With the loss of a smartphone, we lose our photos, contacts, important files, and private messages. We advise on how to secure your data on your phone in case it falls into the wrong hands and how to recover at least some of your lost files.
Our entire lives are on our smartphones – private photos, saved appointments, and important files. Many people also connect their work accounts or email inboxes to their personal phones. Losing a phone is incredibly stressful, because while the hardware itself can be replaced, the data is often lost forever. We’ve prepared some ideas for you on what to do to make it harder for a thief to access your private information, and to increase the chances of your smartphone returning to its rightful owner.
➡ Encrypt your phone
Let's start with the simplest, yet underestimated, security measure. Smartphones allow for so-called phone encryption. This can be either a code or a pattern that you enter on the lock screen. Many people opt out of this feature because entering a code every time you use your smartphone can seem inconvenient. In a nutshell: we often disable this security simply out of laziness. However, it's worth remembering that without the code, no unauthorized person can access the data stored on your phone. What's more, after entering the wrong code multiple times, the smartphone locks for a period, making its internal memory inaccessible.
➡ Log in and log out
It’s most convenient to always be able to access your online mailbox. But let's think about how much important data we store there: scans of documents, account numbers, and daily correspondence. A thief will have access to all this information. Therefore, it's worth exercising extreme caution when using email. First and foremost, it's a good idea to log out of your phone from time to time, especially if you're going on vacation or meeting in crowded places.
➡ Let yourself be found
Save your contact information on your phone's lock screen. Every time someone tries to unlock the smartphone, your name, surname, alternative phone number, or email will appear. You can also use a more traditional method and write your details on your smartphone case or on a piece of paper under the cover. This way, you have more options, and in addition to your contact details, you can also include information that a reward is offered for the person who finds the phone. If a lost device is found by an honest person, there’s a good chance they will contact you and return your lost item.
➡ Save your IMEI number
Every mobile phone has a unique IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number. You can find it by typing a short code on your keypad: *#06#. It's worth writing down this number and keeping it in your home folder with important documents. If your phone is found, you can easily prove it belongs to you. After all, who else would know such a unique number other than its owner?
➡ Join the community
For example, join Otagio. It's an online database of devices and their owners. Every owner enters their phone's IMEI number or computer's serial number here – to let the whole world know that this device already has an owner. It also works the other way around. By visiting Otagio.com, you can immediately go to the section for people who have found devices. Thanks to this option, you can find and contact their owner in just a few seconds. Otagio and other platforms of this type are also great protection against receiving stolen goods, as the database will immediately reveal that the device is stolen.
➡ Install a spy app
Sending GPS data, blocking shutdown, taking photos unnoticed, and ultimately – erasing the phone's memory. All these actions are invisible to the thief or finder – the phone automatically sends information to a management panel on your computer. We recommend SpyPhone, software for which Vikings receive a 10% discount. You can find details here.
➡ Download a location app
It's worth downloading a free app to your phone for locating your phone using GPS. Internet users recommend Prey, which works on Windows Phone, Android, and iOS. After installing the program, you need to create an account on the service where you can register your devices. If you lose your phone somewhere, you need to mark it as lost on the Prey service website. The program will provide the current location of the device – of course, only if the device has internet access. Interestingly, some smartphone brands already offer such a feature. Among them is Samsung with its "Find My Phone" option.
➡ Always make backups
Regardless of whether you own an Android, iOS, or Windows smartphone, you have a range of options for backing up your most important data. Apple's iCloud, in addition to storage space, also offers the ability to create periodic system backups. Thanks to Google Drive as well, you can recover some files, photos, or documents. However, you must remember to send your most important files "to the cloud" once in a while. As the old Vikings say – it's better to prevent than to cure!
➡ Erase your phone’s memory
The operation of erasing a phone's memory is irreversible, but it's worth mentioning. All the more so, if you use mobile banking and have payment cards linked to your phone, resetting the device may be the only safe solution. The ability to manage your phone online is provided by the Android Device Manager website, and for Apple owners – by the Find My Phone service. Unfortunately, there's a small catch – remote phone blocking won't work if the phone doesn't have an internet connection.
These are just a few ways to protect your devices and data. If you have any other ideas – be sure to share them in the comments!
