Tech Self-Sufficiency · Lesson 5 of 8 · 12 min

Protecting your devices from theft, loss and damage

Your phone and laptop hold your coursework, money apps and photos. A little preparation means that if one is stolen, lost or dropped in water, you lose a device, not your work or your identity.

Before anything happens

Dial *#06# to show your phone's 15-digit IMEI number and write it down somewhere safe; police can use it to check for stolen handsets (West Yorkshire Police).
Register the IMEI with your network provider so it can act quickly if the phone is stolen (West Yorkshire Police).
Make sure a screen lock and Find My (Apple), Find Hub (Android) or Find my device (Windows) are switched on (see the first lesson in this module).
Keep automatic backups running so a lost device does not mean lost work (NCSC).
Record your laptop's make, model and serial number, and keep receipts; you will need them for police reports and insurance claims. The Money Basics module covers insurance.

Out and about

Keep your phone out of sight when you are not using it, and avoid hanging it from a belt or wrist (West Yorkshire Police).
Never leave a phone or laptop unattended on tables, seats, bar tops, trolleys or in cars (West Yorkshire Police).
Keep bags closed and zipped in crowded places (West Yorkshire Police).
In a library, take your laptop with you or ask a trusted friend to watch it, even for a short break.
Lock your room door in halls when you leave, even for a few minutes.

If your phone is lost or stolen

Step 1: from another device, open Find My (Apple) or Find Hub (Android) and check the location; play a sound if it may be nearby (Apple; Google).
Step 2: mark it as lost. On iPhone, Lost Mode locks it and suspends Apple Pay cards; on Android, Mark as lost locks it and shows a message (Apple; Google).
Step 3: do not try to confront a thief or go to the location yourself; report the theft to the police promptly and give them the IMEI (West Yorkshire Police advises reporting thefts quickly).
Step 4: contact your network provider to block the SIM (West Yorkshire Police).
Step 5: erase the device only if you believe it is gone for good: Apple warns erasing cannot be undone, and Google notes it may not delete an SD card.
Step 6: change your main email and banking passwords, and tell your bank if payment apps were on the device.

Damage: drops, heat and liquid

Use a protective case and screen protector, and carry your laptop in a padded sleeve or bag.
If an iPhone shows a liquid-detection alert, unplug it and do not charge it with a cable until the phone and cable are completely dry (Apple).
Tap the phone gently against your hand with the connector facing down, then leave it somewhere dry with good airflow; try charging again after at least 30 minutes, and allow up to 24 hours (Apple).
Do not use a hair dryer, compressed air, cotton buds in the port, or a bag of rice: Apple says rice particles can damage the phone.
In GCC summers, do not leave devices in a parked car; heat can damage batteries. Check your device maker's advice on operating temperatures.

Practise in real life

Tick each one off when you have done it.

Dial *#06#, record your IMEI and your laptop's serial number, and store them with your important documents.
With a family member, practise locating your phone from another device and playing a sound.
Check whether your phone and laptop are covered by any insurance (home contents, travel or a specific gadget policy) and what the excess is.

Remember

Record your IMEI and serial numbers now.
Out of sight, never unattended.
Locate, lock, report, block, and erase only as a last resort.
Wet phone: unplug, tap out, air dry; no heat and no rice.

Note: Police advice was from a West Yorkshire Police page last reviewed in April 2023; report thefts to the police in the country where they happen. In the UAE or elsewhere, report through the local police's official channels. The heat point is general: check your manufacturer's stated operating temperatures.

Check yourself

1. How can you display your phone's IMEI number?

2. Your iPhone has gone missing. According to Apple, what should you usually do before erasing it?

3. What does Apple say about putting a wet iPhone in a bag of rice?

4. After your phone is stolen, who should you contact to block the SIM?

5. Which of these is good practice in public, according to police advice?