How did I manage to lose my phone?

kingfisherblue

I do voluntary work on Friday afternoon/early evening. Before going there today, I had been charging my mobile. I took it off charge, but as it wasn't fully charged, I decided to take the charger with me. I put the mobile and charger into the same bag as my laptop and put the bag into the car next to my son's feet. My son comes with me, as I do my voluntary work while he is in youth club in the same building.

Anyway, I arrived here and took my charger out of my bag - but there was no sign of my phone. It wasn't in my handbag either, nor in the car. I've driven home and it isn't there, and it's not in the road.

I tried phoning it when I first realised it wasn't there (using work phone). It rang out until the voicemail clicked on. At home, I tried ringing it again, but this time it went straight to voicemail.

Now, I'm assuming that somehow the phone has fallen out of my laptop bag when I put it into the car, and someone has picked it up. Presumably, they have turned it off between the two times that I rang it. I have reported it missing to my phone provider, who have blacklisted it.

It's the inconvenience that's bugging me - all the numbers stored, the fact that it's the number I use for people to contact me (including the automated hospital appointment confirmation line, which should be contacting me tonight about my son's appointment next week), and the fact that I now need to get another phone. I was going to text my Rainbows and Brownies tonight about something I was planning for next week, but that's gone out of the window now - I really don't want to sit and ring everyone individually when I get home tonight!

So, moan over. I can't see how I could have dropped it out of my bag without noticing, but I must have done. Very frustrating!

DUTR

Did you ring it whilst in the car?

shopaholicz

You're maybe not going to like these questions, but....

how old is your son and has he taken anything before?

Could anyone where you volunteer have taken it out of your bag before you got a chance to?

kingfisherblue

No, I didn't ring it while I was in the car because I had nothing to ring it from. At work and at home I used the landline to ring my mobile number.

My mobile is linked to hands free in the car via Bluetooth, so when I turn on the engine, it automatically links up. An icon shows on my radio/satnav screen. I checked for the icon and it wasn't there, so it definitely isn't in the car.

I'm now changing my gmail password, just in case. I don't use FB or any social media. The only apps I use are my email, Wordtwister, Countdown and Candy Crush .

building_with_lego

In the lining of the laptop bag?

Do you have anything like "find my phone" installed that you can check?

Tropez

building_with_lego wrote: »

In the lining of the laptop bag?

Do you have anything like "find my phone" installed that you can check?

These apps are brilliant. Avast does one which I haven't used but I've heard good things about.

My Sony Xperia has an app as standard that connects to your Google account email addy and lets you track a phone, lock a phone, send abusive messages to thieves and such. You can also remotely destroy all the data on the phone and SD card.

Not much use now, particularly if you have no such app but on your next phone it might be something to consider.

Also, to consider for next time, you can get apps which will autobackup important stuff like contact numbers to DropBox (which can be PIN protected on the phone) and any NAS you may have at home.

Pyxis

If it needed charging, it may have gone straight to voicemail because the battery ran out.
Are you absolutely sure it's not in the bag? I ask because once I was looking for something I thought was in a bag, and looked three times, but couldn't find it. The next day I completely emptied the bag, but it wasn't there. Then........ I felt something in the lining............it was it.

Lily-Rose_3

It is annoying and inconvenient, and I have lost mine a few times. It's usually under the car seat or in a teeny pocket in my tardis of a handbag!

But you DO have all the numbers stored in the phone written down elsewhere don't you? Not putting all your mobile phone numbers somewhere else other than your phone would be silly. I know a few people who have done this! Why would you not write them down somewhere else LOL?!

kingfisherblue

Thanks for all your replies. My younger son found my phone last night, in the kitchen. I had been charging it in the lounge, and I honestly don't remember going into the kitchen at all. I was certain that I had put it into the bag.


Although it needed charging, it had about 40% battery, but it had turned itself off. It did it again a little later on - I had to pop out again about 10pm (not long after I had got home from work, and quite unexpectedly), so it hadn't had a chance to charge much. Maybe five minutes or so - but when I turned it back on, the battery was showing as almost dead. I think maybe I need a new battery.


I also need one of those apps! I'll look into them today.


Lily-Rose, I have about half of the numbers elsewhere, but admittedly not all of them. I can get the others easily enough. It's really inconvenient sitting and inputting them all into a new phone, though, not to mention boring!


Shopaholicz, I'm not offended by your questions. I've found my phone, but will answer them anyway. The son who goes to youth club has Down's Syndrome. He is 16 and has other disabilities as well, so can never be left alone due to his needs. My younger son is 14. He was in his bedroom and went straight out to the car when we went to the community centre. At the centre, the first thing I did was get out my things, and there was no one else about. The staff members were in other parts of the building at the time.


I contacted Three late last night, and they 'un-blacklisted' my phone. They said it could take up to 48 hours, but to turn my phone off in a few minutes time, and try it. It took less than five minutes and it was working again - before they sent me the text to tell me! So quick service from Three.


So today, I need to make sure everything is backed up, I need to install an app in case I lose my phone in the future, and I need to consider a new battery. After sorting out my kids disability group activities - I need to be on the other side of town for 8.30 to set up.


So thanks again everyone, and I will follow the advice given.

tom9980

If it's an android phone follow these instructions

http://mobilesyrup.com/2014/08/10/how-do-i-set-up-android-device-manager/

Indie_Kid

I lost phone a few months ago. It's somewhere n the house, I still haven't found it...

Regarding numbers - mine are all on my gmail account. I've linked my email with my phone and have all numbers there. They're on my iPad too, I think.