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Your Tech Makeover is a practical tech podcast for everyday people who want clearer answers about phones, passwords, Wi-Fi, smart home devices, online safety, and AI, without the jargon.
If technology often feels harder than it should, you are not alone. Frank Bravo breaks down what matters in plain English so you can make better choices, avoid common mistakes, and feel more confident day to day.
Each episode focuses on one topic you can use right away: backups, scams and phishing, subscriptions, cloud storage, video calls, travel tech, accessibility, and more. The goal is simple: help you get more out of the tech you already own.
New episodes drop every two weeks. Listen wherever you get podcasts, and visit YourTechMakeover.com for show notes and links.
00;00;00;13 - 00;00;21;17
Speaker 1
You know, you should have a plan for this. Everyone does. If your phone or tablet gets stolen, you're supposed to do something with fine mind. Maybe something with your carrier, something with your accounts. But if I asked you to write down that plan right now without looking anything up, could you? Most people would say no, and just thinking about it is just going to make them more stressed.
00;00;21;17 - 00;00;42;08
Speaker 1
But today we're going to fix all that. First, we're going to do what you want to do when life is normal, when you're not inventing the plan in a panic. And then if this ever happens to you, what you can do. You can treat this episode as prep, as a reaction guide or both. Book market, share it with someone else, or just listen once and let your brain file it away.
00;00;42;14 - 00;00;56;24
Speaker 1
Either way, you'll leave with an actual order of operations of what to do. On the off chance this ever happens to you.
00;00;56;27 - 00;01;14;16
Speaker 1
Welcome to your Tech Makeover, the podcast that gives you tips and tricks to help you simplify and get more out of the technology in your life. I'm your host, Frank Bravo. Today's topic is what to do if your phone is stolen or lost in a way that makes you feel worried that it's fallen into the wrong hands. As always, we're staying super practical.
00;01;14;16 - 00;01;39;27
Speaker 1
Will focus on the phones first, because that's where your carrier and text messages security matters the most. But if it happens to your laptop or your tablet because they were in the same bag, they got to take in, all that still applies. So let's get into it. The worst moment is not the theft itself. It's the ten minutes after when your brain starts racing, when you're trying to remember whether you turn something on six months ago.
00;01;39;27 - 00;02;01;12
Speaker 1
So I'll frame this with what you keep. There's four buckets. Locate the and lock your hardware. Cut off cell service if you need to. Wipe the device. If the situation calls for it, then treat your accounts like something you might already have somebody inside of them. You don't have to do everything all at once, but you do have to do the first things first.
00;02;01;13 - 00;02;23;15
Speaker 1
If you have another phone or a tablet or a laptop with you, use that. If you're with somebody you trust, you can borrow theirs. But if there's no device at all using the carrier store computer or the hotel front desk, if you're on a travel, then that absolutely works as well. This checklist works. It just moves a little slower in those cases.
00;02;23;17 - 00;02;45;08
Speaker 1
So before anything bad happens, you need to make sure that your find my option is turned on. This is allowing you to set up your phone on a map. It may be plays a sound, it puts it in lost mode and you can even erase it remotely. Apple bundles this together and it's part of your Find my and your Apple ID it's something that you control on Android.
00;02;45;08 - 00;03;01;05
Speaker 1
The equivalent of Find My device is the same thing. It ties your Google account the same idea. There's a map you can lock, you can erase, and it shows a message on the lock screen if you don't have your device with you. If you haven't checked it in a while, open up your settings on your phone and search for.
00;03;01;05 - 00;03;22;16
Speaker 1
Find me to confirm that it's on. Confirm that your Apple ID and password or your Google password is up to date. And you know what it is. If you use two factor authentication tied to your phone, you've heard me talk about two factor authentication on a way to keep devices safe. You know, you want to make sure that there is a backup method that you don't depend on, just that device in order to get into it.
00;03;22;17 - 00;03;39;05
Speaker 1
You could always print a copy and put it in a safe place, maybe another trusted device at home. This is exactly what that's for. And this is the moment to make sure that the lock screen also has a pin on it. You know, you put in a code or it has a passkey or a fingerprint or face unlock.
00;03;39;06 - 00;04;04;25
Speaker 1
This way, if your phone is taken, it's not an open book. Quick shout out to listeners like you who helped make your tech make over possible. Your support helps keep this podcast going and I truly appreciate it. Want to contribute? Just click on the link in the show notes or visit your Tech Makeover. Plus, as a special thank you, supporters who give $25 or more will get $25 off a one time consultation with me to help you simplify your tech.
00;04;04;27 - 00;04;22;25
Speaker 1
Thanks for being part of the Your Tech Makeover community. Now back to what I was saying. Right after you realize it's gone. The first thing you need to do is locate it, lock it, and put a message on it. Those are where you use these other devices, maybe a web browser to sign into your iCloud or on your Android device.
00;04;22;25 - 00;04;46;00
Speaker 1
Sign in to Android on your Google devices, see whether the phone is still online, and if it is, you have options immediately. If your phone is on, you can turn on lost Mode. This usually locks the screen with the passcode you choose. Suspend cards in your wallet that are attached to your phone, and let you put a short message and a callback number on the screen.
00;04;46;00 - 00;05;05;06
Speaker 1
Somewhat honest, might come across your phone, see it, and contact you. Someone dishonest at least knows that you're dealing with it. And it's a brick. Now that they can't easily turn around and sell as a working phone on an Android device, you're going to want to use the secure device in the Find My devices. Same story. You just lock it and it shows a message in a number.
00;05;05;06 - 00;05;31;12
Speaker 1
If you think your phone is simply misplaced, not stolen, play the sound before you go nuclear on it. If you are sure that it's taken, don't treat it like a map to in a vigilante movie and go look for it. Share the location with law enforcement if they ask and if you're comfortable. Your job is to protect your data and assets, not do something like chase somebody down a dark alley looking for your iPad or your phone.
00;05;31;14 - 00;05;50;00
Speaker 1
The next thing to do is to remotely wipe your device, but only if that makes sense. Erasing the device remotely is the big red button. It deletes all your data on the device, so the stranger can't keep digging through your photos, messages, or logged in apps if you are. If they were able to unlock it, the trade off is real.
00;05;50;01 - 00;06;10;08
Speaker 1
After you remote erase something, you might lose the ability to track the device on the map the same way you could before. For a lot of people, the trade off is worth it though, because especially if the phone is unlocked when it was taken or you forgot to put that passcode on it, or you didn't have face ID set up, or you work in a field where data on the device is more sensitive than the hardware.
00;06;10;09 - 00;06;31;12
Speaker 1
If the phone is already locked with a strong password, which, you know, I've talked about before and you turned on lost mode or secure the device at the time when you bought it, some people will not be able to get into it, and if they're not able to get into it, maybe you don't want to wipe it right away, and you might want to wait a few hours to see if it shows up as lost and found.
00;06;31;14 - 00;06;54;11
Speaker 1
Others wipe it immediately because the emotional cost of waiting is not worth it. Both can be reasonable since you have a backup, right? Restoring the new phone is pretty easy. If you do. On an iPhone, you want to go to the remote erase option in the Find My or on the web on on another Apple device that you have access to that iCloud account on on an Android device, it's the erased device in the Find My Device settings.
00;06;54;18 - 00;07;17;29
Speaker 1
If you are wanting to go to the carrier to see to make sure that your text messaging is blocked, that is where you need to go. So if you're with AT&T or T-Mobile or whoever it might be, you're going to want to go see your carrier, call the carrier, or use the app on the website to as soon as you can so that it is clear that the device was stolen or lost, so you don't have to worry about the unauthorized access.
00;07;18;03 - 00;07;36;19
Speaker 1
They can then recommend whether or not they suspend the line entirely. Leave it active while you try to locate the phone, or maybe they'll come give you a replacement device where you enter in a new SIM or eSIM on a backup phone so you can keep going. If your device has insurance protection plans, this is where you call and start the paperwork.
00;07;36;20 - 00;08;01;09
Speaker 1
Even if you need a police report to do it, you want to make sure that you start it as soon as you can so that you can get reimbursed and make sure you keep a note of any case numbers that the authorities might give you. If you are able to. And you assume that the phone is open because you didn't have a pass key, you want to make sure that someone can't reset your passwords without the SMSes.
00;08;01;11 - 00;08;25;20
Speaker 1
To protect yourself. Change your password on your primary email. First. Email, like I've talked about before, is the master key that can reset any account. Then go to your banking and your payment apps, then any social accounts that you actually care about and then finally your work logins. If the phone had access to it, I'm sure your employer might say do those first, but you want to make sure you protect yourself.
00;08;25;22 - 00;08;49;26
Speaker 1
Order matters in these. It's email, money, identity and then everything else. So the prep hap of this checklist is what to do when you're not going crazy about I've lost my device. If you're listening while nothing is wrong. This is where you protect yourself. Knock these out on a quiet evening and then you know you're set. First you want to confirm your find my or find my device is on.
00;08;49;26 - 00;09;14;02
Speaker 1
Confirm that the screen lock is on. Make sure you have a backup. And as I've talked about before, backup is pretty easy. And they pair really well with this issue. Next you want to go into your settings and get your serial number or the image number off your phone. Many people will find this under the settings and the about the carriers in the police reports sometimes ask for this, so you want to make sure you know what those are.
00;09;14;03 - 00;09;43;29
Speaker 1
You can also usually download them from your accounts. Knowing them and then knowing how to reach your carrier without your phone is also very important. Make sure you sign in to your Apple or Google account from a browser, without relying on to the the two factor authentication that's on your phone. So you want to try this ahead of time, this whole prep layer, without the problem of needing to do it immediately, is an important time to save time when the day is really bad.
00;09;44;00 - 00;10;04;09
Speaker 1
So here's your checklist. Turn on your Find My devices. Make sure you back up with two factor authentication. You have a second copy of how to get into your devices. Save your carriers fraud and support numbers somewhere where you could get it, or at least know where to get it. And if the device is gone, remember that to use your phone mine to see if you can locate it.
00;10;04;10 - 00;10;27;02
Speaker 1
If not, put it in lost mode or secure the device remote. Wipe it if the situation calls for it. Knowing that the tracking information might be really hard to do afterwards, but at least you know your stuff is safe. Contact your carrier, make sure that they block that and start any insurance claim. Then go through your email finance and your accounts to make sure that your accounts are safe.
00;10;27;04 - 00;10;47;09
Speaker 1
No one wants to need this episode, I get that, but the whole point of your tech makeover is so that you don't have to be an expert, but you are prepared. You just need a short list that you trust in the right order for the day that you hope never comes. If you've already went through a lost or stolen phone, what's the one thing that you turned out to be the most important?
00;10;47;10 - 00;11;06;06
Speaker 1
Hindsight. And what do you wish you would have done sooner? Let me know. And as always, if you have ideas for topics you'd like me to cover, please feel free to contact me via email at Frank at your Tech Makeover. That's it for now. Thanks for listening to your tech makeover, if you haven't already. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast and leave a review.
00;11;06;06 - 00;11;26;24
Speaker 1
And some stars and some thumbs up and anything else that will help a lot other people find this podcast. If you're on Substack, make sure you subscribe to the newsletter so you're alerted when new contact comes out. You can also check out your tech makeover, where you'll find more information about each episode. And if you want to find out more about me, please visit Bravo!
00;11;26;27 - 00;11;31;16
Speaker 1
Until next time, I'm Frank Bravo, and this has been your tech makeover.