The 10th Annual Uber Lost & Found Index

This year, we’re celebrating 10 years of the Uber Lost & Found Index: a milestone marking a full decade of forgotten phones, rogue belongings, and questionable decisions (but no judgment!) And for the first time, we’re not just recapping the past 12 months – we’re looking back at a decade of lost items, tracking how the items we lose reflect the way we live. 

From AirPods becoming an everyday essential, to vaccine cards and face masks taking over in 2021, Ozempic making its way into backseats in 2025, and viral Labubu plushies riding shotgun this year, the Lost & Found Index has become an unexpected time capsule of the past decade.

Our latest index shows some things never change. Phones topped the list as the most forgotten item (with more than 1M reported), New York City secured its spot once again as the most forgetful city, and July 17 went down as the most forgetful day of the year.

If you’re among the many who have ever accidentally left something behind, good news: we’re rolling out an improved lost items experience in the Uber app that makes it easier than ever to get your belongings back in a few taps. In select markets, you can now request an Uber trip directly in the app to have your lost item returned to you. Here’s how it works:

• Open the Uber app and tap “Activity” on the bottom icon menu
• Scroll down to “Find lost item” in the Help section, and report your missing item – you will receive a notification when your driver has confirmed they have located the item in their vehicle
• Select “Request a return trip” with your original driver, enter the address for the item to be returned to you, and confirm the fare for the return
• Follow along your driver’s return trip in the app, and share the pin number with the driver when they arrive to confirm the return

You can also contact the driver directly if you’ve lost an item on a trip. Confirm if they have your item, then arrange a time and place to get it back. Visit this help page to learn more. Forgot your registered phone? Sign in to help.uber.com to get help.

Check out the 2026 Uber Lost & Found Index below, plus a look over the last decade of indexes. 

The 2026 Uber Lost & Found Index

The 50 most *unique* lost items:

1. Dentures with 2 teeth
2. Breast milk
3. Human hair
4. Donny Osmond group picture
5. Ankle monitor 
6. 420 donuts
7. George Washington hospital discharge papers
8. Sack of marbles
9. Oxygen tank
10. Gold mouth grillz
11. Brand new mini fridge
12. 1 red bottom Louboutin heel
13. Electrical Harness
14. Live fish 
15. Mannequin
16. Two Trees
17. Cape with the Statue of Liberty on it
18. $200.00 worth of Temu items
19. Grass
20. A textured photo with a rhinestoned picture of Jesus
21. A 75 gallon fish tank
22. Pool stick in a case
23. Fish loin for my restaurant
24. 2 chrome exhaust tips
25. Portable thermal printer 
26. Bald cap
27. A dishwasher
28. A respirator and a hard hat for work
29. A wizard wand
30. Welding helmet 
31. 2lb blue raspberry Gushers
32. Shower pole
33. Pair of partial teeth in a tissue
34. Toboggan
35. Police radio
36. Coffee table
37. Zayn Malik merch
38. Handcuffs 
39. 2 wedding gowns
40. Pelvis implants
41. 20 pounds of duck sausage
42. Package of live butterflies
43. A propane tank
44. Double door oven
45. Hunting waders
46. Child’s prosthetic eye 
47. Black stethoscope
48. Meat slicer
49. Kitchen faucet
50. Sleep apnea machine

The 10 most commonly forgotten items:

1. Phone
2. Wallet
3. Luggage
4. Keys
5. Headphones 
6. Clothing
7. Passport
8. Glasses
9. Jewelry
10. Laptop

The 10 most "forgetful” cities:

1. New York, NY
2. Miami, FL
3. Chicago, IL
4. San Francisco, CA
5. Los Angeles, CA
6. Washington D.C.
7. Dallas, TX
8. Boston, MA
9. Atlanta, GA
10. Newark, NJ

2026 Lost & Found trends

• Labubu on the Loose: Labubus and their mischievous designer-toy friends were among the most frequent stowaways this year. Don’t worry, your favorite monster has been riding shotgun, judging playlists and vibing with your driver ever since.
  
  
• In a While, Croc: Whether you swapped them for heels or simply mistook the comfort of your Uber for the comfort of your shoes, these trusty clogs have been ghosted more times than we can count.
  
  
• Fitness Trend Worth Driving For: Between pickleball paddles in the trunk, peptides waiting to be activated, jars of sea moss rolling under seats, and protein powder dusting the floor mats, we’re seeing a total wellness wipeout. 
  
  
• Tooth Fairy’s Night Off: From stray veneers and gold grills to entire sets of dentures (we wish we were kidding), the "Say Cheese" trend has reached a fever pitch. We aren't sure if it’s the excitement of the day or a very aggressive yawn, but please, try to keep your smile inside your mouth and the vehicle at all times.
  
  
• Cap-tivating Exit: Baseball caps, trucker hats, beanies, you name it, you left it. Somewhere between stepping out of the car and stepping into the night, hundreds of riders forgot the one thing that was literally on their head.
  
  
• Smoke & Mirrors: Vapes, e-cigarettes, and every kind of smoking gadget imaginable have been fogging up the lost item list this year. Consider this your friendly reminder: take a deep breath… and take your vape with you.
  
  
• Bloom & Doom: Flowers were meant to make someone’s day, but many never made it past the Uber ride. Drivers reported abandoned bouquets, loose roses, and even full floral arrangements left wilting in the backseat.

Most forgetful days / times:

• The July Jumble: July 17th officially takes the crown for the most lost items this year. Just a coincidence that it was out the morning after the kickoff of Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball?  
• Sunday Funday: Sundays reigned supreme for lost items this year, likely because "Sunday Scaries" and brunch mimosas don't exactly boost situational awareness. We’re glad you enjoyed the weekend, but we’re holding space for you on Monday morning.

Lost items that peak on certain days:

• People are most likely to forget IDs and wallets on Mondays
• People are most likely to forget headphones on Tuesdays
• People are most likely to forget chargers on Wednesdays
• People are most likely to forget bags on Thursdays
• People are most likely to forget keys on Fridays
• People are most likely to forget phones on Saturdays
• People are most likely to forget glasses on Sundays

Lost items by category:

Top 20 food + beverage items left behind:

1. 70 tiramisu cakes
2. Our wedding cake
3. A Thanksgiving meal
4. Strawberry coconut peach cake and spaghetti
5. 420 donuts
6. 2lb blue raspberry gushers
7. 3 cans of sardines
8. Beatbox 
9. Hand baked matzah for passover seder 
10. Chocolate icing bucket
11. 4 tamales
12. A pound of molten cake
13. 50 avocados
14. A groomsman’s flask 
15. Buldak noodles
16. Epic carrot cake
17. 8 shots of fireball 
18. My breathalyzer (x10)
19. Tray of chicken nuggets
20. Jack Daniel’s 

Top 10 tech items left behind:

1. Nintendo Switch
2. Drone
3. Airpods
4. Apple TV
5. Square Card Reader
6. Garage Opener 
7. Apple Pencil
8. Playstation 4
9. Airtag
10. Walkie Talkie

Top 10 beauty + wellness items left behind:

1. Seamoss 
2. Abercrombie perfume 
3. Dior Lip Oil
4. Pink edge control
5. Aquaphor chapstick
6. Bundles of hair
7. Condoms 
8. Airwrap
9. Strawberry Shortcake Lotion
10. Cork lip liner from MAC
11. Red Summer Fridays Lip Butter 
12. Press on Nails 
13. Chanel blue perfume
14. Pink YSL lip gloss
15. Jar of body butter and body oil
16. Mouth tape
17. Tanning Lotion
18. Hair extensions
19. Hair Mousse
20. Carmax Chapstick

Top 10 sports and fitness items left behind:

1. Patrick Mahomes jersey
2. Electric skateboard 
3. Golf putter
4. Stadium seats
5. Yoga mat from Lululemon
6. Ticket to the Atlanta Falcons
7. A cornhole set
8. Pilates socks
9. Fishing rods in tall black container
10. Racquetball racquet

Top 15 luxury items left behind:

1. Supreme headband 
2. Balmain navy blue blazer with gold buttons 
3. Gold Rolex
4. Diesel cap with a big metal Diesel logo on top
5. Air Jordan 1s 
6. Black Gucci belt 
7. Black Dior Shawl
8. Hermes sandal
9. Burberry throw blanket
10. Alexander Wang heel
11. A green Ganni bonnet 
12. Dior slides
13. Ferragamo belt
14. YSL jeans
15. 1 red bottom Louboutin heel

Top 15 toys and novelty items left behind:

1. Care Bear 
2. DSi 
3. Pokémon Go gaming device
4. My green scooter
5. Stuffed animal alien
6. Lamborghini lego
7. Beyblade 
8. Nintendo Switch
9. A black lightsaber
10. Miss. Rachel doll
11. Elmo fan cooler 
12. PS5 controller 
13. Small Hello Kitty pouch that says “jboogy” on it
14. Gold metal cat
15. A small yellow Yoshi figure

A 10-Year Flashback:

We looked back at the last ten years of our Lost & Found Index to uncover the trends, patterns, and cultural moments that shaped what – and how – we forget. From everyday essentials to the unexpected, ten years later, trends come and go but forgetfulness, we fear, may be forever?

What We Forget: Our Top 10 Most Unique Items over the last 10 Years: 

• Lobster (2017) 
• Divorce Papers (2018) 
• Salmon Head (2019) 
• Lanyard that says “virginity rocks” (2020) 
• A large painting of Kate Middleton (2021) 
• 500 grams of caviar (2022) 
• MY DOG IS IN THE CAR!!! A toy poodle (2023) 
• Fake butt (2024) 
• Taxidermied rabbit (2025)
• A 75 gallon fish tank (2026) 

Where We Forget: City Trends

• All my exes live there… and our belongings: Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio consistently were close to the top of our list of most forgetful cities year over year. Austin took the #1 spot two years in a row in 2021 and 2022. 
• Vacation Brain Is Real: High-tourism destinations – including Miami, Austin, Nashville, and New York City – consistently over-index, suggesting that when travelers are off-duty, so is their memory.

When We Forget: Time & Occasion Trends

• Weekday Reset: Monday and Tuesday consistently rank as the least forgetful days.
• Holiday Effect: St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, and New Year’s Eve continue to top the list of most forgetful holidays, reinforcing a clear trend: where there are celebrations, there are left-behind items.
• After-Dark Hours: The most common window for lost items falls between 9 PM and 12 AM, aligning with peak social activity over the last 10 years. 

Pop Culture & Behavior Trends

• Seeing Red: Over the past decade, red has remained the most forgotten item color.
• Most Forgotten: The tech we can’t live without is also what we’re most likely to leave behind. iPhones and AirPods top the list year after year – proof that if it’s always in your hand, it’s only a matter of time before it’s…not.
• Merch Madness: Cultural moments translate directly into lost items, with spikes in concert merch, event gear, and fandom accessories tied to major events like tours, festivals, and conventions. A decade in and merch still reigns supreme.
• Wellness in Real Time: Your self-care routine might be evolving – but it’s also getting left behind. From crystals and supplements to workout gear and Ozempic, the wellness trends of the moment are showing up in the backseat – one forgotten item at a time even ten years later.