Lost or stolen: what to do, in order
The short answer
Mark it as lost from another device first, which locks it and shows a message. Then call your network to block the IMEI, so the handset is useless on every Irish network. Then report it to the Gardai for the insurance claim. In that order.
The first hour, in order
- Mark it as lost from another deviceFind My on an Apple device, Find My Device on Android, from any browser. This locks the phone, shows a message with a contact number, and keeps the account lock active even after a wipe.
- Call your network and block the IMEIThis is the step people skip. It puts the handset on the shared database and stops it working on every Irish network, not just yours. Have the IMEI ready; it is on the box and in your account.
- Report it to the GardaiYou need the report reference for any insurance claim, and it matters if the phone turns up.
- Change the passwords that matterEmail first, because it is the reset route for everything else. Then banking.
- Get the number backYour network can issue a replacement SIM or reissue an eSIM profile. Do this once the block is in place.
- Do not go and get it yourselfIf the map shows a location, give it to the Gardai. That is the whole of the advice.
What the account lock does
Marking a device as lost keeps it tied to your account permanently, so wiping it does not free it. Whoever has it cannot set it up, cannot sell it as working, and cannot use it as anything but parts.
That is exactly what these features are for, and it is why phone theft fell sharply after they became standard. It is also why no repair shop can remove one, including us.
Do not remove the device from your account in the hope of making it usable again for whoever has it. There is no version of that which helps you.
Why the IMEI block matters separately
The account lock stops the phone being set up. The IMEI block stops it connecting to a mobile network at all, on any Irish operator, whatever SIM goes in.
They are two different systems and doing one is not doing the other. A blocked phone can still be used on wifi by somebody who can get past the account lock; an account-locked phone can still, in theory, be used as a hotspot-free handset if it is not blocked.
Do both. Each takes minutes and neither can be done retrospectively as easily.
Buying a phone that turns out to be blocked
It happens, and it is why the IMEI check before buying is worth the ten seconds. A blocked handset works perfectly on wifi and does nothing on a network, so the fault appears only after the seller has gone.
The block can only be lifted by whoever placed it, which means the original owner or their network. Not by us and not by anybody selling that service.
If you have bought one, the seller is the route. If that fails, the Gardai report is at least a record, and it is why paying with a traceable method rather than cash matters more than people think.
Common questions.
Mark it as lost from another device or a browser. That locks it, shows a message, and keeps it tied to your account even if it is wiped. Then call your network to block the IMEI.
No. Blocking stops the handset connecting to any Irish network. Wiping is a separate action you can trigger from Find My, and marking it lost first is usually the better order.
No, and nobody legitimate will offer to. The account lock is tied to the owner's account and the IMEI block is held by the networks. Both exist to make a stolen phone worthless.
Only whoever placed the block can lift it, which means the original owner or their network. Go back to the seller. It is why an IMEI check before paying is worth ten seconds.
For any insurance claim, yes, and you will need the report reference. It also matters if the handset is recovered.
Where this leads.
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