How to find a lost iPhone or Android phone
Locate, ring, lock, or erase a missing phone with Apple Find My or Google Find Hub and protect your accounts if it was stolen.
Find a missing iPhone
Open Find My on another Apple device, choose Devices, and select the missing iPhone. You can view its location, play a sound, get directions, or activate Lost Mode. You can also visit iCloud.com/find and sign in.
Lost Mode locks the phone and lets you display contact information. If the iPhone is offline, available location information may be limited and an action can remain pending until the device reconnects.
Find a missing Android phone
Open the Find Hub app on another Android device or go to android.com/find and sign in to the Google Account used on the missing phone. Select the device to locate it, play a sound, or secure it.
Find Hub works best when the phone has power, is connected, is signed in, and device finding was enabled. Google's offline-finding network may help on supported devices when the phone is temporarily offline.
What to do if the phone was stolen
Do not travel to an unfamiliar location or confront a suspected thief. Save screenshots of the location, contact local law enforcement, and report the phone to your wireless carrier so it can suspend service and flag the device.
Change important account passwords if you believe the phone was unlocked or your passcode was exposed. Review banking, email, social media, and password-manager sessions from another trusted device.
Erase only as a last resort
Remote erasing protects local data but cannot be undone. Try locating and locking the phone first. An erase request may begin when an offline phone reconnects.
For a stolen iPhone, Apple advises not removing it from Find My after erasing because removal disables Activation Lock. Follow the platform's instructions carefully before changing the device list or account ownership.
Frequently asked questions
Can I find a phone that is turned off?
You may see a last known or offline-network location if the feature was enabled and the device supports it. Live actions may wait until the phone reconnects.
Can I make a lost phone ring if it is silent?
Apple Find My and Google Find Hub can play a sound on a reachable device even when ordinary sound settings are low or silent.
Should I erase my lost phone immediately?
Usually lock it and try to locate it first. Erase it when recovery appears unlikely and protecting the data is more important, because erasing is irreversible.
Sources
Primary and official references used for this guide:
Published August 13, 2026 · Reviewed for clarity and source accuracy.