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What to Do When You Lose Your Phone While Traveling Solo
When I was in Latvia in October 2018, an unfortunate thing happened. I spent one night in prison and lost my phone the morning after.
This happened on the fourth day of my two-week trip. That meant I had to survive ten full days without a phone.
Ten. Days.
That probably doesn’t sound like much to some people, but to others, it might be completely unthinkable!
I was somewhere in between. While it wasn’t the end of the world for me, it was still a very trying experience.
But I do believe that every experience, good or bad, comes with a lesson. These are some of the things I learned when I lost my phone while traveling solo:
This is easier said than done, but keeping your cool in a stressful situation really matters. Panicking doesn’t help. It wastes precious time, leads to rash decisions and can cost you the chance to fix the problem.
When I realized my phone was gone, I retraced my steps, went back to the prison reception to report the loss, and asked if they could try calling my number.
It went unanswered, but I got them to send a text message, offering a cash reward if whoever found it would return it. I also left my contact details in case they managed to retrieve it.
Then, I borrowed another inmate’s phone to inform people back home about what happened and how to contact me in an emergency.
Since I was Couchsurfing for the rest of the trip, I also had to let my hosts know that I would be unreachable and arrange when and where to meet.
Had I panicked, I wouldn’t have been able to do any of that.
2. I didn't realize how dependent I'd become on my phone
Losing my phone made me painfully aware of just how much I relied on it. It’s true what they say – as phones become smarter, people sometimes get…less so.
Apart from calls and texts, here’s what I suddenly realized my phone had been doing for me:
- Torchlight for finding my way in the dark (hostel rooms when the lights are turned off, sleeper trains, or when looking for something under the bed)
- Clock (I don’t always bring a watch when I travel, for fear that I might lose it. Oh, the irony!)
- Calendar reminders for flights, buses, and trains
- Calculator to keep track of my expenses and convert those tricky currencies
- GPS and offline maps (because unlike some people, I don’t have a built-in navigation system in my brain)
- E-hailing apps in places without public transport
- Booking apps, banking apps, and all the other “essential” travel apps
- E-mail, where all flight details, tickets, boarding passes, confirmations, and forgotten passwords are sent to
- Entertainment, social media, camera, phonebook, and Google.
3. Phones can actually be tracked (if you're prepared)
I learned this a little too late, but most phones can be tracked remotely if you’ve set things up beforehand. There are many apps designed specifically to locate a lost phone, and they can do things like:
- Track your phone via GPS
- Lock and erase it remotely
- Trigger a loud alarm or flashing screen
- Forward calls to another number
- Turn Wi-Fi or GPS on and off
- Send and receive SMS messages through a computer
Unfortunately, I wasn’t aware of any of this when I lost my phone. So, don’t make the same mistake.
Even if you don’t consider yourself a tech-savvy person, learn how to track your phone before something goes wrong. The links here tell you how to do it for iPhone and Android.
4. Losing your phone is also a security risk
These days, with all the convenience of online shopping, banking, and two-factor authentication, losing your phone is no longer just about losing a bunch of numbers in your contact list. It can seriously compromise your personal security.
Once someone has access to both your phone and your e-mail, they can reset passwords, bypass security checks, access financial accounts, and obtain personal details, such as your address and travel plans.
If you’re a woman traveling alone, that thought alone is unsettling.
The most obvious solution to this (although many people still neglect to do it) is to lock your home screen with biometrics or a strong passcode. An experienced hacker will probably still be able to unlock it, but it buys you time to log out remotely and change your passwords.
And please, do NOT save passwords in your browser, no matter how much time it saves you. Otherwise, a thief can easily access all your sensitive information simply by unlocking your phone.
As soon as you realize your phone is lost or stolen, do these things immediately:
- Contact your mobile service provider to suspend or disconnect your account in order to avoid unauthorized cellular usage.
- Lock or wipe your phone remotely if you have that option enabled.
- Get access to a computer, and remotely log out of your e-mail on all devices and change passwords especially for your email and financial accounts.
5. Backups matter more than you think
When I travel, I usually print important documents and keep at least two copies, one in my backpack, and one in the hostel safe. I also write down important phone numbers and addresses in a small notebook that I carry everywhere.
If needed, I e-mail copies to a trusted friend, in case I can’t retrieve them myself.
As for photos, both iPhone and Android have cloud storage options. You can also upload them regularly to your social media for safekeeping. I was glad I’d uploaded most of mine, though I still lost the ones I took in the prison.
6. Internet cafes are basically extinct
I had a long layover at Beijing International Airport before my flight home, and I was bored out of my mind. The terminal was small, the bookstore only sold Chinese books, and I had nothing to do.
So, I decided to try my luck and ask the staff at the information counter if there was a cyber cafe in the airport.
The conversation went something like this:
It was amusing and exasperating at the same time. Language barriers aside, internet cafes are apparently not a thing anymore, and it’s easy to understand why.
Everyone has a smartphone, and Wi-Fi is everywhere — until you’re the one person who can’t use it. Seeing all those “Free Wi-Fi” signs without having a device to connect to it was pure torture!
7. A spare phone or camera can save the day
I sometimes travel with a spare phone, because I know how absent-minded I can be and how prone I am to losing things. But for some reason, on this particular trip, I didn’t.
Unfortunately, bad things tend to happen when you’re least prepared — like when there’s a thunderstorm on the one day you forget your umbrella.
I had, however, brought a tiny sports camera. Although I’m not much of a photographer, documenting my travels really matters to me. So, that little camera ended up being a lifesaver.
8. Old-school travel skills still matter
For tend days, I had to relearn how to:
- Read a map. Yes, the paper kind.
- Ask strangers for directions.
- Convert currencies and do mental math.
- Ask people (instead of Google) for information.
- Jot down important notes in a notebook. Yes, the paper kind.
- Learn basic local words instead of relying on translation apps.
I consider myself lucky because I wasn’t born with a smartphone in my hand. I started traveling years before I knew anything about Booking.com or Google Maps.
Back then, everything was manual. I booked hotels through phone calls and emails. Sometimes I simply winged it. And I survived.
So, I kept telling myself, “If I could do it then, I can do it now.“
If you’ve never traveled without a smartphone, try it for a day. You might surprise yourself.
9. Travel insurance is not optional
First of all, everyone should have travel insurance.
Secondly, read the fine print before you buy. Know exactly what is and isn’t covered. Many policies do cover lost or stolen personal items like phones, tablets, laptops, and cameras, but there’s usually a cap, and depreciation applies.
Most policies won’t cover:
- Wear and tear
- Damage caused by weather, insects, or animals
- Items left behind after check-out or on transport
- Valuables placed in cargo holds
To make a claim, you’ll usually need:
- A police report (filed within 24 hours)
- Your phone’s IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) code, which is a unique identifier for your device. But this code can only be obtained when you have the phone with you. So, make sure you get the number (and write it down) before you travel. Click here to learn how.
- Proof of ownership, such as receipts or contracts
10. Humanity isn't dead
There are bad people out there, but there are also good ones. It doesn’t take losing a phone to learn this. Travel reminds you again and again.
When you’re out there exploring the world (especially if you’re on your own), you’ll quickly learn that while bad people exist, so do good people who would drop everything to help you.
During my phoneless days, strangers never hesitated to help me with directions even when we didn’t speak the same language. Sometimes, I had to borrow phones to contact hosts I was supposed to meet. And then there were also people who offered to take photos of me using their cameras and e-mail them later.
It was a humbling experience that showed me just how much good there still is in the world.
Final thoughts
Losing my phone while traveling wasn’t something I wished would happen again (although it did, in Barcelona).
It was inconvenient, stressful, and overwhelming. But looking back, it also forced me to slow down, think clearly, and rely on myself — and on others — in ways I hadn’t done in a long time.
Travel doesn’t have to fall apart just because technology does. Maps still exist. People are still kind. And most problems, even the scary ones, are manageable if you take them one step at a time.
I wouldn’t romanticize losing a phone and I don’t recommend learning these lessons the hard way. But if it happens, you’ll survive. You might even come away more confident, more resourceful, and a little less dependent on that small device we carry everywhere.
And that, I think, is a lesson worth holding onto long after the trip ends.
Have you ever lost something important while traveling? What did you do? Share your experience in the comments below.
saya setuju dengan semua point2 yang diberikan. memang banyak benda yang kita boleh belajar dari kesilapan tentang kehilangan phone ni. sebab phone ni benda yang cukup penting dan banyak fungsi.
Agreed. Kalau phone zaman dulu tu mungkin tak terasa sangat kehilangan.
Its a good tips especially for those who travelling most! Yes..1st thing 1st try to not panic
Yup. Easier said than done though.
Some good tips you have here Ummi to keep our data secured.
By the way, this is a bit out of topic, 2 things I want to share with you as this is my first time visiting your site.
1.Your font-size seems a bit disproportionate, your H2 is too huge! can try out https://type-scale.com/ to check proper font scaling
2.Article title is missing in your current design layout, you may want to add it on top of your article before the feature image.. It makes readers easier to navigate your site.
Thank you for your feedback, Kai Tan. Will look into it. 🙂
last time my iphone lost at sabang island and i only realise when i come back to acheh town …unfortunetly the phone maybe in offline mode and cannot be tracking …the safe way i just erase all data using icloud ….
Omg, iphone, man….I suppose that’s more painful to lose.
Terima kasih share beberapa perkara agar kita semua tidak cuai di dalam menjaga phone ini. hehe.. Sentiasa beringat pabila behenti di kedai makan, sebelum balik amik telefon dahulu. hehe. Stay safe ya
Betul. Kadang-kadang kita jadi absent minded bila tgh holiday sebab seronok sangat sampai tak ingat nak jaga personal belongings.
so sorry to hear your bad incident. we are really attach to cellphone nowadays. I once forgot to bring phone to my Bali trip and lost contact for 4 days!
Hah, you forgot to bring your phone?? But then again, I can totally imagine myself doing that too. 😀
Pengalaman mendewasakan. Wpun pengalaman kawan2, terima kasih sudi share info berguna ni 😊
Sama-sama. Semoga bermanfaat.
Nice info, nnt kena juga buat macam ni kat phone sy, kalau hilang mmg sgt susah hati.
Ya, kena beringat dulu sebelum kena.
Wow.. I couldnt imagine if I lost mine during the trip. But yeah, these tips are really useful for all traveler like us. And point No. 9 is so important! The first thing i purchase after flight ticket is confirmed. 🙏 “Just In Case”! Who knows right.
Yes, we often take it for granted, thinking that nothing bad would happen to us. But nobody who has had an accident thought it was going to happen to them.
I will freak out if i lose my phone. even if i misplaced it. i just cant live without my phone. hahahaha. but yes, i agree that humanity is not dead. there are good people out there.
Hahaha yes, I understand the feeling. It’s like your second life. These days, you can live without a girlfriend/boyfriend, but you certainly can’t live without a phone.
Paling takut bila berlaku begini laaa kan… tapi nasib baim you lebih relax dan panic..
i kena betul-betul juga fahamkan ni, so apa-apa berlaku kita tau nak buat apa nanti..
Masa tu, nak panik pun tak guna jugak, sebab takleh solve apa2. Better sediakan payung sebelum hujan.
Thanks for the tips and info, i can’t imagine that situation but yah need to prepare ourselves also.
Indeed. Better safe than sorry.
I love some tips that you shared. Now a days we too depends on phone. Once we lost it… Its really effect our life
Yup. It seems like the smartphone has taken over our lives these days.
thanks for the tip! Rasanya saya tak boleh bayang kalau saya sendiri kehilangan phone. mesti perkara pertama akan panik! 🙂
Saya walaupun dah prepare untuk kejadian tak diingini macam tu, tapi bila betul2 terjadi, rasa panik dan terkejut tu tetap ada. Cuma kena pandai kawal la.
I don’t have any experience losing phone but this article really great for my knowledge. First thing first – Don’t panic. Hiks…
Yes, not easy to do, admittedly, but it comes with practice. 😀
Tak pernah lagi hilang telefon dan entry ni sangat membantu jika terkena. Yang penting jangan panik. 🙂
Betul – yang penting keep calm. Tapi tu la, kadang2 easier said than done. 😀
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