Anyone can walk up and say "that's my phone." Most lost-and-found apps just take their word for it. Pinglo asks for one thing first a private detail only the actual owner would know, like the crack on the corner of the screen or the last four digits on the card inside. If that doesn't match, nothing else happens.
Reporting something takes about a minute: pick a category, add roughly where it was, note that one private detail. From there you can browse what's nearby, filter by category, or if you've found something that isn't yours, post a sighting so the owner gets pinged the moment you do. Once there's a real match, the conversation moves into a private chat, so neither person has to put personal info out in public.
For campuses, venues and workplaces, there's also a private layer called Communities. Each site gets its own space, separate from the public feed – a safety feed for non-emergency alerts, hand-in points and safe meeting spots, a member list with a verified star for people who've confirmed who they are, and a group chat. City University of London is live now, and more are joining as we roll out with launch partners.
The whole app is built around one idea: you don't get an item back by asking nicely, you get it back by knowing something about it a stranger wouldn't.
What you can do:
- Report a lost or found item with one private detail that verifies a real claim
- Browse and filter nearby reports by category and location
- Post a sighting and notify an owner instantly
- Join a private Community for your campus, venue or workplace
- Use a Community safety feed for alerts, hand-in points and safe spots
- Check a claim through private chat before any handoff
- Report or block unsafe interactions
- Confirm when an item has actually been returned
- Earn points for helping out and redeem them for badges
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