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November 12, 2021 4:40 AM Subscribe
Those who use burner phones for travel: how do you set them up? Looking for the hive mind to vet a plan.
I'm travelling to an area that can be dicey in terms of stop-and-robs.
There is wayyyyyy too much important stuff on main phone for me to risk losing it. I've had that happen before during travel and it was very painful.
So I'm likely to buy a burner phone (Android) that I can use going forward for travel or physically challenging hikes / climbs.
I will have a Linux laptop with me, and Firefox syncs all the important stuff (as does 1Password).
My current plan is to:
I'm travelling to an area that can be dicey in terms of stop-and-robs.
There is wayyyyyy too much important stuff on main phone for me to risk losing it. I've had that happen before during travel and it was very painful.
So I'm likely to buy a burner phone (Android) that I can use going forward for travel or physically challenging hikes / climbs.
I will have a Linux laptop with me, and Firefox syncs all the important stuff (as does 1Password).
My current plan is to:
- Create a separate Google account for the burner
- Install WhatsApp (my primary personal communications app) and Skype for work. I'll need to change WhatsApp over to the phone's SIM, temporarily
- Disable 2FA temporarily on accounts that I use often. The most important account where I have 2FA enabled now does text verification, which I can receive on the laptop.
- Install minimal "recreation" apps like PodBean, Scribd, and Lithium
- See if there's anything else on main phone that I can't live without for 2 weeks
I'm not sure I understand. Are you suggesting that someone may rob you of your phone -- or that if you lose it -- the new "owner" will want it for its data? How would they get into the phone? (I'm assuming it's passcode or fingerprint-locked).
I've always assumed anyone who steals a phone wants the device, not its content.
The most important account where I have 2FA enabled now does text verification, which I can receive on the laptop.
This I also do not understand. Assuming you're using some app (or messsages.gooogle.com) to get the text on your laptop... you need an active sim with the texted number on the same wifi network to get the texts on the laptop, no?
posted by dobbs at 6:49 AM on November 12, 2021 [1 favorite]
I've always assumed anyone who steals a phone wants the device, not its content.
The most important account where I have 2FA enabled now does text verification, which I can receive on the laptop.
This I also do not understand. Assuming you're using some app (or messsages.gooogle.com) to get the text on your laptop... you need an active sim with the texted number on the same wifi network to get the texts on the laptop, no?
posted by dobbs at 6:49 AM on November 12, 2021 [1 favorite]
If your worry about 2FA is losing the ability to log in, there are better alternatives. E.g. you should be able to print out a page of single-use codes to carry in your wallet for emergencies.
Why the second google account? Are you worried someone will use the phone as a springboard to take over your primary google account? Maybe it would be enough to make sure your screen locking is set up right and make sure you're using a good password. Also note you can disable the phone remotely if necessary: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6160491?hl=en
Dumb question: why are you worried about losing your phone and not worried about losing your laptop? Could you take your primary phone with you on trips and keep it in your luggage with your laptop, and carry your cheap phone in your pocket where you're worried about accidents or pickpockets?
It would help to have a little more explanation of what exactly you're trying to prevent.
posted by bfields at 7:10 AM on November 12, 2021 [3 favorites]
Why the second google account? Are you worried someone will use the phone as a springboard to take over your primary google account? Maybe it would be enough to make sure your screen locking is set up right and make sure you're using a good password. Also note you can disable the phone remotely if necessary: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6160491?hl=en
Dumb question: why are you worried about losing your phone and not worried about losing your laptop? Could you take your primary phone with you on trips and keep it in your luggage with your laptop, and carry your cheap phone in your pocket where you're worried about accidents or pickpockets?
It would help to have a little more explanation of what exactly you're trying to prevent.
posted by bfields at 7:10 AM on November 12, 2021 [3 favorites]
If you're mostly concerned about the data on the primary phone, why not just move your SIM over to the "burner"? It doesn't seem like you're needing a new phone number/line. Then you can just install whatever apps/data you need on the burner to make it usable.
posted by dobi at 7:12 AM on November 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by dobi at 7:12 AM on November 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
tl;dr: I think you should probably look first into making sure that losing your primary phone isn't a devastating loss, in terms of cost, content, or access, and then just use that on your trip. Make sure you trust your primary device before adding more things into the setup. If you must use a second device, secure your burner phone and don't complicate access with 2FA on a third device (the laptop).
It sounds like there are separate concerns here:
* financial loss (you lose the item value of your regular phone)
* data loss (you lose your pictures or whatever)
* access loss (you are locked out of accounts because of SMS 2FA)
Concerning financial loss - how much is a burner phone going to cost? Is it really much cheaper than replacing your regular phone, which could conceivably be insured against loss/theft?
To the second concern - can that be alleviated by enabling cloud storage or backing up your phone routinely? I'm not as familiar with Android, but you should be able to back up your photos and documents using Google, Dropbox, etc. That seems like the most straightforward challenge to solve here.
To the third concern, access - I'm not sure I see how replacing one phone that you are familiar with and trust with a new, presumably different model of phone and a laptop running another OS is going to significantly improve things. Let's say you stick with just the phone you have. Configure notifications so SMS codes aren't shown on your lockscreen (i.e., you must enter the passcode to see anything of importance). You could continue to get 2FA codes on the phone, and store your backup codes (which services should give you) on your person in case you do somehow lose the phone and not the laptop. Or have them back home and call a family member to read them to you, if you don't want to keep them locally while on your trip. Since your laptop can receive text verification, I assume it has a cellular card and therefore you have a line out even if your phone is gone (but it seems weird that you expect to get SMS 2FA on both the phone and laptop - I may be misunderstanding the setup.) As an aside, you could look into switching from SMS 2FA to an app (Google Authenticator, for example), which will be generally more secure than SMS and may give you more flexible backup and device transfer options.
If you must use a burner, before getting into a complicated split setup with the laptop, I'd make sure the burner phone supported encryption, had a strong passcode and no biometric/alternative login options enabled, was up to date with security patches, notifications are configured so it's not showing your 2FA codes on the lockscreen, etc. so you have some degree of confidence that if the phone gets stolen, the thief isn't going to be able to access your data.
Other thoughts:
"Install minimal "recreation" apps like PodBean, Scribd, and Lithium" - why not install the apps you normally use? I don't understand the value of app austerity here, unless you know the burner phone of choice won't be able to run the apps you're used to or you're looking for a deliberately pared down/alternative user experience.
Are you concerned about theft or loss of the laptop? Is the drive on it encrypted? Securing a Linux laptop is a whole other realm... honestly I think I'm more concerned about the laptop getting stolen vs. the phone, especially if you're syncing stuff to it and using it for 2FA.
posted by Transmissions From Vrillon at 7:21 AM on November 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
It sounds like there are separate concerns here:
* financial loss (you lose the item value of your regular phone)
* data loss (you lose your pictures or whatever)
* access loss (you are locked out of accounts because of SMS 2FA)
Concerning financial loss - how much is a burner phone going to cost? Is it really much cheaper than replacing your regular phone, which could conceivably be insured against loss/theft?
To the second concern - can that be alleviated by enabling cloud storage or backing up your phone routinely? I'm not as familiar with Android, but you should be able to back up your photos and documents using Google, Dropbox, etc. That seems like the most straightforward challenge to solve here.
To the third concern, access - I'm not sure I see how replacing one phone that you are familiar with and trust with a new, presumably different model of phone and a laptop running another OS is going to significantly improve things. Let's say you stick with just the phone you have. Configure notifications so SMS codes aren't shown on your lockscreen (i.e., you must enter the passcode to see anything of importance). You could continue to get 2FA codes on the phone, and store your backup codes (which services should give you) on your person in case you do somehow lose the phone and not the laptop. Or have them back home and call a family member to read them to you, if you don't want to keep them locally while on your trip. Since your laptop can receive text verification, I assume it has a cellular card and therefore you have a line out even if your phone is gone (but it seems weird that you expect to get SMS 2FA on both the phone and laptop - I may be misunderstanding the setup.) As an aside, you could look into switching from SMS 2FA to an app (Google Authenticator, for example), which will be generally more secure than SMS and may give you more flexible backup and device transfer options.
If you must use a burner, before getting into a complicated split setup with the laptop, I'd make sure the burner phone supported encryption, had a strong passcode and no biometric/alternative login options enabled, was up to date with security patches, notifications are configured so it's not showing your 2FA codes on the lockscreen, etc. so you have some degree of confidence that if the phone gets stolen, the thief isn't going to be able to access your data.
Other thoughts:
"Install minimal "recreation" apps like PodBean, Scribd, and Lithium" - why not install the apps you normally use? I don't understand the value of app austerity here, unless you know the burner phone of choice won't be able to run the apps you're used to or you're looking for a deliberately pared down/alternative user experience.
Are you concerned about theft or loss of the laptop? Is the drive on it encrypted? Securing a Linux laptop is a whole other realm... honestly I think I'm more concerned about the laptop getting stolen vs. the phone, especially if you're syncing stuff to it and using it for 2FA.
posted by Transmissions From Vrillon at 7:21 AM on November 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
Some of your concerns are similar to ones of journalists (ex).
posted by oceano at 9:23 AM on November 12, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by oceano at 9:23 AM on November 12, 2021 [1 favorite]
Other advice I've seen on this is to buy used in cash and to not use any overlapping logins with your main accounts. That's more about being under the radar if you fear local tracking in your destination.
Would a local SIM help with that, or is your outsider device marked by its IMEI being from another country?
Signal App vs WhatsApp using Signal protocol?
VPN from your phone to outside the country you're visiting?
Dead Person's Switch to wipe the device if you don't key in the safety code in a 24-hour window?
Retain 2FA on your accounts (if you're using main accounts) and print recovery codes among a grid of other random code-like symbols?
posted by k3ninho at 12:10 PM on November 12, 2021
Would a local SIM help with that, or is your outsider device marked by its IMEI being from another country?
Signal App vs WhatsApp using Signal protocol?
VPN from your phone to outside the country you're visiting?
Dead Person's Switch to wipe the device if you don't key in the safety code in a 24-hour window?
Retain 2FA on your accounts (if you're using main accounts) and print recovery codes among a grid of other random code-like symbols?
posted by k3ninho at 12:10 PM on November 12, 2021
If your worry is losing the device itself, can’t you just move your regular SIM over to the burner phone? Then you’d still be able to get text messages etc.
posted by mekily at 10:39 PM on November 12, 2021
posted by mekily at 10:39 PM on November 12, 2021
Response by poster: As it turned out I couldn't get a decent burner phone in time, although one is on the way to my home for future use.
And I should have clarified that my primary worry here was losing the phone itself plus having to re-set up all the 2FA, because I never remember to download and store all the damn codes.
Also, if I lose my US SIM, it's a real pain because of all the financial institutions that use it. (I have a dual SIM phone.)
Going forward I'll probably do what @mekily suggested above and move the local SIM to the burner whenever I prefer to take the burner with me.
posted by Sheydem-tants at 4:38 AM on November 19, 2021
And I should have clarified that my primary worry here was losing the phone itself plus having to re-set up all the 2FA, because I never remember to download and store all the damn codes.
Also, if I lose my US SIM, it's a real pain because of all the financial institutions that use it. (I have a dual SIM phone.)
Going forward I'll probably do what @mekily suggested above and move the local SIM to the burner whenever I prefer to take the burner with me.
posted by Sheydem-tants at 4:38 AM on November 19, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by griffey at 6:26 AM on November 12, 2021 [3 favorites]