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Lost

Lost your phone? Step-by-step recovery

Carrier contacts, Find My / Find My Device, and the local steps to recover or secure a lost phone.

Losing your phone in Santa Barbara is stressful, but acting quickly improves your odds of getting it back and limits the damage if it's gone for good. Work through these steps in order.

  1. Locate it remotely. Use Find My (iPhone) or Find My Device (Android) from another phone or computer to see the phone on a map, play a sound, and mark it as lost. Lost Mode locks the device and shows a contact message on the screen.
  2. Lock and message it. If it's nearby, the sound may be enough. If it isn't, enable Lost Mode and add a phone number where you can be reached.
  3. Call your carrier. Report the phone lost so they can suspend service and block the IMEI. This stops anyone running up charges and flags the handset across networks.
  4. Change key passwords. Update your email, banking, and social passwords, especially if the phone wasn't locked. Sign the device out of those accounts where you can.
  5. Report it locally. File a report with the police non-emergency line for Santa Barbara — a crime reference number is often required for insurance claims.
  6. Post a listing. Add a lost-phone listing for Santa Barbara so anyone who finds it can reach you privately.

Keep checking the map periodically — a phone that's off may reappear when it's charged.

Helpful resources for Santa Barbara

Recent reports in Santa Barbara

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Lost GPS devices in Santa Barbara

I lost my GPS devices while hiking near Stearns Wharf around 5:30 PM last Friday. Two devices were in a blue zip pouch—one handheld with a cracked screen and a second car-mounted unit. I had walked down State Street toward La Arcada and then looped back toward the harbor, realizing the pouch was gone just outside Stearns Wharf. These tools are essential for field work I do with a local research program, and I’m sick with worry they’ve found their way into the wrong hands.

near Stearns Wharf 5 days ago
lost M

Lost Sony a6500 camera with strap

I lost a black sony a6500 camera with strap on the side of the road - will offer reward if found. Was lost around 960 E Mountain Drive in Santa Barbara. Also if you found but are not willing to return then please send photos and videos to [email protected] . They are very important memories!! Thanks.

Reward Sentimental +1
Santa Barbara 11 days ago
lost M

Lost chargers near Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara

Hi, I am Mia Thompson. I left my chargers on a bench near Stearns Wharf around 4:15 PM on Tuesday. The tiny orange cable and a black USB-C block are all I want back, especially since they power my work laptop on trips. I retraced the pier and State Street, but the bench is long gone from memory. It would mean a lot to me to have them back.

Stearns Wharf near the boardwalk about 1 month ago
lost A

Black iPhone 12 Pro with initials J.S.

I lost my black iPhone 12 Pro yesterday around 3pm after leaving the coffee shop near the Santa Barbara Bowl on Milpas Street. The phone is in a clear case with my initials 'J.S.' engraved on the back, and there's a noticeable crack along the top edge. It still functions and holds sentimental photos from my grandmother, plus a few work notes in the Notes app. I rely on it daily for calls, messages, and calendars, so I’m really hoping someone turned it in. If you found it, email me at [email protected] so we can arrange a safe handoff somewhere downtown Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara 3 months ago