# Do you lock your phone? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 8, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815 "2013-05-08T17:05:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/1 "2013-05-08T17:05:24Z")
Do you use a password/PIN/other secret code to gain access to your phone? That’s the whole question. It’s coming from [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=690119) in which at least one person seems rather shocked that not everybody locks their phone. The only reason I would lock my phone now is so my toddler, who loves phones, doesn’t eff everything up but mostly I just keep the phone away from him and that takes care of that. He still gets to it sometimes though. Last time he did, he upgraded it from ICS to Jellybean, so… okay. I was under the impression Jellybean wouldn’t be released to the Bionic so that was a win. Anyway. Yes or no? ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/2 "2013-05-08T17:07:22Z")
No, I even disabled my lock screen. As soon as I hit the button I’m on the desktop. I know, I’m living dangerously, but that’s how I like it. ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/3 "2013-05-08T17:09:12Z")
I lock my phone but only because I’m forced to if I want to get work email through it. I would prefer keeping it unlocked all the time. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/4 "2013-05-08T17:10:45Z")
yep. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/5 "2013-05-08T17:10:55Z")
I don’t lock my phone. My wife would probably think I have something to hide. (which I don’t) ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/6 "2013-05-08T17:11:43Z")
Apps get touched and activated too easily when it’s jiggling around my pocket. I keep it locked. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/7 "2013-05-08T17:12:15Z")
No. I only really have it out at home and at the office (small office, no fear of theft). I do have a toddler but I’m more worried about him throwing it across the kitchen floor than him randomly dialing Belize or buying the Britney Spears Master Collection off Google Music. So I just keep it out of his reach. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/8 "2013-05-08T17:12:39Z")
Phones aren’t simply phones these days; many of them are handheld computers with all kinds of sensitive information (such as banking apps) loaded onto them. I lock my smartphone, and have an app installed that will allow me to remote wipe it if I ever lose it. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/9 "2013-05-08T17:12:50Z")
I can’t I have a flip phone. ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/10 "2013-05-08T17:13:06Z")
I don’t - nothing sensitive on there, at least not sensitive enough that it would justify the inconvenience of having to type in the PIN every time I use it. It always lives in my pants pocket, and if someone steals my phone, I have other problems. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/11 "2013-05-08T17:17:54Z")
> [@artemis](#): > > Phones aren’t simply phones these days; many of them are handheld computers with all kinds of sensitive information (such as banking apps) loaded onto them. My banking app (and home security app) require passwords which are not available on my phone. Changing those passwords via e-mail requires knowing my social security number which also isn’t stored on my phone or in my emails. I’m sure there’s some scenario where a stolen phone would be a pain in the ass above and beyond replacing the phone but I’m not sure it outweighs the accumulated hassle of years of unlocking my unstolen phone. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/12 "2013-05-08T17:18:17Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > I lock my phone but only because I’m forced to if I want to get work email through it. I would prefer keeping it unlocked all the time. I have the same arrangement at work. I eventually decided that work email could wait until I got to a computer – it was just too much of a pain to have to type a password (simple PINS aren’t allowed) every time I turned my phone on. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/13 "2013-05-08T17:20:33Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > Apps get touched and activated too easily when it’s jiggling around my pocket. I keep it locked. My screen will lock itself after a set time period (I think I have it set to one minute) and that prevents pocket dialing/app activation pretty well. A simple swipe and I’m in my phone, no password required. > [@PSXer](#): > > I can’t I have a flip phone. I’ve had dumb flip phones that had the option of using 4 digit PINs to secure access to the phone. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/14 "2013-05-08T17:33:11Z")
I do, and I’ve been doing it for a few years now so I don’t even think about it anymore. It takes me about .5 seconds to unlock it. Hardly a burden, considering everything it’s protecting. My “password” is a ‘connect the dots’ code, which seems easier to me to do quickly than entering numbers or letters. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/15 "2013-05-08T17:44:51Z")
I volunteer part time to coach a high school debate team and the little douches are always trying to grab my phone, so I lock it just in case. Even if it weren’t for them, I’d probably lock my phone. I keep too much stuff on it to make it so easily accessible. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/16 "2013-05-08T17:47:57Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > Apps get touched and activated too easily when it’s jiggling around my pocket. I keep it locked. He doesn’t mean locking the keys/screen. He means using a password. I only lock my phone when traveling or I have to check it in somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/17 "2013-05-08T18:07:50Z")
No. I pick up and put down my phone too much for this to be practical. I did lock it with a PIN when I first got it, which lasted all of 30 minutes. I also have the option to do a connect-the-dots fingerslide, but nah. I live on the edge! ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/18 "2013-05-08T18:23:14Z")
I never lock my phone. It’s always by my side. I’m always using it for websurfing and playing music. I don’t keep sensitive information on it, and it’s not worth the hassle of entering a PIN every time I use it. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/19 "2013-05-08T18:29:16Z")
I don’t have a smart phone. My phone is dumb. In fact, my phone is so stupid it wouldn’t understand the rules of the Phone Special Olympics. If someone got ahold of it, the worst they could do with it is order me a pizza. And they’d have to put it on their own credit card. So, no. I don’t lock it. This might also be the reason why this: > [@Silver\_Fire](#): > > Last time he did, he upgraded it from ICS to Jellybean, so… okay. I was under the impression Jellybean wouldn’t be released to the Bionic so that was a win. sounds to me like an alien attempting an English sentence. I understand what most of those words mean - or at least are supposed to mean - but put together this way it’s just nonsensical. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815/20 "2013-05-08T18:54:24Z")
You’re nonsensical. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-lock-your-phone/657815.md?page=2)