Hong Kong boy band Mirror member Stanley Yau Sze-chun recently lost his iPhone in the city and was surprised to discover it had surfaced at a market in neighbouring Shenzhen, sparking heated discussions on the internet.

Information technology experts noted that retrieving lost or stolen devices from mainland China can be difficult.

The South China Morning Post talks to experts for advice on how to handle the immediate frustration of losing a smartphone, and how to prevent data breaches before it falls into the wrong hands.

1. What happened to Yau’s phone?

Yau shared on his social media that he lost his iPhone after it slipped out of his pocket while riding a motorcycle on Tuesday.

Through the device’s tracking function, he initially located the Apple handset at CheungYin Building on Cheung Sha Wan Road in Sham Shui Po.