Imagine losing your smartphone. What a nightmare it can turn out for you. You would never want that to happen. Losing a phone in today’s age means you’re going to lose a bundle of important stuff. Our phones store a huge amount of data including details of our bank accounts, photos, videos, text messages, emails, and so much more. Our phones are more or less working like our digital wallets. Losing the phone means, losing not just the device but also so much of the important data. All your private and confidential data would be exposed to a huge risk.
While losing phone is another story, it might also get stolen by someone. You wouldn’t want anyone to get hands on your device and consequently, get hands on your important data. All your social media apps including WhatsApp account details are stored on your device. The robber would get his hands on everything. He would be able to read all your important WhatsApp conversations.
While there are still ways to get your phone back, there’s something you can do to protect your WhatsApp account. In case you meet such misfortune and have your phone get lost or stolen, you can make sure no stranger gets hold of your WhatsApp account. Since WhatsApp has become one of the most important sources of online communication and is regarded as the best instant-messaging app, we need to secure the app in every way possible. Recently, WhatsApp has also rolled out its payments feature, allowing people to send/receive money through the app. Therefore, it has become really critical to make sure your WhatsApp account remains secure and does not get into the wrong hands.
How to Restore Your WhatsApp Account When Your Phone is Lost/Stolen
Follow the step-by-step guide to secure your WhatsApp account in case your phone is lost or stolen by someone.
Step 1:
In case your phone is lost or stolen by someone, the first thing you need to do is lock your SIM card by giving a call to your mobile service provider. Once your SIM is blocked, nobody will be able to authenticate the account on your lost/stolen device.
This happens because it is compulsory to receive an SMS or a phone call in order to verify the account linked to your mobile number. Since your SIM card will be blocked and deactivated, the person who is in possession of your mobile device won’t be able to access your WhatsApp account.
Step 2:
Once your SIM is locked, you can easily activate your WhatsApp account on a different handset. The easiest and fastest way to do this by using a SIM card with the same number. You need to keep in mind that WhatsApp cannot be activated on two devices simultaneously at a time on a phone number. It can only be activated on one device at a time on a phone number.
Step 3:
The other option you can opt for is by sending an email to the WhatsApp team. In case you decide to go for this option, you need to include the sentence ‘Lost/stolen: Deactivate my WhatsApp account’ in the body of the email, along with your phone number. You can send these details along with your country code. Remember to write your phone number exactly as you have it saved in your phone.
Another point to remember is that WhatsApp can also be operated with the use of Wi-Fi even in the absence of a SIM card inside the handset. Therefore, it is really necessary to contact the WhatsApp team as soon as you notice your mobile going missing or getting stolen and get your WhatsApp account deactivated right away.
There’s no way you can disable WhatsApp from any other device. WhatsApp does not provide you with the facility of finding the location of the lost phone. Users have a 30-day window to activate their WhatsApp account. After this time period, their account will be completely deactivated. Even if your contacts send you messages during this time period, they will remain pending for a while and then get erased right after the thirty days.
There’s a chance you might be able to restore your WhatsApp chat history if you had backed up all your chats using Google Drive, iCloud or any other cloud solution.
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