What should I do if a family member’s lost Android phone was linked to my Gmail?
Answer
Use Google Find My Device to secure or erase the lost phone, then review signed-in devices and remove the missing phone from the Google account. After that, sign out and back in on the working phone if apps, messages, or sync still misbehave.
Before you start: stop right away if…
- Erasing a lost phone permanently removes its local data; only erase after you are sure the device will not be returned soon.
Follow these steps
Secure the lost phone with Find My Device
On a computer or the working phone, open google.com/android/find, sign in with the shared Gmail account, select the lost device, and use Secure device or Erase device if you cannot recover the phone.
You should see: The lost phone is locked or queued for erase, and it no longer accepts unlock without the account password.
Change the Google account password
At myaccount.google.com, change the password for the Gmail account that was on the lost phone, then complete any prompted 2-Step Verification updates.
You should see: Other signed-in devices may ask you to sign in again with the new password.
Remove the lost device from the account
In Google Account > Security > Your devices, find the lost phone and choose Sign out or Don’t recognize this device so it can no longer use the account.
You should see: The lost phone no longer appears as an active signed-in device.
Refresh the working phone’s Google sign-in
On the phone that still works, open Settings > Passwords & accounts (or Users & accounts), remove and re-add the Gmail account, or sign out of Gmail and sign back in with the new password.
You should see: Mail, contacts, and messages sync again without repeated verification loops.
Check messages and linked phone numbers
Confirm SMS, Google Messages, and any “device transfer” or number-sharing features are pointed at the phone you still have, not the lost one.
You should see: Texts and account alerts arrive on the remaining phone only.
Not sure this is the right page? Check here
0 of 5 checked
Extra tips
What to look for: Whether the lost phone still appears under Google account devices, whether Find My Device can still locate or ring it, and any “signed in elsewhere” or verification prompts on the phone that still works.
Before you change anything: Confirm which Gmail address both phones used. Write down the model of the lost phone if you know it. If the phone held personal photos or 2FA codes, plan a backup or recovery path before erasing it. Never share your Google password or verification codes with anyone who contacts you unexpectedly.