What You Should Do If Your Android Device Gets Stolen?

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Smart phones have become an integral part of everyday life. The most popular are Androids, iPhones and Blackberries. Androids top UK market share with about 13 percent, iPhones come in second with 10 percent and RIM or Blackberry follows with 9 percent.

Each offers users literally hundreds of productivity and entertainment applications. Because of a smartphone's versatility, owner's tend to put their "lives" into their mobile device. Including email, bank accounts, brokerage accounts and other personal information.

So what should an Android owner do if he looses his phone?

First, ensure it is not merely misplaced. If you have only lost it, you can ring the phone. If stolen, the thief will likely switch off the device to conceal it. Ring your Android. Remember, this will only work a limited number of times. Eventually, the voice mailbox will become full if it is dialed enough and the device will stop ringing.

Trying sending a text your Android smartphone. If ringing your mobile doesn't work, send it text messages to locate it. Unlike ringing the mobile, the device will sound each time a new text is received. 

If unsuccessful in locating your phone straight away, stop looking for it long enough to change your email, bank and brokerage account passwords on your laptop or desktop computer. This will prevent anyone in possession of your phone from accessing vital information. 

Take a try at contacting friends or family members you were last with to see if your Android was left behind. It might be in between couch pillows or left on a counter somewhere. Should the search not yield results, contact your mobile carrier. If you have insurance cover on your device's plan, then alert your carrier to it being lost or stolen. The carrier will suspend the phone's SIM card, making it unusable. 

Preventative Measures:

There are some preventative measures that smartphone owners can take to quickly recover a missing Android device.

A number of apps are available to help locate your mobile. Some apps will send an alert to help you find the device. Others will also lock your phone remotely. By installing these applications, you can prevent even more heartache if the device is stolen or lost. 

Set-up password protection on apps containing personal information. This will keep a would-be thief from getting into your accounts, should the phone be stolen.

Android phones are versatile devices with many features. Unfortunately, the technology is not enough to prevent loss or outright theft.