Today, we use our cell phones for almost everything we do from making calls to paying bills online. With all that activity being entered into your device, it could become a 
treasure trove of information for a bad guy.
Unfortunately, most of us do not take many precautions when it comes to using these devices. We never really think or worry about the potential for our device getting stolen. Even I am guilty of that. We take extreme measures to keep our pc safe but not so much for our phones.
Let us say you are at a gas station pumping gas and after the process is complete, you try to get your receipt to print and nothing happens. You know you need the receipt for taxes so you run into the gas station to get the receipt from the clerk. It only takes a minute or two so what could possibly happen? You get back into your car and you try to make a call to one of your friends. You look for your phone but it is nowhere in sight.
Then you remember the last place you saw it was laying on the front seat of the car next to you. Then you realize that it was just stolen from right under you in a matter of a couple of minutes. There are several things you need to do depending on what resources you have available at the time.
If you have a family plan and you have more then one phone set up on the plan, you can use the options that are available in both Android and Apple to locate and lock your phone. If you have an Android and you activated the feature in the control panel, you will be able to locate it using another Android device as long as the stolen phone is turned on and you can reach it via WiFi or Cellular.
If you have an Apple I Phone, you can use the Find My Phone feature. You must first install the app on your phone and be sure it is activated. The app is available in the I Tunes store and it is free. Once you have the app installed, you can then sign in using your I Tunes store user name and password. This feature is not only good to find a stolen phone but you can also use it to find a phone if you misplaced it. You can also use it to locate a family member that might of broken down on the side of the road and are not sure of their location. It is a very handy tool indeed.
One of the features you can use if your phone is stolen is the ability to not only locate your phone but also you can lock it or even erase the contents of the phone remotely. You can also do a factory rest to ensure that the thief does not get any of your stored data.
Probably one of the most dangerous things you can do to try and recover a phone is to try and contact the thief. You should never try to meet with a stranger without the help of police as backup.
Prevention might be the best way to keep your phone from getting stolen in the first place. You should never leave your phone lying on the seat of your car when you gas up or go to the store. Keep the phone with you either in your pocket or purse. Always be aware of where you place your phone. It is really easy to lay it down for a second while you are checking out at a store and accidentally leaving it at the register. If you use a side clip, be sure it is strong and the phone fits tight. I personally do not like these clips because it is too easy to hit something while the phone is clipped next to you and either break or loose the phone.
As you can see, there is plenty you can do to help keep your phone and its precious contents safe as well as being able to track down and disable your phone so others cannot use it. By taking these few safety precautions, you should be able to enjoy your phone until the next excited version is released!
Article by Ross Deprey
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