Left Your Phone in an Uber or Lyft? How to Get It Back
If you left your phone in an Uber or Lyft, both apps have a built-in lost-item flow that connects you to your driver — even if your phone is the thing you lost. Here is exactly how to reach the driver, what a return may cost, and how to protect your data while you wait.
The essentials
- Both Uber and Lyft have a "lost item" flow that calls your driver on your behalf.
- If your phone is what you lost, use a friend’s phone or a computer to sign in to your account.
- A return trip may carry a fee (often around $20) that goes to the driver for their time.
- Mark the phone as lost and lock it immediately to protect your data.
Act fast and lock your phone
If you left your phone in an Uber or Lyft, do two things immediately. First, lock and locate it — use Find My iPhone or Google’s Find My Device from any other device to see it on a map, mark it as lost, and display a call-back message. Second, use the rideshare app’s lost-item flow to reach your driver. Speed matters: the sooner you contact the driver, the more likely they are still nearby or between trips.
In the Uber app
Open Your Trips, select the ride, and choose "Find lost item" → "Contact driver about a lost item." Uber places a call from your phone number to the driver without sharing either number. If the driver has your phone, agree a place and time to meet; a return may include a fee (commonly around $20) that compensates the driver for the trip back.
In the Lyft app
Open Ride history, select the trip, tap "Get help" → "Find lost item," and Lyft connects you to the driver. As with Uber, the numbers stay private, the driver may ask for a reasonable return fee, and you arrange the handoff directly.
If your phone is what you lost
You can still do all of this without the phone. Sign in to Uber or Lyft from a friend’s phone or a computer (Uber has a web help centre; Lyft’s flow works from a borrowed device) and follow the same steps. Call your own number from another phone — a nearby driver often answers. And because you locked the phone first, your data is protected even if the handoff takes a day.
Lost something at a hotel, airport or venue instead? If they use vFound, you can browse their found items as photos and claim yours online. Read our guide to recovering an item at the airport.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get my phone back from an Uber?
Open Your Trips in the Uber app, select the ride, and choose Find lost item, then Contact driver about a lost item. Uber calls the driver on your behalf without sharing numbers. If your phone is the lost item, do this from a friend’s phone or Uber’s website. A return may include a fee (often around $20) for the driver.
Is there a fee to get a lost item back from Uber or Lyft?
Often, yes. A return trip may carry a fee — commonly around $20 — that goes to the driver to compensate them for the time and distance to bring your item back. You agree it with the driver when arranging the handoff.
How do I contact my driver if my phone is the thing I lost?
Sign in to Uber or Lyft from a friend’s phone or a computer and use the same lost-item flow, or call your own number from another phone. Lock and mark the phone as lost first using Find My iPhone or Find My Device to protect your data.