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Rossen Reports: The 1 simple trick to help you find your lost cell phone

This simple change to the lock screen on your cell phone can triple the chances that your phone will be returned if you lose it.
/ Source: TODAY

There's nothing worse than that sinking feeling you've lost your cell phone and have no idea how to find it.

A new study by cell phone insurance carrier Asurion has revealed the one trick that could triple your chances of getting that phone back with only a simple change.

Asurion says by adding the text "If found call" and adding your friend or family member's phone number to your lock screen, you greatly increase the chances you will get your phone back.

TODAY national investigative correspondent Jeff Rossen put it to the test by intentionally losing 10 phones at malls, coffee shops and restaurants around New York City, five with the text on the lock screen and five without.

Get Jeff Rossen’s book “Rossen to the Rescue” here

Within minutes he was getting calls on his backup phone from people who found the phones with the contact information. Meanwhile, he called the phones without the information to see if anyone would pick up, and they all went straight to voicemail.

Rossen then shared the following steps you can take to add the text to your lock screen and save yourself a headache if you lose your phone:

  • Go to the camera app on your phone, open it up and either choose a photo you already have or take a new one.
  • Go to "edit," and hit the button in the bottom right with the three little dots. Hit the "markup" button and then hit the blue plus sign in the bottom right. Now click on the text icon.
  • Change the text color to white so that it will be easier to see. Move the text box down and then double click the text box to start typing.
  • Type out "If found call:" and then put your friend or family member's phone number in there. Then click "done."
  • Click the "send" button in the bottom left and now you see these icons all the way at the bottom. Scroll over until you see "use as wallpaper." Click the button that says "set" and then when it gives you the option to set it for your home screen or lock screen, set it for the lock screen. You're all done!

If you want a low-tech option, just write "If found call: (friend/family's number)" on a piece of paper and just stick it to the back of your phone.