When a phone is stolen, there are two goals competing for attention: getting the device back and protecting everything stored or logged in on it. Handle both, but put your personal safety and account security first.
Open Google's Find Hub from another device and sign in with the Google Account associated with the stolen phone. If a location is available, save the time and place. Use the secure-device options that make sense for your situation.
Do not interpret a location pin as permission to enter a building, accuse a resident or arrange your own confrontation. GPS and network positioning have error margins, and a stolen phone can move quickly.
Contact your mobile provider and report the SIM as stolen. The carrier can suspend service and issue a replacement SIM or eSIM. This matters because SMS-based account recovery can otherwise become a route into other accounts.
Ask whether the carrier accepts an IMEI block request for stolen devices. The IMEI can help identify or block cellular hardware, but your carrier generally does not turn it into a public real-time tracking service.
Change passwords for accounts that would be particularly damaging if accessed: your primary email, banking, password manager and important social accounts. Revoke active sessions where the service offers that option.
If you used a strong screen lock and modern Android encryption, that gives meaningful protection, but do not assume the thief can never access anything. Prioritize accounts according to the consequences of compromise.
Write down when and where the phone disappeared, the make and model, colour, case, serial number, IMEI and any Find Hub locations. Save screenshots rather than relying on memory. If you file a police or insurance report, keep the reference number.
If the location changes, keep a chronological record. Do not publish precise live locations publicly; that can complicate recovery and expose unrelated people.
A remote factory reset is a security action, not a recovery technique. It can protect data, but it can also end some methods of locating the phone. If the phone contains highly sensitive information and recovery looks unlikely, erasing may be the correct trade-off.
If you are unsure, read Google's current Find Hub instructions before making the decision, because capabilities change over time.
LocationOf can only show points that were actually recorded by a device that was already running the app with permission. It cannot remotely install itself on the stolen phone and cannot begin tracking from a phone number, IMEI or SIM number.
If LocationOf was not already active, use the official lost-device steps above. For future devices, see LocationOf and lost-phone preparation.
A stolen phone can be valuable because of the accounts attached to it, not merely because of the hardware. Be cautious if you receive unexpected messages claiming that the phone has been found and asking you to sign in through a link. Thieves sometimes use phishing pages to obtain the Google or device credentials that the screen lock prevented them from accessing directly.
Open important services through their official apps or websites rather than links from unsolicited messages. If you suspend the SIM, remember that SMS-based recovery may also move to the replacement SIM, so secure your primary email and mobile-provider account.
Save the timestamp and location, but do not treat one GPS pin as a warrant to confront the people at that address. Position estimates can be wrong, apartment buildings contain many unrelated occupants and the phone may have moved since the point was recorded.
Where appropriate, provide the information to police or your insurer together with the IMEI, serial number, description and proof of ownership. Personal safety is more important than recovering the handset yourself.