How To Protect Your Phone While Traveling

*This is a collaborative post

As much as it would benefit many of us to leave our phone at home while travelling, it’s often impossible to do this nowadays. Our phone is handy for all kinds of tasks while travelling including storing flight tickets, taking photos of our adventures, navigating ourselves via GPS and keeping contact with friends and family. 

Of course, there are many risks to consider when travelling with a phone. These devices are very valuable and can be a target for thieves. They also contain a lot of sensitive information that can be useful to hackers. Finally, travelling can expose our phone to new environments where it’s more likely for our phone to get damaged.

Therefore, it’s essential to take steps to protect our phone while travelling. Below are just some of the different ways you can protect your phone during your travels.

Set up two-factor authentication

First of all, you should consider setting up two-factor authentication on your phone if it isn’t already set up. This can make it harder for a thief to unlock your phone if they get hold of your device. Instead of just using a password to unlock your phone, two-factor authentication requires a password and another form of access such as facial recognition. This makes it much harder to break into your phone.

Use a VPN when connecting to public wi-fi

Want to know how to protect a phone from hackers while travelling? Being careful of what types of wi-fi you use while travelling can prevent your device from being hacked into. Public wi-fi (such as hotel wi-fi and airport wi-fi) can put you at the greatest risk. While you can choose not to log onto public wi-fi, this means accepting data roaming charges if you want to get onto the internet. A VPN  can be a simple solution that allows you to connect to public wi-fi anonymously so that none of your sensitive information can be accessed. You can explore different VPNs online.

Apply a screen protector and use a case

If you’re planning an active vacation, there could be an increased risk of dropping your phone or knocking it. Applying a screen protector and using a case will protect your phone from damage. Buy yourself a screen protector and case if you haven’t already got one. There are many different cases online that you can choose from. 

Buy a waterproof case for the beach/pool

A waterproof case could be useful if you’re likely to be spending a lot of time at the pool or at the beach. This case seals your entire phone against water, allowing you to take your phone in the pool or in the sea without worrying about it getting damaged. You can buy waterproof cases designed to fit different models of phones online. 

Use front zip-up pockets to store your phone

You need to be careful as to which pockets you keep your phone in. Zip-up pockets can prevent your phone from slipping out if you’re doing something active. Just be careful of storing phones in back pockets – particularly on backpacks. Pickpockets often target these back pockets, because it’s easier to do so unnoticed. Storing your phone in the front pocket of a jacket or in a fanny pack will make it much harder for a pickpocket to access it (most pickpockets won’t even attempt it).

Attach your phone to a strap

Attaching your phone to a strap around your arm or neck can prevent you from dropping it. This is useful for activities like boat rides, ATV tours or hiking. A strap also makes it more difficult for thieves to steal your phone. In recent years, there have been many stories of thieves on bicycles and motorbikes stealing phones out of tourists’ hands and riding away with them – if a phone is attached to a strap, a thief won’t be able to snatch your phone.

Hide your phone if you need to leave it somewhere

Many people lose their phones on vacation simply by leaving them unoccupied on a sunbed or a table, making them an easy target for thieves. If no-one else is there to keep guard, make sure to take your phone with you. If you’re going into the pool or the sea, and you don’t want to take your phone, consider finding somewhere to hide it. There are a few different creative places to hide your phone at the beach including inside an empty pringles tube, in the sand, or in a rolled up diaper.