Record your IMEI
Keep a record of your phone's IMEI number so you can give it to your network provider if the phone is stolen.
Home / Safety Advice / Protect Your Mobile Phone
Furzedown Safer Neighbourhood Panel
Protect Your Mobile Phone
Simple settings and habits that can make your phone harder to misuse if it is lost or stolen — plus the steps to take quickly if theft happens.
📱 Ask a parent to help you carry out these actions if you prefer.
Set it up now
Protect the phone before you need to.
The strongest time to prepare is while the phone is still safely in your hands. Record key information, use the available security settings and make sure your data can be recovered.
Use biometric security
The supplied advice recommends using Face ID, facial recognition or fingerprint protection for the phone and important apps rather than relying only on passcodes.
Use a short auto-lock
Set the phone to lock automatically after a short period of inactivity.
Keep apps updated
Turn on automatic updates so your apps stay up to date.
Use tracking
Use a tracking app or the phone's built-in tracking service so you have a route to locate or secure the device.
Back up regularly
Back up your phone data regularly so it can be restored to a replacement phone if needed.
Use the protection built into your phone
iPhone and Android security settings.
The August 2026 mobile-safety advice highlights specific protections available on both iPhone and Android devices.
🍎 iPhone
Stolen Device Protection
Turn on Stolen Device Protection to help prevent important security settings being changed if the phone is stolen.
- Use Face ID for the phone and important apps.
- For important applications, press and hold the app and use Require Face ID or Hide and Require Face ID where available.
- If the phone is stolen, use Lost Mode from another device.
🤖 Android
Theft Detection Lock
Turn on Theft Detection Lock. The supplied advice notes that this can automatically lock the phone if it is snatched.
- Use fingerprint or facial recognition where available.
- Keep Android and apps set to update automatically.
- If the phone is stolen, use Remote Lock from another device.
Protect what is on the phone
Make personal information harder to access.
A stolen phone can expose more than the device itself. Think about login codes, personal documents and information visible on the lock screen.
🔕 Turn off message previews
Disable message previews on the lock screen so reset codes or login codes are not immediately visible to someone holding the phone.
🪪 Hide identity documents
If you keep photographs or copies of identity documents on your phone, store them in a hidden or protected folder.
📦 Keep a current backup
Regular backups make it easier to restore contacts, photos and other data to a replacement device.
📍 Check tracking is active
Make sure the tracking service you intend to use is switched on before anything happens to the phone.
Helping a younger person?
The original advice specifically suggests asking parents to carry out these actions if preferred. Going through the settings together can help make sure the protections are actually enabled.
If the phone is stolen
Act quickly and in the right order.
Use another device where possible, secure access to the phone and accounts, and report the incident through the appropriate police route.
1
Lock the phone remotely
Use Remote Lock on Android or Lost Mode on iPhone from another device.
2
Report it
The supplied advice says to contact 999 if it has just happened, or 101 afterwards.
3
Contact your provider
Ask your mobile network provider to block messages/service and give them the IMEI number you recorded.
4
Change important passwords
Change passwords for your email, important apps and banking apps.
Related safety information
More help on this website.
Mobile-phone theft can overlap with street robbery, fraud and account security, so these pages may also be useful.
This page is based on the Panel's mobile-phone protection advice supplied in September 2026.