Mom or Dad lost their phone? Here's how to help.
When a parent loses their phone, the call usually comes to you, often from someone else's phone. They may not remember their passwords or which carrier they use. That's normal. Most of these steps you can do together over the phone, or from your own computer.
Check the likely places together
The car, coat pockets, the couch, the last store they were in. Call the phone while they listen. Even on silent, it may buzz loud enough to hear.
Find it on a map
For an iPhone, go to icloud.com/find and sign in with their Apple Account. Apple lets you do this without the code that would normally go to the lost phone. For an Android, go to google.com/android/find and sign in with their Google account. If you already share locations through Family Sharing, you can see it from your own phone.
Lock it, with your number on the screen
Mark it as lost. When it asks for a phone number to show on the lock screen, put yours, not theirs. Anyone who finds it can then call you.
Call their carrier
If the phone is really gone, the line should be suspended so nobody can use it. The account holder usually has to be on the call. If their line is on your family plan, you can do it yourself. Suspending is easy to undo if the phone turns up.
Watch for scams
A missing phone brings them out. Real Apple and Google messages don't ask for passwords by text. If a text says their lost iPhone "has been found" and links to a login page, it's fake. If someone calls saying they found the phone and wants money or a code first, hang up.
Get them a new phone, with the same number
The number belongs to their carrier account, not the phone, so it moves to the new one. Bring their ID to the carrier store, or ask for an eSIM. Here's how that part works.
Make next time easier
Once things settle, write down their Apple or Google email and password somewhere safe. Ask the carrier to add you as an authorized user on their account. Turn on location sharing with you. Ten minutes now saves a stressful afternoon later.
If the phone goes missing again, the people they call don't.
MobileyMe keeps their contacts, messages, and call history in a private, encrypted account. If the phone goes missing, they can sign in on a tablet, a spare phone, or yours. They can find the people they need and call out from their own number, so it shows up as them, not a stranger. When they sign out, it's wiped from that device.
It works with US numbers on AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and their prepaid brands. Set it up while the phone is still in their hand. Free to start.
Set it up now →Questions people ask
Can I deal with my parent's carrier for them?
Only if the line is on your account, or they've added you as an authorized user. Otherwise they need to be on the call. Adding you as an authorized user ahead of time saves a lot of trouble.
Someone found Dad's phone and wants a reward before giving it back. What should I do?
Don't send money first. Offer to meet at a police station, or ask them to drop it off at one. Someone who really found it won't mind.
They got a text saying their lost iPhone was found. Is it real?
Probably not. Real updates show up in Find My, not in a text with a login link. Never type their Apple password into a page opened from a text.
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