Left your phone in an Uber or Lyft? Here's how to get it back.
It slid out of your pocket, it stayed on the seat, or you realized three blocks later. Reaching the driver quickly gives you the best chance, and the way to do that is the app's lost item option, which you can use from any other phone or a computer. Here is the order that works, and what to do about being unreachable until it is in your hand.
Don't wait, and don't re-hail the same ride
Speed matters, because the driver may be on the next trip within minutes. Don't try to flag the car down or chase it. Go straight to the app's lost item flow. If you're still near where you were dropped off, the driver may also still be close by.
Use another phone or a computer to reach the driver
You don't need your own phone for this. Uber's help page says you can sign in to help.uber.com on the web, pick the trip, choose the lost item option, and enter a phone number where the driver can reach you. Uber's app path is Activity, then the trip, then Find Lost Item, then "I need to contact my driver about a lost item". Lyft works similarly: report it in the Lyft app or from the link in your emailed ride receipt, and call or message the driver. Lyft's help page says you can call or message the driver for 24 hours after the ride ends, through a masked number so your personal number stays private.
Leave a clear message if the driver doesn't pick up
Say what the phone looks like, the case, the lock screen if it has a non-personal wallpaper, and the seat you sat in. Give a number where they can reach you, which can be a friend's phone for now. If the driver doesn't answer, Lyft's help page says to submit a support form, and Uber's lost item flow also has a step for when you couldn't reach the driver, so use that too.
Ask about a return fee and plan the handoff
Lyft's help page says a $20 return fee applies once the driver confirms the item was returned, and that it is separate from a tip. Check the app for the current amount, and for whether Uber charges one. Agree on a safe place to meet, such as a public spot, or ask whether the driver can drop it off, and don't hand over a phone passcode or any account code to anyone, ever. Lyft says it doesn't guarantee recovery, and Uber says neither it nor drivers are responsible for items left in the vehicle, so keep the next steps going in parallel.
Lock it and secure it while you wait
If you have Find My on an iPhone or Find Hub on an Android, you can lock the phone from another device and put a message with a phone number on the lock screen. That can help an honest driver contact you. If a few hours pass with no word, treat it as lost: change your Apple Account or Google password, and ask your carrier to suspend the line if you think someone has it. Our lost phone guide has the full order.
You shouldn't be cut off while it's in the back seat.
If you set up MobileyMe on your phone before you left it, you can sign in to MobileyMe on another phone, a spare or one you borrow, and your backed-up contacts and your MobileyMe messages are there. Messages you send from the app arrive from a MobileyMe line, not from your normal number. Calls you place from the app show your number, on the carriers we have tested. On iPhone, with call forwarding on through a US carrier, an incoming call to your number can ring the signed-in iPhone.
When your own phone is back, sign out of the borrowed one. Signing out removes your MobileyMe data from that phone. MobileyMe is free to download on the App Store and Google Play, and it works with US and Canadian numbers only.
If your phone is still in the back seat, there is nothing to set up from a borrowed phone. Setup includes a verification call to your number, and that call would ring the phone that is gone. The button below is for when you can answer a call on your number, whether that is once the phone is back or once a replacement SIM is in.
Set it up on the phone you have now.
Phone already gone? Finish the steps above. When your replacement arrives, set this up so you're ready next time.
Get the app →On a computer? Scan this with your phone's camera to get the app.
Questions people ask
How long do I have to contact a Lyft driver?
Lyft's help page says you can call or message your driver for 24 hours after the ride ends. Don't plan around the full window, though. Contact the driver as soon as you notice, because they may move on to other trips quickly.
Can I reach the driver without my phone?
Yes. Uber's help page describes signing in at help.uber.com on the web and entering a phone number where the driver can reach you, and Lyft's help page says you can report it from the Lyft app or the link in your emailed ride receipt. If you borrow a phone to do it, sign out of your accounts on that phone when you are done.
What if the driver doesn't answer or won't return it?
File the lost item report with the company, then treat the phone as lost: lock it from another device, change your account password, and call your carrier if you are worried. Lyft's help page says it doesn't guarantee recovery, and Uber's says neither it nor drivers are responsible for items left in the vehicle.
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