If your phone goes missing, suspend the SIM, lock the phone, change passwords, report it and freeze cards as needed
The order matters. First suspend the SIM so no one can receive your verification codes. Then lock the phone remotely, use a computer to change your email and payment passwords, report the loss or theft to the police and obtain a record, and freeze bank cards if necessary. You can call your carrier from someone else’s phone.
What it takes
Free. The sequence can take around ten to twenty minutes.
What you may gain
Start by stopping access to text-message codes through the carrier. Next, remotely lock the phone and erase its contents as appropriate. Change email and payment passwords from a computer, file a police report and keep the receipt, then freeze cards where needed. The US Federal Communications Commission also advises remotely locking a device even if you think it has only been misplaced. If it was stolen, report it promptly, provide the model and IMEI—the device’s identification number—and notify the carrier immediately.
Context & considerations
In mainland China, keep these carrier service numbers handy: China Mobile 10086, China Unicom 10010 and China Telecom 10000. Note the city where your number was registered, since support staff may ask. A borrowed phone can be used to call and suspend your SIM.