Your phone may hold your boarding pass, hotel address, banking apps and the only copy of tomorrow’s train ticket. Protecting it is part of planning a trip, alongside checking baggage allowances and deciding how to get from the airport to your accommodation.
You do not need a collection of expensive gadgets to get started. Updates, secure account access, backups and a plan for losing your phone can make travel less stressful. A VPN can be useful too, provided you understand what it protects and what it does not.
1. Understand What Public Wi-Fi Can and Cannot Expose
Airport, café and hotel Wi-Fi can be convenient, particularly when you are keeping mobile-data costs down. However, being on the same network does not automatically let another person read your passwords, banking details or the contents of every page you visit.
HTTPS encrypts information between your browser and the website. The FTC’s public Wi-Fi guidance explains that widespread encryption has made using public Wi-Fi generally safer than it was in the early days of the web.
An encrypted connection does not prove a website is genuine. A fraudulent booking or payment page can also use HTTPS. Check the address, avoid bypassing certificate warnings and use the official app or a saved website address when accessing important accounts.
Travel surveys need context too. In a Forbes Advisor survey conducted in October 2023, about a third of travellers surveyed, 34%, said they did not use a VPN. The survey covered 1,000 US participants who used public Wi-Fi and had flown in the previous year. That figure is not the proportion of all travellers who experienced fraud abroad, and it does not establish that using a VPN prevents fraud.
2. Update Your Devices and Protect Your Accounts
Install available operating-system, browser and app updates before departure. Leave time to restart your devices and check that your booking, banking and authentication apps still work.
Use a strong, unique password for your email account, since email is often used to reset other account passwords. A password manager can help you maintain different passwords without memorising them all.
Enable two-factor authentication where available and check how you would sign in if your phone were lost. Store recovery codes somewhere secure that you can access separately from that phone. Do not keep your only account-recovery method on the device you are trying to recover from losing.
The National Cyber Security Centre’s online security tips cover updates, passwords, two-step verification and backups. These are useful foundations whether you are staying in a hostel or a hotel.
3. Make a Backup Plan for Your Phone and Travel Documents
Set a strong screen-lock code, use a short automatic-lock interval and review what notifications reveal on the locked screen. Enable the device’s location and remote-lock features, and learn how to access them from another device.
Save essential tickets, addresses and reservation details for offline use. Keep a separate backup of important documents in a protected account, with access restricted to the people who need it. Printed essentials can also help if your battery runs flat.
Copies of identity documents can help with administration, but they do not replace an original passport or the travel documents required for entry. Our guide to organising passports, visas and IDs offers a starting point for arranging your records.
| Check | What to do before leaving |
|---|---|
| Device updates | Install available updates and check essential apps afterwards. |
| Account access | Use unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication where available. |
| Recovery options | Keep recovery codes and account-recovery instructions accessible separately from your phone. |
| Phone protection | Set a strong screen lock and review location, remote-lock and notification settings. |
| Travel documents | Save offline essentials and a protected backup in a separate location. |
| Important contacts | Keep official bank, mobile-provider and accommodation contact details available offline. |
4. Decide Whether a VPN Fits Your Trip
A VPN encrypts traffic routed through it between your device and the VPN server. This can reduce what the local network operator can see, but it shifts some trust to the VPN provider. HTTPS remains important for the connection to the website itself.
If you are considering VPN options for Android users, the linked page describes VeePN’s Android app. Review its current privacy policy, permissions, subscription terms and connection settings, then test it on your own device before travelling.
Check which apps are routed through the VPN and what happens if the connection drops. Features such as split tunnelling can exclude some traffic, so an installed app should not be treated as proof that every connection is covered.
A VPN does not make an unlocked phone safe, prevent every malicious download or stop you entering a password into a convincing fake website. If you need to work while travelling, follow your employer’s approved connection and device requirements.
5. Know the Difference Between a Browser Extension and a VPN App
For laptop browsing, a VPN extension is another option to assess. The linked VeePN extension is installed through the Chrome Web Store. Check its current permissions, available features and any paid-plan restrictions before using it.
A browser extension generally applies to traffic handled within that browser, not every application on your computer. Do not assume it covers a separate email client, another browser or your phone’s banking app. A device-level VPN app can cover a broader range of traffic, depending on its configuration.
| Measure | Main purpose | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| HTTPS | Encrypts information between your browser and a website. | A scam website can also use HTTPS. |
| Device-level VPN | Encrypts routed traffic between the device and a VPN server. | Coverage depends on configuration and requires trust in the provider. |
| Browser VPN or proxy extension | Routes supported browser traffic through the provider’s service. | Does not generally cover other applications or devices. |
| Two-factor authentication | Adds an extra check when signing in. | Recovery needs planning, and some methods can still be phished. |
| Screen lock and backups | Help limit access to a lost phone and preserve important information. | Backups must also be protected and accessible when needed. |
6. Use Small Habits That Reduce Avoidable Problems
Confirm the venue’s Wi-Fi details with staff and turn off automatic connections to unfamiliar networks. Matching a network name is a useful check, although names can be copied, so it is not a guarantee of authenticity.
If an unexpected message says your hotel booking will be cancelled unless you pay immediately, open the booking service directly and verify the request. Avoid following a payment link simply because the message includes your name or travel dates.
Use your own updated device for sensitive accounts where possible. Logging out of a shared hostel computer does not remove the possibility that the computer itself is compromised.
Mobile data or a personal hotspot can be a convenient alternative when you do not trust a Wi-Fi network. Check roaming charges, handset compatibility and coverage before relying on one. Our guide to using an eSIM overseas explains the practical checks.
If your sign-in process uses SMS codes, confirm whether your usual number will remain reachable abroad. A data-only travel eSIM does not itself receive texts sent to that number.
7. Budget for Practical Protection, Not Scary Headlines
Start with the protections already available on your devices and accounts. Updates, screen locks, backup settings and two-factor authentication often require time rather than a new purchase.
Corporate breach figures should not be used to estimate a traveller’s personal losses. IBM’s 2024 research reported an average organisational breach cost of $4.88 million, or over $4.5 million globally. Its 2024 announcement describes research into 604 organisations, not individual holidaymakers or the benefits of buying a consumer VPN.
For your trip, the more useful question is how you would manage without access to your phone, email or payment card. A separate copy of your hotel address, a recovery method and official bank contact details are directly relevant to that problem.
If you decide to pay for mobile data, backup storage or a VPN, compare the full charge and renewal terms with what you already have. Our guide to saving money for travel can help you fit useful extras into the wider budget.
If Your Phone Is Lost or an Account Looks Compromised
Use a trusted device to access the phone maker’s official recovery service and mark the device as lost or lock it where available. Contact your mobile provider about protecting the number, and use official bank channels to freeze affected cards or report suspicious transactions.
If you suspect an account takeover, change its password from a trusted device and review active sessions and recovery details. Prioritise email because access to it can affect other accounts. Report theft locally where appropriate and retain any reference details needed for a claim.
You do not need to spend the holiday worrying about every connection. Prepare the essentials before departure, verify unexpected requests and make sure losing one device does not mean losing access to the entire trip.
