Lost or Stolen Laptop or Phone? Do This Now

Updated 2h ago 0 views 5 min read
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In This Article

Lost your work laptop, or your phone with work email on it? Don't panic, and don't wait. Reporting it right away is the single most important step: the sooner we know, the sooner we can lock down your account and company data. You are not in trouble for reporting it.

Do this now, in this order

  1. Report it to us. Submit a support ticket and choose IT Security Incident. Start the description with "Lost device" or "Stolen device". The form works on a phone, so you can use any device you trust, such as a coworker's computer or your own phone if it's the laptop that's missing.
  2. Tell your manager.
  3. If it was stolen, report it to the police and write down the report number.
  4. If it's your own phone, use Find My (iPhone) or Find Hub (Android) to mark it as lost and lock it (see how).
  5. Don't approve any sign-in prompts you didn't start yourself, on any device.

That's it for the urgent part. The rest of this page covers what to tell us, what we'll do, and what happens next.

What to Tell Us

Include as much of this as you can in your request. If you don't know something, leave it out; don't let it slow you down.

  • What's missing: company laptop, company phone, or your personal phone with work email or Microsoft Authenticator on it
  • Lost or stolen, and when and where you last had it
  • Was it locked? Was it powered off, asleep, or unlocked when it went missing? Did it have a password or PIN?
  • What was on it: work email, Teams, Authenticator, files saved on the device, passwords saved in the web browser
  • The police report number, if you filed one
  • A phone number or email where we can reach you right now
Not sure if it's lost or just misplaced? Report it anyway. If it turns up in the car ten minutes later, just let us know. That's a much better outcome than waiting a day to be sure.

What We Do

Once we know, we act quickly to protect your account and your company's data. Depending on the device and how it's set up, that can include:

  • Resetting your work password and signing your account out on every device, so the missing one can't get in
  • Removing the missing phone from your sign-in methods (MFA) so you can set up a new one
  • Blocking the device from company email and files
  • Where the device supports it, locking or erasing it remotely
Leave the password reset to us. Changing your password on your own isn't enough to sign a lost device out everywhere, and doing it from an unfamiliar computer can cause new problems. We reset your password and sign out the missing device together, then help you sign back in.

If It Was Your Phone

Microsoft Authenticator was on it

If you used the phone to approve sign-ins, you won't be able to sign in to your work account on a new device until your sign-in method is reset. We'll take care of that when you report the loss. Once you have a replacement phone, install Microsoft Authenticator on it and follow If the old phone is already gone.

Lock your personal phone with Find My

If the missing phone is your own, you can mark it as lost from any computer or another phone. This locks it, shows a message on the screen, and helps you see where it is.

  • iPhone: sign in at icloud.com/find with your Apple Account, select the phone, and choose Mark As Lost.
  • Android: sign in at google.com/android/find with your Google account to open Find Hub (formerly Find My Device), select the phone, and choose Mark as lost.

Also call your mobile carrier: they can suspend service so no one can use your number.

If the map shows where your device is, don't go after it yourself. Give the location to the police.

Only erase your phone remotely if you're sure you won't get it back. Once it's erased, you can no longer see where it is. If the phone is a company phone, let us decide; don't erase it yourself.

What Happens Next

  • Signing back in: we'll help you sign in again with a new password, on a computer or phone you trust.
  • A replacement computer or phone: talk to your manager. Replacement equipment is requested by your company; see Submitting a Hardware or Software Request.
  • Your files: anything saved in OneDrive, SharePoint or Teams is safe in the cloud and will be there on your new device. Files saved only on the missing device may be lost.

If you find it

Great! Tell us before you use it again. We may need to undo a block or a lock, and we may want to check it first, especially if it was out of your hands for a while.

Be Ready Next Time

  • Always use a screen lock (password, PIN, fingerprint or face) on your laptop and phone.
  • Turn on Find My (iPhone) or Find Hub (Android) on your phone now, while you have it.
  • Keep work files in OneDrive, SharePoint or Teams, not only on your desktop, so a lost laptop doesn't mean lost work.
  • Don't leave devices in a car, even out of sight.
  • Know your laptop's serial number (service tag); it helps with police reports. See Locating your Computer Service Tag.

Related: Reporting an IT Security Incident, How We Support You.

Report a lost or stolen device now: submit a support ticket and choose IT Security Incident.
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