We increasingly rely on our cell phones to manage our lives. Don’t set your cell phone down while you are dining out or at a drinking establishment. Best to keep it in your pocket or purse, especially if you step away from the table.
If it is stolen, don’t rely on the tracking software. It doesn’t offer pinpoint accuracy. And if you insist on recovering it from a stranger, file a police report first. No resident of a house or apartment nor the person in charge of a business has to let you (or a police officer) inside to look around for it.