Losing a cell phone is equal to losing your privacy. You not only store your details but also important photos, contacts, messages on your phone. And when that phone is lost or goes missing, you skip a heartbeat.
You lose your sense, which forces you to may ask others to help you find your phone. More the word goes out, better are your chances to find your phone back.
Phone Can Still be Found Without Tracking Apps
Use the tracking apps — that’s one of the common tip everyone suggests. Sure, it can find missing phone’s location but unfortunately, not everyone has a smartphone. Even if they do, it’s complicated or time-consuming for a lot of people. See also: How I found my Android phone without tracking apps.
But a “word of mouth” is always helpful.
This is where Reddit can be useful. It’s one of the largest website on the Internet.
If you are a college student, use the web platform of your college to announce about your missing device. Almost every college allows students to write a message on their platform.
The same message can also be posted on Reddit, or even on a local classified website. See also: Using classified sites to find a lost or stolen cell phone.
Reddit is Huge
Reddit has millions of users actively browsing the hundreds of categories on the site. There are even local categories (called subreddit) which are very useful to announce just about anything — and even your missing phone. Here are two simple ways to use Reddit to find your lost phone:
- Search local subreddits to see if anyone has found a lost phone.
- Post on Reddit about your missing/lost phone.
For instance, here is a thread posted in Chicago subreddit:
I found someone’s phone on Metra — A phone dropped out of the seat as I was sitting down for the commute home. My first instinct was to give it to a conductor. There was one other passenger on the upper level; he said it wasn’t his. When the conductor came around, I asked him to put it in the lost-and-found and gave him the phone.
Another user posted a message in Washingdon DC category. As one would expect, he was able to contact the owner and return the phone back:
Found iPhone 5 in the middle of the street in Logan Circle. PM if you it’s yours or you know someone who lost their phone. Found around 7 pm this evening.
Edit 1: Owner found. I used Siri to call home and got in contact with the owner. The phone is now home safe and sound.
Someone in Calgary found a phone, which was later published on a local classified site so that the owner, who is looking for his/her lost phone on classified sites, can find the device online:
Found Apple iPhone at Anderson LRT Friday night — I will not post model type, or any sim card, or IMEI number. If you lost your phone and can describe it to me, background, color, model, cell provider, I will arange a meeting.
I have already made contact with the cell phone provider and they are looking up owner via IMEI, cannot do via SIM because phone has been disabled. I do not want to do the hard reset on phone because all contact and info will be lost. On Tuesday I will take phone to calgary transit lost and found as I work Monday.
Edit: In addition I have placed an ad in lost and found on kijijji. Again no pic or details just where and when it was found.
You can also post a message or ask questions:
Hey Reddit! I lost my sprint phone the other night, and somebody found it. I have communicated with them via e-mail, but they have shown no intentions of meeting up and giving my phone back. Is there anything that I can do about this?
If it helps, it is a blackberry curve. I tried locating them via family navigation, but it didn’t work. I have no idea where they found the phone.
When you are posting a message about your missing smartphone on Twitter, Facebook, then make sure to post the same message — if you are too lazy — on Reddit and other classified sites. As I stressed previously: More the word goes out, better are your chances to find your phone back.
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