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My Phone Was Stolen — What Should I Do?

Your phone is gone, and it likely has access to your email, banking apps, WhatsApp, and other accounts. Acting quickly reduces what someone can do with it.

What to do now

If your phone was stolen, contact your mobile provider, lock or locate the device if possible, secure important accounts and change credentials that may have been accessible from the phone.

Do this now

Use a computer or another phone to log into your device's 'Find My' service (Find My iPhone or Find My Device for Android) and mark it as lost, which can lock it remotely.
Contact your mobile provider to block the SIM card and prevent calls, texts, and data use.
Change the password on your email account, since email is often the key to resetting everything else.

Then do this

Change passwords on banking, social media, and messaging apps, starting with anything without a lock screen requirement.
Log out of WhatsApp Web and any other linked sessions from another device.
Report the theft to the South African Police Service and get a case number, which insurers and providers may require.

Check these things

Was the phone locked with a PIN, password, biometric, or nothing at all?
Which apps were logged in and didn't require re-authentication?
Is the phone insured, and what does the policy require for a claim?

Don't do this

Don't wait until the next day to lock accounts and report the SIM.
Don't assume a screen lock alone makes every app on the phone safe.

When should I get help?

Contact your mobile provider immediately to block the SIM.
Contact your bank if banking apps were installed on the phone.
Report to the South African Police Service for a case number.

Related help

Your situation may involve more than one issue. These related guides can help you work through the next step.

I Think I Was SIM Swapped — What Should I Do?If your phone suddenly loses mobile service without an obvious reason and you suspect a SIM swap, contact your mobile provider immediately and secure important accounts using trusted recovery methods.I Think Someone Has Access to My Account — What Do I Do?If you see activity you don't recognise, secure the affected account directly, change the password, enable MFA, review recent activity and linked devices, and contact the provider if necessary.Someone Has My Personal Information — What Should I Do?If your personal information has been exposed, work out exactly what information was shared, secure affected accounts, watch for suspicious activity and avoid giving the same information to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly.

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