Our smartphones form an integral part of our lives. Let’s face it: whether you are a student or a working professional; you simply cannot go a day without your smartphone.

It is the only gadget that goes with you wherever you go – at work or school, on a date, by your bedside, in a meeting or simply while having lunch – it is the last thing you look at before going to bed at night and the first thing you look at when you wake up. Your smartphone is always by your side.

Unfortunately, this combined with the fact that there is a growing market for cheap smartphones also means that your smartphone is always at a greater risk of being stolen. It could be as simple as forgetting it somewhere or even having it snatched right up from you.

Today we are going to share certain tips on how to prevent smartphone thefts and what to do in case it’s already gone. This is for both Android smartphones and iOS.

While we wish that you never experience smartphone thefts or that you lose your smartphone, it is something that can happen to anyone. So here are a few preventive & preparatory tips for you.

1 – Be Aware

In a previous article, we talked about why you should care about Mobile Security. We are pretty sure people have told you this before. But let’s reiterate it for you; you are extra cautious about your wallet, your cards, and your money – right? Your smartphone is an expensive gadget and needs to be taken care of the same way.

Keep it in your pockets when not in use. Also always make sure it is with you before leaving a place.

2 – Add Contact Info to your Lock Screen

It is always a great idea to add a contact name and number to your lock screen. In the event that you lose your phone and someone finds it, they will know whom to call. Add the contact of someone you trust and notify this person.

3 – Keep it Locked

You might have received the advice not to lock your phone with a password so that if something was to happen to you, people could pick up your phone and call your most recent contacts.

If you’re worried about emergencies, make sure you add the emergency contact info to your lock screen like we said above. However, please ensure that your phone is locked. This makes sure your data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands in the event of smartphone thefts.

If your phone supports the fingerprint unlocking, we strongly suggest you use it for extra protection.

4 – Get Tracking

There are many ways to find a lost device. If you’re an Android user, Google made it easy to find your lost phone. Simply log in to your smartphone’s Google account and search for “Find my phone” in the Google search engine.

You will be able to :

Locate your phone,

Make it ring,

Lock it remotely,

Sign out of your account on your lost phone, and

Leave an emergency number on the screen.

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Another way is to visit Google’s Android Device Manager. Once you sign in to your Google account, you will be able to :

Ring your phone – even if you have the ringer turned down or off,

Lock your phone and display a message on the locked screen, and

Remotely wipe your phone – which essentially means deleting all your data. For iOS users, similar functionalities are available via iCloud. All you have to do is sign in to your iCloud account and select the icon “Find iPhone”. From there you have three choices of action: Play sound – to locate your iPhone nearby Lost mode – to lock your screen remotely, display a message, and enter a phone number to call. Someone can then use your iPhone to call this number. Erase iPhone –to wipe your iPhone of all your data. You can also use the app Find My iPhone from any other iOS device.

For iOS users, similar functionalities are available via iCloud. All you have to do is sign in to your iCloud account and select the icon “Find iPhone”. From there you have three choices of action:

5 – Back Up Your Data

We take photos, record videos and save files on our phones every day. These are precious and could be lost forever in the event that you lose your phone. That is why we recommend that you backup your phone’s data to your computer on a regular basis. The easiest way to do it is to set up your smartphone so that it automatically backs up to the cloud when connected to Wi-Fi.

Losing your smartphone is never pleasant. We hope the above information helps you maintain cognizance when handling your phone. We also hope that you never lose your phone.

Do you have any other tricks to prevent smartphone thefts and protect your information? Share it in the comments below!