An Irish mobile phone insurer says the June Bank Holiday weekend is when you're most likely to lose your phone or have it stolen.
Mobilecover.ie says more smartphones tend to get lost, damaged or stolen during this weekend than any other.
The insurer says most people in the 20s and 30s tend to lose their phone on a night out - with holidays another likely time to lose their phones.
Surge in phone robberies
A mobile phone is now stolen every 20 minutes in Ireland with a surge in street robberies involving smartphones.
It is estimated that almost 30,000 phones were stolen here last year, with 16,000 stolen in Dublin alone.
Gardai admit that even more are likely be stolen this year with thieves now deliberately targeting anyone spotted using a high-value handset such as an Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy or Nokia Lumia.
Gardai are urging people to exercise extreme caution when using their phone on the street or in busy public areas.
Top five ways to track your stolen handset
1. IMEI Number: Every phone comes with an unique International Mobile Equipment Identity Number which can come in useful to track it in case of loss or theft. This number can be accessed by dialing *#06# and it is advisable to make a note of it as soon as you purchase your handset. Your mobile phone service provider may liaise with Gardaí about a lost or stolen handset and, if found, your handset will be able to be identified by the number. Thieves have been deterred from stealing mobile phones with the introduction of IMEI 'blocking'. Blocking an IMEI on a mobile phone network prevents a mobile phone from being used with any SIM on any mobile network.
2. IMEI Global Database: Another way that you can locate your lost phone is by adding its identity number to a free global database. If the phone is found, it's IMEI number can be used to contact you. Though this is a bit of a long shot, it is definitely worth a try.
3. iCloud: The best way for iPhone users to locate their missing handset is by activating Find My iPhone on it. If you are an iPhone user and you can't find your phone, log on to your iCloud account and click on Find My iPhone. If the phone is on, the service will be able to locate it. In case of theft, as soon as you locate your handset, lock it from your account so that the thief can't steal your information and disable the tracker. You can do this by clicking on the blue information icon on the black locator bar.
4. Google Latitude: If you don't have a handset that can download fancy apps but are still worried about losing your handset, Google Latitude is for you. Google Latitude uses your phone's in-built GPS to locate your phone. If you can't find your handset, log on to Google Latitude from a computer and it will immediately give you the whereabouts of your device.
5. Find My Phone: This is a convenient app for Andriod users, especially for families. By adding friends and family to the app, everyone's phone movements can be tracked at all times. Though this does sound a bit daunting, it can actually be pretty useful. In case your phone is lost, you can track it from another person's handset. He or she just needs to be on your list within the app.
