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Only 52% of cellphone owners have done this

It’s happened to everyone, at one time or another.

You’ve stepped away from your desk, bar stool, wherever — and not 3 minutes later you discover that your cellphone is missing.

Gone, in a blink of an eye.  Your entire life – photos, contacts, important numbers, etc — all gone forever.  Stolen, perhaps. Lost, definitely.

And the chances of finding your phone in the Lost & Found are likely slim to none.

iPhone tether lock strap
iPhone Tether Lock Strap

So what should you do?

About the lost phone – there’s not much Web Watch can help you with. You’re just going to have to hunker down and pony up the $200 for a new device and hope that all your data is stored on your computer or in the cloud somewhere.

But here’s where we get to the most important thing.  That thing that 31% OF ALL CELL PHONE USERS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR PHONES DON’T DO:

Those people who lost their phones did not lock their phones.  No lock screen, secret swipe, 4-digit code.

Your phone is wide open for strangers to get into.  And if you have important contacts, passwords, unsecured access into accounts — those thieves could be doing a whole lot more to you than using up your free long-distance minutes.

Just 52% of all cellphone owners have some sort of passcode on their phone.  That percentage goes higher as the user gets younger – more than likely to keep the parents out of their stuff.  Older people, age 55 and over, are more at risk for having a completely unlocked device.

And for those 38% of consumers who keep some sort of risque photos or videos on their phone – you may want to double-check that you have that lock screen activated.  You really don’t want those images falling into the wrong hands, do you?