Digital Theft Protection: How to Protect Your Smartphone from Thieves

Smartphones today are far more than just communication devices; they store our digital lives – from emails and social networks to banking details and photos. However, the loss or theft of a phone can be a major disruption. In some regions, such as the UK, phone theft has become a daily issue, with 200 phones stolen every day in so-called "snatch-thefts." The government is responding by planning to develop solutions in collaboration with technology and device manufacturers. To prevent the bothersome loss, users should take some basic protective measures. Besides securing the device with passwords or biometric data, it is also worthwhile to activate annoying access restrictions in important apps. Additionally, both iOS and Android offer the useful feature to locate the device. Regularly backing up photos and files to external media or cloud services like Google or Apple is also advisable to avoid data loss in case of theft. Current software updates also bring hope: Apple and Android have introduced features to make thefts less attractive. While Apple requires facial recognition to reset devices, Android uses artificial intelligence to detect movements and instantly lock the screen. Users are also advised to note down their IMEI number to identify the device in case of an emergency. In the event of a theft, quick action is necessary. The police should be informed, the insurance company contacted, and the phone company notified about the incident. The latter can freeze the SIM card size and provide a replacement card. Particularly practical: even without an internet connection or if the device is turned off, it can be located via Bluetooth through Apple or Google technology. However, experts warn against retrieving the phone on your own; professional help is the safer route. Finally, users should remove access to all accounts accessible via the smartphone and delete it from the list of trusted devices. As a last resort, there is the option of remote wiping, but only if an online connection is available. Oddly enough, if an Android device has an SD memory card, this might be excluded from the remote wiping function. Therefore, caution is advised.