Lost iPhone - Travel Tip
- Book Direct
- Oct 9, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 4
TURN YOUR LOCKED SCREEN INTO A RECOVERY MESSAGE
You don't need a thief to misplace your phone while on holiday. How often do we hear about people forgetting their phones in taxis, cafes, trains, and other places?
Here's an easy travel tip that could help you recover your phone or iPad faster. If your phone is stolen or someone intends to keep it, your best option is to use a tracking app like Apple's 'Find My Phone'. However, even with this app, there's no certainty that you'll retrieve your phone.
What should you do if you accidentally leave your phone in a taxi or at a cafe where the staff are honest and willing to return it? How can you retrieve it swiftly? Typically, the person who finds your phone won't be able to access it, and even if they could, whom would they contact?
It's all well and good to think, "I'll simply call the phone until someone picks up." Indeed, that's the obvious initial step once you notice it's missing. However, there are a few considerations. First, due to global travel, many individuals have their phones set to Airplane mode for various reasons. Secondly, you might not notice your phone is gone until long after you've left the area.
What's on your locked screen?
For your upcoming trip, consider setting an image as your 'Locked Screen' that includes a few key details: your name, an email address, and an alternative phone number of a travel companion. You might also include the phrase 'REWARD OFFERED' to encourage someone to return your phone.
It's a straightforward and convenient method for someone to reach you promptly without requiring access to your phone and personal details.
(Sample 'Locked Screen' image)
Picture this: you leave your phone at a cafe and keep going. This might mean travelling across town, returning to your hotel, or taking a taxi to the airport. No matter the destination, it would be much more advantageous to receive a notification immediately after leaving the cafe rather than discovering it's gone and having to call your phone. Even more problematic, it could end up with a taxi driver who just dropped you at the airport. They're unlikely to wait for your call. But what if they had an alternative contact number to reach you?
If you're on a flight or unable to reach an alternative number, having an email address can help you receive notifications about your lost phone. Ideally, you haven't travelled too far, but if you have, receiving an email from a kind person provides peace of mind, knowing you can retrieve your phone, even if it's at a later time.
It's simple and easy to do
Making your own image is easy to do in applications like Microsoft Word or Apple Pages. You can be as creative as you like with colour and text, but it's as simple as;
Create some text in a document
Screenshot the image in a portrait shape
Email the image to yourself
Open the image from the email on your phone
Save the image to your photo library on your phone
Go to 'Settings' > 'Wallpaper' > 'Choose a New Wallpaper' > pick your image > 'Save as Locked Screen'
This is also recommended with iPads. In that situation, you can obviously use your own phone number as a contact. When you get home, it's just as simple to change the image back to your favourite photo.
Whenever we travel, I always aim to simplify the process of recovering items like luggage, phones, and other devices. Losing these items can create stress and potentially spoil your vacation. Simple travel tips like this can make a significant difference in being reunited with your phone more quickly and with less hassle.
Want a free template to make it even easier?
Creating your own is simple, but if you're using Pages on an Apple Mac, here's a free template like the one shown in the image above. It's completely free, with no sign-ups or information required. Download the Pages file below and replace the John Citizen and contact details with your own. The template includes our BookDirect logo, but you can remove it if you prefer; we don't mind. The design is positioned in the bottom two-thirds of the screen to avoid interfering with your phone's time and date display.
About the Author
The author of this blog, unless otherwise noted has no affiliation with any property or business linked in this article. Unless otherwise noted, there is no free accommodation or payment from any businesses. The information contained in this blog is strictly the views of the author and not professional advice. The author of this BookDirect blog is a travel and tourism professional with over 30 years of experience in international hotel management, global travel, short-term rental management and a tourism awards judge specialising in accommodation and attractions.
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