The latest mobile phones aren’t cheap, and having your phone stolen or losing it can be a big inconvenience. They also can store a huge amount of your personal data. Read Cove’s tips on how best to protect your mobile phone.
Your mobile phone holds so much information about you and is a gateway to your personal and professional life. If your phone is lost or stolen, whoever gets their hands on it could get access to all your emails, photos, contacts, texts, and social media profiles.
For this reason it’s immensely important to keep your phone secure.
It’s just as important to protect yourself against accidental damage, as being without a phone for even just a few days can be quite the inconvenience.
Having your phone stolen and used can result in eye watering charges being incurred by the thief. This can be through both international and local calls, or exceeding the phone’s data usage limits.
If your phone is lost or stolen, the first thing you should do is call your cellular carrier and block your mobile & sim card. This can prevent further unauthorised charges being racked up.
It’s then a good idea to report your phone stolen to the police as soon as possible.
Many phone insurance policies protect against unauthorised use, up to a set amount. It’s a good idea to get a phone insurance quote when you purchase a new phone, and consider purchasing the policy if you feel it is good value for you. To help you decide whether phone insurance is a good idea, take a look at our Do I need phone insurance article.
If you do decide to purchase phone insurance, it’s great to be able to provide your insurance company your phone’s IMEI number (see below). If one day you need to make a claim, this may help to prove ownership and speed up the claims process for you.
Did you know that every mobile phone has a unique 15 digital code? This code is called an IMEI number, and can be used to both identify phones, and to block phones from being used by another person or phone company.
To find your IMEI number you can type *#06# into your phone, as if you were making a phone call. It will then appear on your screen.
It’s a good idea to make a record of your phones IMEI number, as it can be helpful if you need to make a claim on a phone insurance policy. The easiest way to do this is by typing in the number above on your phones call screen, taking a screenshot when the number appears, then emailing it to yourself. This way, if your phone is lost or stolen, you can recover your IMEI number from you email inbox via another other computer, tablet, or phone.
If you don’t have your device with you there are still ways to find your IMEI number:
Look on the devices packaging
If you still have your phone’s original packaging, the IMEI number is often printed on the back or sides of this. Look for a 15 digit number and it is likely to be your IMEI.
Look in your iTunes settings for Apple devices
If you have synced your iPhone with iTunes, then you should be able to view the IMEI number from within iTunes settings.
Look in your Google Dashboard for Android Devices
For people who own an Android Device (eg Samsung phones) then the following process can reveal your IMEI number.
When taking your phone overseas, it typically won’t be covered by your contents or phone insurance policy. For overseas protection, you will need to look into purchasing a separate travel insurance policy for the duration of the time you are out of New Zealand.
The content presented on this page is provided for informational purposes only. Cove Limited makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the information. Each person should consult a qualified advisor for advice specific to their circumstances. Cove Limited assumes no liability for actions taken in reliance upon the information contained herein.
