Lost & found for riders
Lost your phone during a ride?You can help us do our best to locate it by answering a few questions.
The easiest way to recover a lost item is to contact your driver directly. If you have trouble reaching your driver, we’re here to help you get in touch with them.
What to know:
- You can message your driver about a lost item directly in the app.
- A $20 return fee will be applied in-app to compensate the driver for their assistance with the return of your item.
- If your driver is requesting cash for ride payments or the return fee, please contact support.
For Lyft Teens: For safety and privacy reasons, Teens are unable to contact drivers about lost items directly. We need to work directly with parents/guardians to coordinate returns for teens. Contact support to get started.
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Contact the driver
When you report a lost item through the Lyft app or your email ride receipt link, you can call or message your driver for 24 hours after your ride ends.
For calls and messages, the Lyft app uses a masked phone number so your personal contact info is hidden.
When leaving a message, we encourage you to provide the best contact number the driver can reach you to help make the return smoother.
Lost phones
If you lost the phone associated with your account or you’re unable to contact your driver, fill out this form so our team can assist you.
Once you've filed your report, your driver may be able to bring your phone back to you the same day. See Return rides below.
If you have insurance on your phone, we also recommend contacting the provider to begin the claim process.
Return rides
Return rides
If you lost your phone, your driver may be able to bring it back to you instead of arranging a return yourself.
How it works
When you report your lost phone, we'll ask where you'd like it dropped off and when you'll be there. You don't need the Lyft app — you can do this from a computer or a borrowed device.
We'll then ask your driver whether your phone is in their car. This can take up to an hour, since we wait for a moment when they aren't driving. If they have it and accept the return, they'll drive it to you.
You can follow your driver's progress, and we'll text and email you when the return is scheduled, when your driver is on the way, and when they arrive.
What it costs
A return ride is priced like a regular Lyft ride, based on factors including how far your driver travels to reach you. You'll see the price before the ride starts. The $20 return fee doesn't apply.
Tipping
Tipping is optional. You can add a tip when you request the return, or after your phone is back.
If you add a tip when you request the return, your driver sees the amount along with the request. If the return doesn't go through, the tip isn't charged.
If a return ride isn't possible
Return rides aren't available for every trip. They're offered on completed rides you booked yourself on a personal account. If your driver declines, or a return ride can't be arranged, you can still message your driver directly to coordinate — and the $20 return fee applies instead.
Return fee
If your driver returns your item without a return ride, you'll be charged a $20 return fee in-app once they let us know it was returned.
If your phone comes back on a return ride, you're charged for the ride instead. The $20 fee doesn't apply.
Lost item fee waiver
Lyft Go members won't be charged the return fee when a driver returns a lost item. This benefit has unlimited uses. Lyft Go Core doesn’t include the lost item fee waiver.
Payments made outside of the app don't count toward either. If your driver is requesting cash for ride payments or the return fee, please contact Support.
Additional options
While Lyft is unable to provide insurance, replacements, or reimbursement for lost items, we can recommend contacting your local authorities to file a police report if you’ve lost items with sensitive or personal information. If the police reach out to us with the proper paperwork via email, we’ll assist them in any way we can. Check out our Law enforcement requests page for more information on police outreach.
Keep in mind that we’re unable to guarantee items will be found or delivered immediately. Per Lyft's Terms of Service, we do not procure insurance for, nor are we responsible for, personal belongings left in the car by drivers or riders. For this reason, we’re unable to provide refunds for rides or reimbursement for the value of lost items.