A missing phone means a line that can be used at your expense, but above all an inbox, banking apps and social networks within reach of a stranger. The order of the steps matters: some only work while the device is still connected, others determine whether it can be permanently blocked or reimbursed by your insurer. Here is what to do, based on the factsheets from Service-Public.fr and the help pages from Apple and Google.
The first five minutes: locate, lock, erase
Service-Public.fr puts remote locating and locking at the top of the list of steps after a theft, provided the location feature has been enabled on the device. If you locate the phone, alert the police or gendarmerie: do not intervene yourself.
On an Android phone, Google‘s help page points to google.com/android/find, accessible from any browser. For it to work, the device must be switched on, connected to a mobile or Wi-Fi network, linked to a Google account and visible on Google Play, and the Find My Device app must be active (it is by default as soon as a Google account is added). Three actions are offered: make the phone ring at full volume for 5 minutes, even in silent mode; mark it as lost, which locks it and lets you display a number or message; or erase it. Erasing permanently deletes the data, though not necessarily what is on an SD card, and the device then no longer appears in Find My Device.
On an iPhone, Apple recommends searching for the device with the Find My app from another Apple device, from that of a Family Sharing member, or on icloud.com/find. Lost Mode locks the iPhone with your passcode and suspends Apple Pay cards. Remote erasure is irreversible: Apple advises launching it only after trying everything else. Importantly, keep the device in the Find My list, even after erasing it: according to Apple, removing it from that list removes Activation Lock, which would make it easier for a thief to resell.
The steps, in order
- Change your passwords from another device: email, bank, social networks. Service-Public.fr points out that they are stored in the phone’s apps. For Apple, also check your account at account.apple.com.
- Have the line suspended as soon as possible by your operator, via your customer account or its emergency number. Calls made before you report it are still billed to you. If you find the phone, the SIM card can be reactivated.
- Get the IMEI number, the device’s 15-digit identifier. The operator must give it to you when suspending the line; it also appears in your customer account, on the original box, or is displayed by dialling *#06# when you still have the phone in hand.
- File a police report in case of theft, at a police station or gendarmerie, giving the IMEI and as many details as possible (place, time, description). If the perpetrator is unknown, the report can be filed online on the “Ma Sécurité” service, which issues an electronic receipt. Abroad, you must go to a local police station.
- Wait for the device to be blocked: the police forward the request to the operator, which must block the device within a maximum of 4 days. It is the phone itself that becomes unusable, not just the line.
- Notify your insurer within 48 hours or a few days, depending on the contract. It will ask for the police report receipt. Apple adds that if you have AppleCare+ theft and loss coverage, you must not remove the device from your account before the claim has been fully approved.
Loss or theft: what changes
In the case of a simple loss, the dedicated Service-Public.fr factsheet specifies that there is no need to file a police report. You must, however, suspend the line, protect your data in the same way and then look for the device: with the organisation concerned if it was left on public transport or in a public place, otherwise at the town hall’s lost property office.
Several warnings apply in both cases. First, inventing a violent theft to get a better payout is fraud, and a false report is an offence punishable by 6 months in prison and a €7,500 fine. Second, coverage depends on the contract: some insurance policies cover theft with violence but not pickpocketing. Finally, loss or theft does not allow you to cancel a mobile plan if the minimum commitment period has not been reached.
Preparing before it happens
These steps are much simpler if you prepare for them. Service-Public.fr advises noting your IMEI somewhere other than on the phone, enabling location, encrypting the device and regularly backing up your data. On Android, Google states that a screen lock must be set (PIN, pattern or password) to benefit from the Find My Device network. In a small business that provides phones to its employees, recording each device’s IMEI and the account it is linked to avoids losing precious time on the day of a theft.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find the IMEI if I no longer have the phone?
In your customer account with the operator, on the original box, or by asking the operator, which must give it to you when you suspend the line.
Can I locate a phone that is switched off?
To secure or erase an Android phone remotely, Google requires it to be switched on and connected. For an offline iPhone, Apple states that erasure starts as soon as it reconnects.
Is an IMEI block permanent?
If the phone is found after being blocked, the line can be reactivated, but the device itself can no longer be used, according to Service-Public.fr.
Will Apple or my operator call me when they find my iPhone?
Apple warns that it will never contact you to say that a device has been found. Such a message is a scam attempt: do not share any passcode or password.
Sources
- Vol d'un téléphone portable — Service-Public.fr, 2025-09-01
- Perte d'un téléphone portable — Service-Public.fr, 2025-09-01
- Localiser un appareil Android égaré, le sécuriser ou en effacer les données — Android Help (Google), 2026-11-12
- Comment retrouver votre iPhone ou iPad égaré — Apple Support, 2026-09-22