If your Android phone is stolen in the UK, get to safety, lock it remotely, call your network to block the SIM and phone, call your bank, then report it to the police.

Having your phone stolen is stressful, and it happens a lot in the UK. In London alone, the Metropolitan Police recorded around 71,000 mobile phone thefts in 2025, down from about 81,000 in 2024. That’s still roughly one every seven to eight minutes, and nearly 11,000 phones were stolen on the London Underground in 2024. The numbers are falling, but thousands of people still go through this every month.

This guide is for Android phones. The first few minutes matter most. Thieves often go straight for your bank accounts and payment apps, not just the phone itself. Here’s what to do, in the right order.

Checklist: Android phone stolen in the UK? Do these 5 things in the first 10 minutes. 1. Get to safety. 2. Lock it remotely. 3. Call your network. 4. Call your bank. 5. Report it to the police.
Save or screenshot this checklist so you have it when you need it.

1. Get to safety first

Don’t chase the thief. Many phone thefts in London are carried out by people on e-bikes or in groups, and a phone is never worth getting hurt over. If you’ve been threatened or hurt, or the theft has only just happened, call 999 from someone else’s phone or ask a nearby shop for help.

2. Lock your phone remotely

Lock your phone as quickly as possible so the thief can’t get into your apps.

  • Remote Lock: go to android.com/lock on any device, enter your phone number and follow the steps. This only works if Remote Lock was turned on before the theft.
  • Find Hub: sign in at google.com/android/find with your Google account to see your phone’s location, lock it or make it ring.

If your phone is located, don’t go there yourself. Share the location with the police instead.

3. Check your email for the thief’s photo

If you had CrookCatcher installed, check your email. When someone enters a wrong PIN, pattern or password, CrookCatcher takes a photo with the front camera and emails it to you along with the GPS location and an estimated address. Thieves almost always try to unlock a phone, so you may already have their photo and where it happened. Save these emails for the police and your insurer.

4. Call your network to block the SIM and phone

Call your network provider (EE, O2, Vodafone, Three, giffgaff or others) and tell them your phone was stolen. They can:

  • Suspend your SIM or eSIM, so the thief can’t use your number, make calls or receive your security codes.
  • Block the phone using its IMEI number, which stops it from working on UK networks.

Your IMEI is a unique 15-digit number for your phone. If you don’t have it written down, your network can usually find it for you, or you may find it on the original box or in your Google account.

Do this quickly. You may have to pay for calls or texts the thief makes. Some providers cap these costs, but only if you report the theft within 24 hours.

5. Call your bank and secure your money

This is the step people forget, and it’s often where the real damage happens. Thieves who get into your phone can try to access banking apps, Google Wallet or your email to reset passwords.

  • Call your bank (the number is on the back of your card) and tell them your phone has been stolen.
  • Freeze your cards and ask them to suspend mobile banking and payment apps like Google Wallet.
  • Check for transactions you don’t recognise over the next few days.

If your phone was unlocked, or the thief may know your PIN

This is the worst case. Some thieves watch you type your PIN before they snatch the phone, or grab it while it’s unlocked in your hand. With your PIN, they can change your Google password, turn off Find Hub and open apps that ask for the PIN. Victims have lost thousands of pounds this way within hours.

If there’s any chance of this, don’t wait. From another phone or a computer:

  1. Change your Google account password and remove the stolen phone under Security > Your devices. This signs it out of your Google account.
  2. Call your bank and ask them to block mobile banking, contactless payments and any new credit in your name.
  3. Change the passwords for your email, PayPal and any shopping or delivery apps with a saved card.

CrookCatcher still helps here: every wrong attempt gets a photo of the person holding your phone, and with CrookCatcher Pro, break-in detection also alerts you when someone gets in after a wrong attempt.

6. Report it to the police

Report the theft even if you think the phone won’t be recovered. You’ll need a crime reference number for insurance, and reports help the police find theft hotspots and the gangs behind them.

  • Call 999 if you’re hurt, feel unsafe or the theft has only just happened.
  • Otherwise, call 101 or report it online on your local police force’s website.

Give them your IMEI number, the time and place of the theft, and any evidence you have, like the photos and location from CrookCatcher’s email alerts.

7. Register it as stolen on Immobilise

Immobilise is the UK's free property register, used by police across the country to identify recovered phones. If your phone was registered, log in and mark it as stolen, so it can be traced back to you if it turns up.

Note that marking it on Immobilise doesn’t block the phone. You still need to call your network (step 4).

8. Change your passwords and warn your contacts

  • Change your Google account password first, then your email, banking and social media passwords.
  • Sign out of your accounts on the stolen phone. In your Google account, go to Security > Your devices and remove the stolen phone.
  • Warn friends and family. Thieves sometimes message your contacts pretending to be you, asking for money or security codes.

9. Erase your phone only as a last resort

If you’re sure you won’t get the phone back and you’re worried about your data, you can erase it remotely through Find Hub. But once it’s erased, you may no longer be able to locate it, so only do this after you’ve tried everything else and the police have the location information they need.

10. Claim on your insurance

If your phone is insured (through a phone policy, home insurance or a bank account benefit), contact your insurer with your crime reference number and IMEI.

How to avoid phone snatchers on the street

Most snatches in London happen in a few seconds, often by two people on an e-bike riding on the pavement, or by groups working together near busy stations. A few habits make you a much harder target:

  • Look up and around before you take your phone out, especially near the kerb, at crossings and outside stations.
  • Stand with your back to a wall when you use your phone in the street, not at the edge of the pavement.
  • Hold your phone with both hands, or step into a shop to use it.
  • Use your fingerprint or face to unlock in public, so nobody can watch you type your PIN.
  • Keep it in a zipped inside pocket or bag when you’re not using it, not in a back pocket or on a café table.
  • Watch out for two people on one e-bike or moped. Police say riding “two up” is a common sign of snatchers.

How to be ready before it happens

Most of the steps above work much better if you prepare in advance. It takes 10 minutes:

  • Save your IMEI. Dial *#06# and save the number somewhere other than your phone, like your email.
  • Turn on Remote Lock and Find Hub, so you can lock and locate your phone from any device.
  • Turn on Theft Detection Lock, which locks your phone automatically if it’s snatched from your hand.
  • Turn on Identity Check. Away from places you trust, it asks for your fingerprint or face before anyone can change your screen lock, turn off Find Hub or reset the phone. So even a thief who saw your PIN can’t switch off your protection. You’ll find it under Settings > Google > All services > Theft protection on phones that support it.
  • Hide message previews on your lock screen, so thieves can’t read your security codes.
  • Register your phone on Immobilise.
  • Install CrookCatcher, so you get a photo and the location of anyone who tries to unlock your phone.

For step-by-step instructions, read our guides to the top 5 Android settings to secure your phone against theft and how to stop thieves from turning off your phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Should I call 999 or 101 if my phone is stolen?

A: Call 999 if you’ve been hurt, feel unsafe or the theft is happening right now. Otherwise, call 101 or report it online on your local police force’s website.

Q: Will blocking my phone’s IMEI stop it working everywhere?

A: It stops the phone from working on UK networks. Stolen phones are sometimes shipped abroad, where the block may not apply, which is why it’s important to also lock the phone and change your passwords.

Q: Can I track my stolen phone myself?

A: You can see its location with Find Hub, but don’t go there yourself. Give the location to the police and let them handle it.

Q: Why can’t Find Hub find my stolen phone?

A: Thieves usually switch the phone off, put it in airplane mode or wrap it in foil to block the signal, and many stolen phones are quickly passed on and shipped abroad. Find Hub can only show the location when the phone is online, so check again later. Some Android phones can still be found while offline through the Find Hub network. CrookCatcher works differently: it records the location at the moment someone tries to unlock the phone, together with their photo, and emails both as soon as the phone is back online.

Q: Will the police get my stolen phone back?

A: Honestly, it’s rare. Fewer than 1 in 100 phone thefts in London end with a charge or other sanction. Report it anyway: you need a crime reference number for your insurance, and your report helps the police target the gangs behind these thefts. It’s also why your own evidence matters: a photo of the person and the place it happened give the police something concrete to work with.

Q: Can CrookCatcher help me get my phone back?

A: CrookCatcher gives you evidence: a photo of the person who tried to unlock your phone, the time, and the location, sent straight to your email. You can share this with the police to help identify the thief. It doesn’t guarantee your phone will be recovered, but it gives you and the police much more to go on.

Got more questions? Check out the FAQ.

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