On the road
Phone security while travelling: the settings you do once
Against theft and against carelessness. What to switch on before leaving, what not to keep on the phone and what to do in the first minutes if it disappears.
Bea Nogales 5 min Photo by Letian Zhang on Unsplash The phone on a trip carries more inside it than a phone at home: tickets, bookings, documents, banking and the only way to ask for help. It deserves ten minutes of preparation.
The settings before leaving
- A lock code of six digits or more, and a short auto-lock.
- Remote location switched on, and checked from another device so you know it works.
- A backup made before the trip.
- A second factor through an authenticator app, not just by text message.
- And look at what shows on the lock screen: messages with codes are better hidden.
Point five is the most forgotten: a long code is no use if the bank's verification code can be read on the darkened screen.
What is best not kept on the phone
- Photos of your PIN or of passwords in the gallery.
- Unencrypted notes with banking details.
- Open sessions for services you will not use on the trip.
- And the only copy of an important document: that goes in your email too.
On the street
In cities with pickpockets, local habit is the best guide: phone in a front pocket or a cross-body bag, and not in your hand while you walk looking at the map. If you need to check it, stop and put your back to a wall.
If it disappears
Locate, lock remotely with a contact message, tell the operator and block the cards in the phone's wallet. In that order, and from any browser.
The full steps are in what to do if you lose your phone abroad.
Frequently asked questions
Which security settings do I switch on before travelling?
A long lock code, tested remote location, a backup, a second factor through an app, and hiding the content of notifications on the lock screen.
Why aren't fingerprint or face enough?
Because the code is what protects the phone when biometric unlocking fails or is forced. It should be long.
What shouldn't I keep on my phone?
Photos of your PIN or passwords, unencrypted notes with banking details and the only copy of an important document.
What do I do if it gets stolen?
Locate, lock remotely with a contact message, tell the operator and block the cards in the phone's wallet.
