Charging Your Phone In Public

Charging your phone in public safely

Smartphones have become a ubiquitous part of our lives. Even if it’s just there in emergencies, having a charged cell phone can provide a serious sense of security. That’s why when the battery meter starts to tick down, a cold sense of panic rises in your stomach. How to find safety when charging your phone in public.

Many public places have begun to adapt to this change and provide USB ports and electrical outlets. Smartphone owners can plug directly into the wall rather than jockey with laptop users and carry bulky outlet converters.

Is it safe to use a public port?

Sadly, this wonderful public good has become a playground for thieves. Scammers have hooked tiny computers into some of those ports. When you plug your phone in, they can install malicious programs on your phone. These programs report back personally identifiable information thieves use to commit identity theft. Alternately, thieves can use the connection to your phone to look through its contents, stealing browser history data — including passwords. It’s called “Juice Jacking,” it can take as little as three minutes for them to open your phone.

It’s a phenomenon so new even security experts are getting suckered. At a recent digital security conference, one security firm ran an experiment by offering public charging cables that anyone could use. Surprisingly, 80% of security experts at the conference used these cables without once inquiring about security!

Obviously, these scammers aren’t everywhere. They choose places where they can do the most damage — airports, coffee shops, shopping malls, and other places where people hang out. Feel free to use the power if you’re at a place you trust. However, if you’re in a public place, watch out! Use these tips to stay safe and avoid Juice Jackers.

Carry (or borrow) a power plug

The easiest way to thwart the scam is to plug your phone into electrical outlets. There’s no computer on the other side there. The only problem with this option is you have to carry around your own power brick.

It’s a hassle to carry one more thing, but it’s worth it to avoid compromising your personal information. Consider shopping around to find a compact, square converter and keep it in your bag. If a power plug is a real hassle, only carry it on days when your phone is low on juice.

You can also use this as an opportunity to initiate a conversation with a stranger. Ask someone using a laptop if they have a plug you can borrow to connect your phone to a wall outlet. While not quite universal, chargers are pretty interchangeable. You don’t need one specific to your brand of phone.

Pick up a battery

You can also carry your power solutions with you. Advancements in battery technology have made them smaller and more efficient than ever. You can find a battery pack the size of a pen that will refill your smartphone on a full charge. Slightly larger packs can provide several days’ worth of charge if you’ve got a little more space.

If it’s too much of a hassle to carry around, try keeping one in your glove compartment for emergencies. That way, you can grab it when needed and charge it on the road. You’re not carrying around an extra piece of hardware all the time, but you get the security of knowing you’ve got a charge if you need one.

Conserve your power

The easiest way to avoid using a public charging station is not to need one in the first place. You can do several things to save your phone’s charge if it looks like you’re running low. Even doing something like changing your wallpaper to all-black will help add precious seconds to your run time.

For slightly more savings, keep your apps updated. Developers constantly release new versions because they find ways to make things run more smoothly. Running outdated software could be chewing up your battery life.

Similarly, don’t enable auto-update. This can drain data in a hurry while also burning through battery life. Update apps manually when connected to WiFi, or disable automatic updates if your battery situation looks dicey.