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Most comments here are "my phone is already stolen because google bad", or "dont use 90% of the features and youre fine". Here's an answer for normal users. B

Most comments here are "my phone is already stolen because google bad", or "dont use 90% of the features and youre fine". Here's an answer for normal users. Buy a pop socket with a ring, keep your finger in it - it gets difficult to take the phone from your hands. Keep your phone in a closed bag when not in use, on the front of your body, like one of those "fanny pack" things, for example. Keep all your important things synced, and know where to find and how to use the "find my phone" and similar features. For android, for example, you can remotely find and hard-lock your phone and SIM. Know where to find and how to use that. Buy a non-apple phone, or any other phone that isnt highly desirable by thiefs. iPhones have a very high resell value.

mindslight 4y ago
Your comment is addressing how to make it less likely that your phone, the physical property, will be stolen. The original question seemed to be asking how to prevent digital damage from occurring, assuming the physical device will eventually become lost or stolen somehow. While my original comment was a bit flippant and terse, it points to the main thing you can do - minimize the activities on a device that you routinely take out of the house and generally want to remain unlocked for easy use. The "normal user" answer is still to obtain multiple devices, rather than bundling everything onto that phone. For one, it's easy and cheap to buy an old tablet (~$100) for "mobile apps" where having the functionality in your pocket is an outright liability (eg banking, do you really want a mugger to be able to view your account balances?). Second, a "normal user" should still have a laptop with a keyboard they can use at home, to sidestep the extractive "mobile" ecosystem all together. A used one can easily be had for $400 and won't turn into ewaste in three short years, placing it well within the budget of most "normal users".
ericb 4y ago
> Keep your phone in a closed bag when not in use, on the front of your body, like one of those "fanny pack" things, for example. To add to that, cutting the bottom or side of bags on crowded trains is a known theft method, so if it is in a bag, beware anyone in your personal space, and don't assume the bag is full protection.
7speter 4y ago
>Buy a non-apple phone, or any other phone that isnt highly desirable by thiefs. iPhones have a very high resell value. or get an Iphone SE. People will think you're crazy for having such an old iPhone, and you get 80% of all the latest iphone tech inside.
bzzzt 4y ago
> Buy a non-apple phone, or any other phone that isnt highly desirable by thiefs. iPhones have a very high resell value. Is that still true? Seems to me there's been a major reduction in iPhone theft since iCloud locking became a thing. Maybe less in countries where phones are stripped for parts...

mindslight 4y ago

Your comment is addressing how to make it less likely that your phone, the physical property, will be stolen. The original question seemed to be asking how to prevent digital damage from occurring, assuming the physical device will eventually become lost or stolen somehow. While my original comment was a bit flippant and terse, it points to the main thing you can do - minimize the activities on a device that you routinely take out of the house and generally want to remain unlocked for easy use. The "normal user" answer is still to obtain multiple devices, rather than bundling everything onto that phone. For one, it's easy and cheap to buy an old tablet (~$100) for "mobile apps" where having the functionality in your pocket is an outright liability (eg banking, do you really want a mugger to be able to view your account balances?). Second, a "normal user" should still have a laptop with a keyboard they can use at home, to sidestep the extractive "mobile" ecosystem all together. A used one can easily be had for $400 and won't turn into ewaste in three short years, placing it well within the budget of most "normal users".

ericb 4y ago

> Keep your phone in a closed bag when not in use, on the front of your body, like one of those "fanny pack" things, for example. To add to that, cutting the bottom or side of bags on crowded trains is a known theft method, so if it is in a bag, beware anyone in your personal space, and don't assume the bag is full protection.

7speter 4y ago

>Buy a non-apple phone, or any other phone that isnt highly desirable by thiefs. iPhones have a very high resell value. or get an Iphone SE. People will think you're crazy for having such an old iPhone, and you get 80% of all the latest iphone tech inside.

bzzzt 4y ago

> Buy a non-apple phone, or any other phone that isnt highly desirable by thiefs. iPhones have a very high resell value. Is that still true? Seems to me there's been a major reduction in iPhone theft since iCloud locking became a thing. Maybe less in countries where phones are stripped for parts...