More than half UK residents have lost or had mobile stolen

Chris Price Mobile phones, Smartphones
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  • Brits aged 25-35 are the most likely to lose a mobile phone, with 4 in 5 (78%) reporting to have lost more than one device. 
  • On the other hand, Brits over 65 are the least likely to lose a mobile phone, with 7 in 10 (68%) claiming to have never lost a handset. 
  • 56% of Brits reported they have lost or had at least one mobile phone stolen in their lifetime with 18% of those surveyed admitting to having misplaced multiple handsets. 

  • Public transport is the most likely location to lose a mobile phone in the UK. Of those who have lost a phone or had one stolen, 35% reported that it happened on public transport. 

More than half of UK residents have reported losing a mobile phone or having one stolen throughout their lifetime, according to new research from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service. 
 
Uswitch.com surveyed 2,000 UK mobile phone owners to determine the frequency with which Brits are misplacing their mobile phones. The study also uncovered the average costs incurred and common locations to lose phones.
 
Table 1: How many mobile phones have you lost, or had stolen, in your lifetime? 
 

Option 

Respondents 

% of Total Respondents

None

889

44%

One

747

37%

Two

274

14%

Three

48

2%

Four

23

1%

Five or more

19

1%

Total

2,000

100%
 
Source: Uswitch.com
More than half (56%) of Brits reported they have lost or had at least one mobile phone stolen in their lifetime. While 37% of respondents reported losing a mobile phone in their lifetime, almost one in five (18%) admitted to having misplaced more than one handset.
 
Table 3: How many mobile phones have you lost, or had stolen, in your lifetime? [By age] 
 

Option 

% of total responders

18 – 24

25 – 34

35 – 44

45 – 54

55 – 64

65+

None

32%

22%

35%

50%

63%

68%

One

38%

50%

43%

32%

30%

25%

Two

19%

19%

17%

13%

8%

6%

Three

7%

5%

2%

3%

0%

0%

Four

2%

2%

1%

1%

0%

0%

Five or more

2%

1%

2%

1%

0%

0%
 
Source: Uswitch.com
 
Brits over the age of 65 are the least likely to lose a mobile phone, with 68% claiming to have never lost a handset. However, those aged between 25-35 are the most likely to lose a mobile phone, with 78% of the age group saying they have lost more than one handset in their lifetime.
 
Table 4: How many mobile phones have you lost, or had stolen, in your lifetime? [By region] 
 

Option 

% of total responders

Central England

Northern England

Northern Ireland

Scotland

South East England

South West England

Wales

None

47%

45%

25%

49%

41%

52%

50%

One

36%

36%

69%

41%

36%

38%

43%

Two

13%

15%

6%

7%

18%

5%

4%

Three

2%

2%

0%

1%

3%

3%

1%

Four

1%

1%

0%

1%

1%

1%

0%

Five or more

1%

1%

0%

1%

1%

1%

1%
 
Source: Uswitch.com
 
Northern Ireland is revealed as the UK region whose residents are the most likely to report having lost at least one mobile phone (75%). The South East of England is the second most likely, with 59% of respondents reporting they had lost at least one mobile phone[1]. 
 
Table 5: How much do you estimate losing mobile phone handsets has cost you?
 

How much do you estimate losing mobile phone handsets has cost you?

Response

Responders

% of total responders

Nothing

70

6%

£1 to £250

492

44%

£251 to £500

318

29%

£501 to £750

145

13%

£751 to £1,000

59

5%

More than £1,000

27

2%

Total

1,111

  
 
Source: Uswitch.com
 
Of those who have lost a mobile phone or had one stolen, 44% reported an estimated cost of up to £250. 29% estimated that their lost phones cost them between £251 and £500, while 13% estimated costs between £501 and £750. 
 
Table 6: Which of the following places have you lost a mobile phone at? 
 

Option 

Respondents 

% of Total Respondents

Restaurant/bar

290

26%

Shop

308

28%

Public transport

393

35%

Taxi

163

15%

Work

129

12%

School

43

4%

Other (please specify)

133

12%

Total

1,111

100%
 
Source: Uswitch.com

Public transport is revealed as the most likely location to lose a mobile phone in the UK. Of those who have lost a phone or had one stolen, 35% reported that it happened on public transport. This was closely followed by a shop (28%) and a restaurant or bar (26%). 

Other places people had lost their phones included in a canal, while cycling and leaving them on top of their car. One respondent reported they lost their phone when it fell out of their pocket in the pub after they jumped to celebrate a goal. 

Rehan Ali, mobile expert at Uswitch, comments: 

“With over a half of Brits having lost their mobile in the past, it is important to put the necessary protection in place in case your device is lost or stolen in future. 

“Firstly, make sure your device is secure by setting a screen lock and locking your phone whenever you stop using it. Fingerprint scanners or long passwords with a mix of numbers, letters and special characters are the safest options to prevent anyone from accessing your phone. You should also set a PIN code for your SIM card. This means that if your SIM is entered into another device, it can’t be used without the pin number.”

6 TIPS ON WHAT TO DO IF YOU LOSE YOUR MOBILE PHONE

Rehan Ali, Uswitch mobile expert, shares his top tips on what to do if you lose your mobile phone and how to protect yourself against losing a handset in the future: 
 

1. Try to locate your phone – It’s always worth calling your number from another phone, in case you get lucky and an honest member of the public has found it. If no one answers, it’s worth sending a text including a contact number for anyone who happens to pick it up at a later date. You should also try calling any establishments you have visited and the local police station to see if your device has been handed in.

2. Track your device – One huge benefit of today’s smartphone technology is the ability to track your phone. For iPhone users, you can use Find My iPhone, and for Android, you can use the Android Device Manager to do so. However, to access this service you will need to have set these functions up before your phone goes missing. 
3. Report to your network provider – When you lose your mobile phone, you should report it to your network provider immediately. Your provider will be able to deactivate your SIM, preventing anyone else from misusing your number. If you manage to relocate your handset, your provider will also be able to reactivate it for you. 4. Report to the police – If you believe your device has been stolen, it is also important to report the theft to the police. They will require the make and model, serial number and IMEI, MEID or ESN number of your handset. Although you are still unlikely to receive your phone back if stolen, it does provide the necessary documentation to show to your insurer. It also means that if your device is handed in, you will be notified immediately. 

5. Erase your phone’s data remotely – Using Android Device Manager or iCloud, you can erase personal data present on your mobile remotely. This helps protect your personal information if your device  falls into the wrong hands. You can also unlink your accounts on iPhones using iCloud.

6. Change your passwords – It is also worth changing any passwords to accounts you keep logged in on your mobile phone to ensure these cannot be accessed. Important passwords to change include your email, social media accounts, mobile banking, shopping apps and streaming apps”. 
Chris Price

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