were on the phone.
- Check your insurance or the phone maker's cover.
What people search for on this topic
Methods dominate: "with another phone", "with google", "using gmail", "using email", "with imei number", "with phone number", and "which is switched off". Device names (Android, iPhone, Samsung) appear too.
"In my house" is a reminder that many searchers just need the ring-it feature. IMEI tracking is a common misconception: carriers and police use it, but you can't.
Google's top suggestions for how to find my lost phone (US, captured October 12, 2026):
- how to find my lost phone
- how to find my lost phone with another phone
- how to find my lost phone for free
- how to find my lost phone android
- how to find my lost phone with google
Autocomplete shows what people commonly type, not how many. There are no search volumes here. The method and the full capture are on our search demand page.
FAQ
Can I find my phone if it's switched off?
You can see its last known location. Some newer phones can still be located for a while after being switched off.
Can I track a phone with its IMEI number?
Not yourself. Carriers and police use the IMEI to block or trace a device.
Should I erase my phone right away?
Only when you don't expect to get it back. Erasing can stop you locating it afterwards.
Can I find my phone with another phone?
Yes. Sign in at android.com/find or icloud.com/find in another phone's browser.
Can a friend help me find my Android phone?
Yes. Google says a friend can open the Find Hub app, choose Sign in as guest, and let you sign in with your own account.
Where do I find my phone's IMEI if I've lost it?
On Android, open Find Hub on the web at android.com/find and select Settings next to the device. It may also be on the box or your carrier account.
Related guides
Also on Searches.com
Sources
Facts checked October 12, 2026 against the official sources linked on this page. Laws and fees change; check the source before you rely on a detail.