How to protect your data in case your phone is stolen — and what to do if it's just happened

Met Police figures showed almost 250 phones were stolen per day in London in 2022, the BBC reported, so knowing how to protect your data is vital.

The average person will have reams of personal data on their phones, from finances and emails to photos and personal documents.

If your phone is stolen, this could mean that all of that personal information is vulnerable.

Thankfully, if that happens there are ways to help protect yourself and your data.

Here’s the latest advice from the Met Police on doing this.

How to protect your data if your phone is stolen

The first step is to ensure you secure your phone to make it harder for anyone to get into it.

For example, choose a strong PIN, passcode, password, or pattern that prevents people from unlocking your phone. Make sure it’s not something that can be easily guessed (e.g. repetitive numbers such as 1111).

If your phone is ever stolen, your IMEI number can help to track it down. Make sure you find it out by typing *#06# on your phone keypad and keep a record of it somewhere apart from your phone.

You could also use a tracking app or Apple’s ‘Find My Device’ feature to see the location of your device. Most of these services require setting up in advance and can also be disabled by thieves, so move quickly once you realise a device has been stolen.

Another measure that needs to be taken in advance is turning off message previews. This ensures any bad actors won’t be able to see reset or login codes without unlocking your phone. This can help protect other accounts linked to your phone, including email or bank accounts.

You also need to ensure you have access to your data without your phone through any or many of the following means:

• Back up your phone data regularly, automatically over Wi-Fi, or by plugging it into a computer.

• Ensure there’s another location you can get access codes sent to (two-factor authentication codes) to access your data from another device, including a laptop or tablet.

• Plan by keeping important information like family and friends’ phone numbers and passwords somewhere else secure, not just on your phone.

What to do if your phone is stolen

If your phone has been stolen, the first step is to file a police report.

At the same time, use the location tracking systems to see if you can locate your device.

Consider changing passwords to any important accounts that can be accessed from your phone, such as email, bank accounts, and more.

If you have the option, ask those account providers to force logging out on all other devices. As such, if the thief does gain access to your phone, they won’t be able to access anything else.