Protecting your Android device in case of loss or theft
Losing or having your phone or tablet stolen can be a nightmare. Are your personal data protected from unauthorized access? Are your banking accounts or other services used on the device safe? Can you locate the device or report the situation to the police?
The answer to all these questions can be YES if you set strong passwords and difficult-to-guess PINs, encrypt the full internal storage as well as any SD cards in use, set up backup plans, and more.
In this article, we’ll discuss these and other protective measures to safeguard your Android device in case of loss or theft.
Potential Consequences of Losing or Having Your Device Stolen
If you’ve forgotten your device somewhere, there’s a chance it might be returned by a good Samaritan. However, if your device is lost or stolen, it’s often a deliberate act, and you should prepare for the worst.
Without proper protection, the person who finds or steals your device might attempt to:
- Withdraw money from your account: If you have a banking app installed and configured, your bank account could be accessed for transfers and purchases.
- Factory reset and reuse or sell: Your data could be wiped if the device is reset to factory settings, making it ready for someone else’s use.
- Disassemble and sell the device’s parts: Even after a reset, a device might be traceable, making parting it out a safer exploitation method.
- Use personal information for blackmail and extortion: Everything on your phone, from photos to messages and emails, could be used against you.
- Leak sensitive data online: Your personal and sensitive information (contact details, banking information, personal media) could be sold to online services.
Understanding Your Device’s IMEI
While the protective measures outlined below will help keep your data secure, they may not guarantee the return of your device. For that, you need to know the Unique ID Number, called the IMEI, which allows you to report the missing device or file a complaint with the police.
You can find your device’s IMEI on its original box. Alternatively, you can check it directly on your device by dialing *#06# on your phone or tablet.
Secure Your Device Unlocking Process
Your screen should automatically lock after a period of inactivity. To unlock it, users must authenticate themselves reliably, such as using a complex password, passcode, PIN, or a simpler method like fingerprint recognition. Unreliable methods include using simple PINs like 0000 or 1234, patterns, or facial recognition.
While entering a complex password, passcode, or PIN can be cumbersome each time you unlock the device, it’s recommended to supplement such security with fingerprint recognition if your device supports it. Although fingerprints can be replicated, the technology required for this isn’t readily accessible to common pickpockets, making it a secure option.
You can review and adjust the screen lock settings by navigating to Settings > Lock screen.
Strengthen Device and SIM Card Unlock with Robust Passwords and PINs
The standard recommendations for passwords dictate that they should be a minimum of 8 characters long, comprising uppercase and lowercase letters, special characters, and should not be easily guessable. Additionally, it’s crucial that each password is unique.
When it comes to PINs, they should be as complex as possible, even though they are only 4 digits long, making them difficult to guess. If applicable, consider using passcodes instead of PINs for added protection.
It’s advisable to employ secure and robust passwords and PINs for the following purposes:
- Unlocking the SIM card when the device is restarted.
- Unlocking the phone when the device is restarted.
- Logging into all your accounts.
Enable Find My Device Feature through Google
You can activate the Find My Device service from your Google account, which enables you to track the location of your device if it’s lost or stolen. Simply access your Google account and initiate the tracking process. Not only can you locate the device, but you can also monitor for suspicious activity, lock the device with a password, erase all data from it, disconnect the Google account, and more.
To access these features, you need to enable the option. Visit https://myaccount.google.com/find-your-phone, log in to your Google account, and enable the option for your mobile device (ensure you’re logged in from the device).
Secure Your Data with Device Encryption
Data encryption involves making data readable only on a specific device or after authentication. It’s highly recommended to enable encryption on your device, even though it may slightly impact device performance.
Without encryption, data can be accessed from outside the device using specialized tools, even if strong protection measures are in place, rendering it unusable due to the inability to decipher correct passwords and PINs.
Typically, you’re prompted to enable general storage encryption during initial device setup. If you didn’t opt for this, you can enable it from Android settings: navigate to Security and privacy > Encrypt phone and follow the instructions.
Keep in mind that the encryption process may take some time and require several restarts.
Once the full encryption is complete, your data (including pictures, videos, documents, downloads, messages, app data, and cache) are secure against eavesdropping.
Encrypt External Card Data
If you have an external card connected to your device, it’s essential to enable encryption on it, just like you did for the internal storage.
Navigate to Settings > Security and privacy > Other security settings > Encrypt or decrypt SD card and follow the instructions provided.
From this menu, remember to initiate the decryption of the SD card when using it on other devices where the encryption was initiated.
Regularly Back Up Your Data to External Storage (PC, HDD, USB Stick)
If you value the important data stored on your device, you may wonder what would happen if your device is stolen, lost, or becomes unusable due to damage, resulting in the loss of all your data.
To prevent any data loss, it’s advisable to regularly back up the data from your device to another device or offline storage medium such as a PC, USB stick, or SD card. This type of backup is the most secure, as it ensures you have as much backup storage as you need and are independent of the Android device itself.
You can also configure automatic backup to the cloud, where backups occur as new data is created on your device. However, free versions of cloud services often have limited storage space, making it difficult to create a full backup unless you purchase additional Cloud space.
Additionally, remember that the fewer files you have on your storage, the better your Android device will perform. Therefore, it’s a good practice to regularly clean your device, which includes managing backups.
Establish an Automatic Backup Plan for Important, Frequently Updated Data Across Devices
While offline backup options provide security away from the internet, cloud storage remains a safe and viable alternative.
Cloud backup services like Google Drive offer a free storage limit of 15 GB, with various paid options for additional storage space.
Utilizing cloud backup enables you to maintain a copy of your most critical data in the cloud, accessible at any time and from multiple devices. This includes simultaneous access from multiple devices, with synchronization across all devices whenever changes are made.
Read more: How to access and sync your computer files from Android devices via Google Drive.
Implement Best Practices for Device Usage
Worrying about data protection doesn’t solely arise from losing or having your device stolen. It’s crucial to consistently take necessary steps to safeguard your device against various threats such as malware, online scams, adware, and suspicious app activity.
For a comprehensive understanding of how to protect your device, consider reading the article Best Practices to Enhance Security for the Play Store and Apps.
