Cell Phone Stolen

[jyoutz]

Doesn't help you with a stolen phone, but I wanted to share this tip:

On my "locked" screen, it says "If found, call or text 940-395-xxxx, Thanks!". It's the number for my wife's phone (or could be anyone else you know).

I learned it from one of the morning news programs. They did it to a phone and then left it in various places like a restaurant, gym, park bench, hotel etc. In 90% of the instances, someone called or texted the number and they were able to arrange to get the phone back.

Funny thing, it actually worked for me! A few weeks ago, I was leaving my back property after retrieving a spool of barbed wire I had lying next to the barn. Unbeknownst to me, the wire had been sitting on a fire ant mound and when I picked it up to throw into the back of my truck, the fire ants got all over and inside my shirt. As I got partway down the road, the jefe fire ant yelled "attack" and they commenced their assault! I quickly pulled over, jumped out and yanked my shirt off, smacking the evil little buggers, then jumped back in my truck and drove away. Unknowingly, my phone went flying and landed by the edge of the pavement. I got about 10 miles down the road and someone called and texted my wife's phone, who was sitting in the truck with me. We met the lady by the roadside and thanked her profusely! What a lifesaver!

I travel all the time and I'm constantly getting in/out, up/down, airport security, airplanes, rent cars, hotel checkouts, restaurants etc. The chances of me inadvertently leaving or dropping my phone somewhere is huge.

Is this only an android function? I can’t find a way to do this on my iPhone.

 

[gsganzer]

Is this only an android function? I can’t find a way to do this on my iPhone.

No. My phone is an Iphone. What I did was take a photo. I then edited the photo by adding the text "If found, call etc. etc.", I use that photo as the background of my locked screen.

 

[grsthegreat]

Ah, on the android its a function under systems, lock screen, contact information.

Never knew it was there. I always ment to add a sticker on phone….but never did

 

[jyoutz]

No. My phone is an Iphone. What I did was take a photo. I then edited the photo by adding the text "If found, call etc. etc.", I use that photo as the background of my locked screen.

Ahh. Smart idea

 

[wilso]

It was really a good idea!
My phone also was stolen and unfortunately, I wasn't able to recover it. After that case, I started using this insurance that can help me recover the cost of my device or provide a replacement. By the way, I also insured my DSLR camera and my wife's phone.

 

[ultrarunner]

It’s been over a week and no luck…

Can’t imagine a 10 year old Android with loose screen and buggered charge port is valuable to anyone but me.

 

[murphy1244]

Ah, on the android its a function under systems, lock screen, contact information.

Never knew it was there. I always ment to add a sticker on phone….but never did

How does this work?

 

[grsthegreat]

How does this work?

When phone is in lock screen now, theres a message on the screen that says “if found please call xxx-xxx-xxxx” no need to unlock screen to see message

 

[dodge man]

It’s been a couple years ago but my daughter dropped her cell phone in a port a potty on a construction project. The guy who cleaned it out the porta potty set the phone off to the side by some welding tanks. She had a new phone in a couple of days. In the mean time the people picked up the welding tanks and snagged her phone. It turns out their secretary plugged the phone in and charged it. The service was disconnected but my phone number showed up on the screen as the person to call. So about a month afterwards she got her phone back. She never did tell the people it has spent a week in a port a potty.

 

[MossRoad]

...She never did tell the people it has spent a week in a port a potty.

Talk about a prank phone call.....