( CNN ) -- If you 're at a coffee shop , anywhere in Philadelphia , or if it 's late at night , hang on to your smartphone . Losing your smartphone can be stressful , given how much important data and access to services a typical one contains . On average , people lose their smartphone once per year , according to Lookout Mobile Security . Recently , Lookout analyzed phone loss data and found some interesting trends about where and when people lose their phones . This data is presented on a new interactive website , Mobile Lost and Found . Lookout gathered data from its mobile security app , which is on more than 15 million cell phones around the world ( mostly Android phones ) . In 2011 , Lookout found 9 million smartphones . ( The company considered a phone as having gone missing whenever a user logged in to Lookout via the Web to find a phone . ) `` Losing your phone is absolutely the biggest mobile security risk cell phone owners currently face , even more than malware , '' said Kevin Mahaffey , Lookout 's chief technology officer . `` People lose their phones in the places they go every day . It 's not a stray comet from the sky snatching your phone . That 's why we wanted to study this . '' When are people most likely to lose their phone ? Lookout found that the vast majority of smartphone losses happen late at night , from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Looks like nightlife may be a culprit . But on holidays , or during major events such as festivals or big sporting events , people are especially likely to lose a phone . In 2011 , phone losses around the world spiked on Christmas and New Year 's Eve . And on February 27 , 2011 , phones in Dublin , Ireland , were lost at nearly three times the normal rate during a major international rugby tournament there . In general , throughout the United States , the five types of places where people are most likely to lose a cell phone are coffee shops , bars , restaurants , at the office or at home . Also , the five U.S. cities where people are most likely to lose a smartphone are Philadelphia ; Seattle ; Oakland , California . ; Long Beach , California ; and Newark , New Jersey . Mahaffey observed that several of the top phone-losing cities also have high crime rates , but that does n't necessarily mean that more phones are stolen in these cities . Lookout 's data does not indicate what actually happened to those missing phones -- how many were stolen vs. lost , or how many were eventually found . That might be a subject for future Lookout research , he said . However , where you 're most likely to lose your phone may depend on which city you live in . For instance , people in Austin , Texas , are most likely to lose phones at a gas station or garage , at the grocery store or at a pizza place . But church is the third most common setting where Chicagoans lose their phones . And in Atlanta , people are most likely to lose a phone at the office . One reason why losing your smartphone is so risky is that recent research by Symantec ( another mobile security provider ) showed that more than 95 % of the time , people who find lost smartphones try to access sensitive data or accounts on those phones -- which can including e-mail , online banking , photos and more . This is why it 's so important to always protect your cell phone with at least a security passcode or swipe pattern . What 's the cost of a lost smartphone ? Lookout estimates the average replacement cost ( just the device , not counting costs associated with lost data , international phone calls , unauthorized online purchases and illicit access to online banking or other accounts ) is about $ 200 . `` For a lot of people , $ 200 is a lot of money , '' Mahaffey said . `` It could be a month 's rent , or groceries . '' That said , Mahaffey emphasized that Lookout did n't conduct this research to frighten people , but rather to help them understand the importance of protecting your phone . `` You should never be afraid of your phone , '' he said , `` But you should know how to protect it . '' Consistently using a passcode or swipe pattern to lock your phone is the most basic level of protection -- not just from a random person who finds your lost phone , or a deliberate thief or snooper , but also from police . Courts in several states have authorized police to conduct warrantless searches of cell phones seized from people under arrest , but they probably can not compel an arrestee to unlock a seized phone . Several mobile security services offer additional features ( for an annual fee ) such as causing a lost phone to beep ( which can help if you just ca n't find where you put it down at home ) , or to show the current location of the phone on a map ( which in one case helped catch a carjacker ) , or to remotely lock or even wipe all data and contacts from a lost or stolen phone . The opinions expressed in this report are solely those of Amy Gahran .
95 % of the time , people who find lost smartphones try to access sensitive data , research shows . In 2011 , phone losses around the world spiked on Christmas and New Year 's Eve . Smartphone security company estimates average smartphone replacement cost is $ 200 . Philadelphia , Seattle top list of cities where phones are lost the most .