Lookout: Peace of mind for your smartphone

We’re addicted to our mobile phones. The extent we’ve integrated phones into our lives causes anxiety and panic at the thought of losing them, according to new research by Lookout Mobile Security. Additionally, this dependency has seeped into our behavioural norms, where we’ve redrawn the boundaries of what classifies as “acceptable behaviour” in our pursuit to stay connected.

Recent Lookout studies in the UK and US support the view that this is a global phenomenon:

· In the US,  73% of users reported feeling “panicked”, while 7% said they felt “sick” when they lost their phone

· In the UK, 46% of people regard their mobile phone as their favourite gadget (with a mere 19% choosing their car)

· Brits would also choose to save their phone first from a burning building (23%) – beating laptops (20%), wallets (14%) and sentimental keepsakes (8%).

With this extreme attachment we are seeing an impact on our manners and day-to-day interactions, too:

· 71% of us in the UK check our mobile phones at least every hour, with 58% of US respondents admitting the same.

· Over 50% of smartphone owners in the US check their phone in bed at night; 1 in 5 check after sex

Yet, for all our reliance on our mobile phones, it’s surprising how few of us take precautions against having our No.1 device lost or stolen:

· 74% of respondents in the UK do not regularly back up their personal contacts, 85% have no way of locating a lost or stolen phone, and only 40% set a passcode for the most basic protection

Smartphones are clearly critical to everyday life, and there are a few basic steps that Lookout recommends to avoid phone and data loss:

· Keep your smartphone out of sight in a zipped pocket or bag

· Download apps from trusted sources to minimise the risk of malware infection

· Download an app like Lookout so you can find your phone if lost, or lock and wipe data if it cannot be recovered

Posted by: James