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Protecting Your Smart Phone on Holiday

Category | Travel Tips

Published: 18/06/2018 | Updated: 04/05/2024

As much as we don't like to admit it sometimes, there's nothing to rival a smartphone when it comes to convenience, entertainment, and portability. This is especially true when you and your family go on holiday. Among other things, it helps with travel arrangements, safety, and entertainment. Most importantly, taking your smartphone on holiday helps protect your time -- the one thing no one can afford to lose. But there's significant risk in taking your smartphone on holiday as well. As we all know, it contains a wealth of sensitive information, not to mention the cost of the phone itself. In some ways, a smartphone is like a point of entry into your life. You needn't be too concerned however. As long as you take the proper precautions, you can reap the benefits of a smartphone without worrying overmuch about the inherent risks.

Protecting the Phone Itself

The first thing you'll want to do is insure your phone. Remember -- anything can happen while you're traveling on holiday, just like it can in everyday life. No matter what you do to guard against accidents and other unpleasantness, they sometimes happen anyway. So make sure you're protected for the worst case scenario involving your smartphone. If you don't already have smartphone insurance, call your provider and buy a policy before you leave for your trip. For a few pounds a month, the most important thing you've packed is protected against loss, theft, and damage. And, depending on your destination, you might be able to secure a replacement while you're still away. Once your phone is insured, minimize the risk of using the policy by protecting your phone against physical damage. Invest in a quality screen protector and a heavy duty carrying case. Beyond that, simply use your common sense and consider leaving it in your hotel room if it's going to be exposed to heat, cold, or water.

Protection Against Theft

Let's face it -- many thieves think of tourists as the best targets. And unfortunately, one of the easiest things to steal is a smartphone. Here are a few tips you can use to guard against the cost and stress of having your smartphone stolen while you're on holiday.

Keep your smartphone tucked away in a bag, purse, or pocket and it won't draw any unwanted attention.
Use Bluetooth and/or headphones when talking on the phone or listening to music.
Use suitable password protection to bar entry to the phone.
Pay attention to your surroundings. Don't get so engrossed using the phone that you lose track of possible danger.
Use a 'find my phone app.'
Make sure you have an application installed that will lock/wipe the phone remotely in case of theft.

And if you happen to recover your phone after it's been lost or stolen, wipe the data from and restore its factory settings, just to be on the safe side. There's no telling what sort of malware could have been installed on the phone, so resigning yourself to lost settings and data is the best route. Along these same lines, be sure to use the cloud to back up you and your family's data. And don't forget to take the same precautions with your children's phones as you do with your own.

Protection Against Identity Theft

Of course, the most important thing to protect on your smart phone is your identity. As useful as a smartphone is, it can also make your most sensitive data vulnerable. It's especially important to protect your smartphone against identity theft when you're on holiday, as many fraudsters out there make a living off of unwary tourists. One of the best ways to protect yourself is to avoid using public Wi-Fi for financial transactions. In fact, you should probably use your smartphone as little as possible for financial matters. One way to do this is to use a prepaid travel card. After all, no one wants to carry money overseas, at least in large quantities. With a prepaid travel money card, you can avoid both of these problems altogether. Also be sure that you're using your phone's most up to date operating system. One of the purposes of these updates is to stay one step ahead of identity thieves and hackers, so take advantage by ensuring you have the most recent version. Lastly, if your phone does turn up missing or stolen, do not hesitate to disable the phone and wipe the data from it. Also be sure to report the loss to the police right away and monitor any possible financial activity going on in your name. This is the best way to expedite the recovery of your losses.

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