Was your mobile phone stolen or did you just misplace it? It is essential to lock it so that no one can enter the mobile system and access your personal data. Fortunately, it is possible to block it through some free services and remotely installed apps. So you can protect all the content of your Smartphone.

Both Android and iOS operating systems have a mechanism to restrict mobile phone access remotely. It is also possible from Samsung’s “Find My Mobile” platform, exclusive to the South Korean brand’s devices. Certainly, you will not have the assurance of recovering your Smartphone, but at least you will protect your data. Here are the steps to block a lost or stolen mobile.

Android devices can be locked using the “Find My Device” system, which will also serve you to know the location of the Smartphone in real time. This is the first thing to do, immediately after noticing that your device is no longer around. You will be able to easily locate it.

You must do the following:

  • From a friend’s smartphone or your computer, enter “Find My Device”.
  • Add your Google login information.
  • On the screen, you will see the mobiles linked to your account.
  • Click the device you are interested in.
  • If the mobile phone is connected to the Internet and GPS is activated, you will know its position in real time. Otherwise, it will appear as unavailable.
  • On the left side of the screen, you have the option to lock the device, tap on it.
  • At the same time, you can take the opportunity to send a message to the person who is in possession of your mobile and leave the number where you will be reachable.

You also have the possibility to sound an alarm at maximum volume to destabilize the thief. Eventually, you will be able to delete all the information stored on your mobile phone.

Now let’s see how to limit access to an iPhone or iPad that has been stolen:

  • In the browser, go to “Find My iPhone”. You can also use the app to locate the mobile installed by default.
  • Enter your iCloud details to sign in to your account.
  • All devices affiliated with this data will appear.
  • Check if your iPhone location can be tracked in real-time.
  • To lock your mobile, you need to click on “Lost Mode”. You can also send a message to the person holding the iPhone in their hands and leave a number to reach you.
  • You will have the option to create a new password to access the mobile.

Good to know : just like on Android, with iOS devices, you can also trigger a remote alarm to scare the thief. Finally, if you really don’t have any hope of recovering your device, you can delete all the information stored in the memory remotely.

See also How to unlock your mobile if you forgot the passcode?