For many families, having a smartphone is a luxury, not a necessity.  Losing or damaging your phone can be devastating, especially since many have photos and other information on them.   Here are four ways to protect your phone and the data on it.

protecting-smartphone

1. Get a case.

Not any old case, but a sturdy case.  Especially if you have kids!

I am partial to LifeProof cases (I just bought another for this phone as I write this).  OtterBox is another popular brand. They are pricey cases ($75+), but the alternative could be losing your investment on an expensive tool/toy.  The LifeProof case is waterproof, snowproof, shockproof, and dirtproof. It's saved my bacon more than once.

2. Have a password.

I will be the FIRST to admit that having a code to use your phone is pretty annoying.  BUT.   It helps keep my kiddos from watching TV on it or playing games without my knowledge.  It also keeps the baby/toddler from deleting files and removing apps while he's trying to eat it.   It should do the same for anyone who finds your lost phone.

3. Set permissions on your phone.

screenshot

On the iPhone, I can keep people from getting into iTunes, the App Store, my camera, the web browser, and even prevent changes to various programs, in addition to managing privacy settings.

Go into your settings and lock down as many as you feel are needed.   Check out Señor Google if necessary!

4. Back up your data!

Just like any other computer, if the information on your smartphone is important to you, BACK IT UP!    If you regularly sync your iPhone with iTunes, you have a full backup, which is helpful in case of loss or total destruction.

If you have a Dropbox account, you get free storage for having photos automatically upload on some plans.   If you have an iPhone, you get a free (but limited) amount of space on iCloud to back up your mail, calendar, music, documents, photos and more.

Have you lost or damaged your smartphone?  Were you prepared?

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Copyright 2014 Jen Steed