Smartphone is not only a personal device but also a digital device as now a days it carries lot of personal information like banking information, health information, photo and video information and others while on the move. Any loss of smartphone will definitely be misused, if it changes hands due to theft or forgetting the phone in a taxi or bus. So, it is all the more important to increase your chances of recovering the smartphone which is a personal device.

Tips & Tricks

Strong Password:
We should use a strong password of at least 8 characters which are a combination of letters, numbers and special characters. For e.g. instead of John2002 one can use John@#$2002 as password or even stronger password so that it is not cracked.

Backup your Data Regularly:
Now a days, service providers, mobile phone vendors and operating systems provide free over-the-air backup for photos, videos and contacts. One can select the source which will make it easier to retrieve one's photos, videos and contacts should the next phone be from a different operator or vendor. One can also store photo and videos on cloud service provider network so that one can retrieve the photos and videos whenever the phone is lost or stolen easily.

Record Smartphone's Unique ID Number:
All smartphones have a unique serial number known as an IMEI (International Mobile Station Equipment Identity). One need to write these numbers and keep in a secure place. The service provider already has this 15-digit number and user may be able to use it to put the phone on a missing phone list if it is stolen or misplaced. One can also find smartphone's IMEI number by dialing *#06# on your mobile phone screen in one's phone's settings or in the battery compartment. Police in India ask for these numbers when you report for an FIR (First Information Report). And if perchance, the police department retrieves the phone they can return it to you on the basis of IMEI number.

Install Phone Tracking Apps:
One needs to install device tracking apps for tacking location of their phones in case of loss or theft. These apps can be downloaded from Google Play Store. For this to be functional, the user must turn on data connection or Wi-Fi connection.

After Smartphone is Stolen:
When mobile equipment is stolen or lost, the owner can contact the local operator with a request that it should be blocked from the operator's network. If the local operator possesses an Equipment Identity Register (EIR), it then may put the device IMEI into it, and can optionally communicate this to shared registries, such as the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) which blacklists the device in switches of other operators that use the CEIR. With this blacklisting, the device becomes unusable on any operator network. Also inform banking institutions about the loss of phone so that there is no misuse. And last also report to the police about the loss of phone for record purpose.