There must be at one point or another, everyone has experienced panic and fear when the moment you realize your phone is missing. I admit that I was partly responsible for the loss or even the theft of my own device. In this article, I listed down my personal dos & don’ts from buying a good case for your phone to securing your personal information in your phone.
1) Buy a good case
Mixed reviews everywhere on this but I belong to the group that believes a good case may save a few lives. You will never catch me dead with a phone without a good case. Remember gravity is always stronger than you and you probably drop your phone a few times in your life. And do think about higher resale value for your phone when it is still in its pristine condition.
Flip cases are fine for me but flip cases with card holders are a no-no for me. Losing your phone is bad enough, so why would I want to put my IDs and even credit cards together with your phone? And to make things worse, your personal credentials are stored in the phone. I will cover this more in detail below.
I will never look at cases that are twice the size of the phone. They look cute, attractive and also very attention-seeking. It’s like screaming to everyone that you have the latest phone in the market and please do come and get it. And I am pretty sure it will not fit my biggest pocket.
2) Be aware of your surroundings
I was in Ho Chi Minh backpacking 2 years ago and there I was standing beside the road outside the famous Ben Thanh Market having an Instagram moment (selfie wasn’t the trend yet). The next thing I knew, this guy on a motorbike came from behind and snatched my phone away. *slow clap*
You don’t see these kind of things happening in Singapore but it does not mean it will not happen, so do not take it for granted. Seen too many shared videos on Facebook where phones were snatched on the train and owners mugged on the streets when they are too obsessed with their phones and oblivious to their surroundings.
3) Keep your devices away from the public
I know this sounds a bit weird but hey…Prevention is the best defence. As the phones are getting bigger, they can’t fit into your pockets so we tend to leave them lying around. And if you are someone who get those “Hello Kitty” cases as mentioned in #1, good luck to you. Take a look around you now (if you are outside), count the number of devices you can see and imagine how easy it is to just walk over and take it. I know it is a hard habit to kick because we are constantly on the phone, we do not want to miss any notifications and taking it in and out of your pocket/bag is a hassle.
4) Know where are your devices
I would say this applies mainly to the ladies because they don’t put their phones in their pocket and they usually leave them in their handbags, clutches, purses or any carrier bags. A lot of time, they assume their devices are in their possession but unknowingly they had left it elsewhere and by the time they realized it, it’s too late. Make it a habit to check your devices, make sure you know where they are. I always tap/feel/touch my left pocket(my standard phone pocket) before I leave an area, just to make sure my phone is there.
5) Lock your device
I get very disturbed if a person’s phone is not locked with a password. It’s either you do not have any privacy or you are just inviting trouble. Imagine you lose your phone and the lucky person who picked it up will have access to your whole life! Address book, selfies, unglam photos, secret videos and… FACEBOOK! *dum dum dum* On a serious note, all your personal data is in the phone. Make your life and everyone’s life easier, lock your device.
6) Passwords do not belongs in “notes”
As technology grows, the more we depend on the Web, the more passwords we accumulate. Adding to #5, there are times when your phone gets “hacked” into (how secure can a four digit or pattern code be?) or you don’t even bother to lock your phone. The next worst thing that can happen is having all your passwords in your easily accessible “notes”. Some of us thought that it is a fantastic idea to note it down in the notes application. NO. Stop doing it and make an effort to store them securely.
7) Allow tracking of devices
Did you really lose it? You may have misplaced it somewhere safe and all you need is to track it. iOS has its “Find My iPhone”, Windows has its “Find My Phone” and Android has its “Android Device Manager”. Even if it is stolen, don’t make it easy for the culprit, send him non-stop alerts and make it ring in the middle of the night. And most importantly, you can erase your phone remotely.
8) Backup your device
Your devices are easy to replace but what about the data on it? Think about that important SMS/message you need to reply, the contact details you need for tomorrow’s meeting or that irreplaceable photo of your loved one. Backing up is not a pain, losing your data is. Backup now.
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