Most people assume a locked phone is a safe phone. Face ID on, passcode set, job done.
It is mostly true. But there are a few things a locked phone will still happily do for whoever is holding it, and thieves know exactly what they are. Each one takes about thirty seconds to fix.
If you have not read our earlier post on the five settings to turn on before you need them, start there. Stolen Device Protection and Find My are the foundations. This post covers the gaps they leave.
Menus move between models and software versions. If a path below does not match your phone exactly, search the setting's name in Settings.
1. Your login codes can appear on your lock screen
When your bank or email sends you a text code, it often pops up on the lock screen in full. If someone has your phone in their hand, they can read it without unlocking anything.
iPhone: Settings, Notifications, Show Previews, and choose When Unlocked. You will still see that a message has arrived, just not what it says until you unlock.
Android: Settings, Notifications, Notifications on lock screen, and choose to hide sensitive content (or turn off Sensitive notifications). Recent versions of Android hide some one-time codes automatically in riskier moments, but only some, and not on every phone. Turn it on yourself rather than relying on it.
2. Thieves switch on airplane mode first
The first thing a phone thief does is cut it off from the network. Airplane mode, straight from the lock screen, no passcode needed. That makes the phone much harder to track and stops you wiping it remotely.
iPhone: Settings, Face ID & Passcode, scroll to Allow Access When Locked, and turn off Control Centre. While you are there, it is worth turning off anything else on that list you do not use from the lock screen.
Samsung: Settings, Lock screen, Secure lock settings, and turn on Lock network and security. Your phone will then ask for your PIN before anyone can switch off the network or power it down.
Other Android: search "Theft protection" in Settings and turn on Offline Device Lock. If the phone is taken offline, it locks itself.
3. The SIM card is the real prize
A thief does not always want the phone. Sometimes they want your number.
Pop your SIM into another phone and they start receiving your texts, including those login codes from your bank. A SIM PIN stops that. Without the PIN, the SIM will not work in any phone.
iPhone: Settings, Mobile Service, SIM PIN.
Android: search "SIM lock" in Settings.
Two things before you switch it on:
- Check your network's default PIN first. It is often 0000 or 1111, but it varies by network, so check your network's website rather than guessing. Then change it from the default, because thieves know the defaults too.
- Three wrong guesses locks the SIM. You then need a PUK code from your network to unlock it. You can usually get that from your account online, but it is a faff, so pick a PIN you will remember.
If you use an eSIM, there is no card to pull out, which is one of the quieter benefits of switching.
4. Six digits is easy to watch
Most phone thefts in the UK are not clever. Someone watches you type your passcode in a pub, on a train or at a cash point, then takes the phone. Six digits are easy to spot and easy to remember.
A longer passcode makes that much harder.
iPhone: Settings, Face ID & Passcode, Change Passcode, then tap Passcode Options and choose a longer custom number or a custom alphanumeric code.
Android: Settings, Lock screen (or Security), Screen lock, and choose a longer PIN or a password.
You will barely notice the difference day to day, because Face ID or your fingerprint does the work. The passcode is only for the moments that matter. And when you do type it in public, shield the screen.
In summary
- Hide message previews on your lock screen
- Stop airplane mode being switched on while the phone is locked
- Put a PIN on your SIM, after checking your network's default
- Use a longer passcode, and cover the screen when you type it
Ten minutes, and your locked phone actually stays locked.
If you would like a hand setting any of this up, pop into the studio on Hollands Road in Haverhill and we will go through it with you.
Harrison, Calatech