There are things you can do to make it less painful if your phone is stolen. Because some of these features are more technical in nature, people often overlook them.Photo by Tero Vesalainen/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Here’s what you need to do before and after your phone is stolen or lost

In some places, phone thefts have surged so much it's now an everyday problem, with thieves swiping them off restaurant tables or pickpocketing them on the subway

by · National Post

LONDON (AP) — Phones hold so much of our digital lives — emails, social media and bank accounts, photos, chat messages and more — that if they ever get stolen or go missing, it can cause major disruption beyond just the loss of a device.

In some places, phone thefts have surged so much it’s now an everyday problem, with thieves on electric bikes snatching them out of pedestrians’ hands, swiping them off restaurant tables or pickpocketing them on the subway.