Why charging phones get stolen
Charging points are the one place you willingly put your phone down and step away. Airport gates, cafe counters, gym lockers, coworking desks and hostel common rooms all have sockets a few metres from where you sit. A thief needs only to pull the cable and keep walking.
The charger removal alarm turns that cable into a tripwire. As long as the phone is plugged in nothing happens. Unplug it while the alarm is armed and the phone beeps, then rings a siren at full volume with the alarm screen on top. Only your PIN, pattern, knock code or fingerprint stops it.
How it works: plug in, arm, unplug means siren
The alarm can only be armed while the phone is charging. If you tap Activate without a cable, the app tells you to plug in the charger first.
- 1
Plug the phone in
Any charger works: wall socket, laptop USB, a power bank or a public charging station.
- 2
Open the Charger Removal tab and tap Activate
A 10-second countdown runs, then the card shows that the charger removal alert is active. Switch on Flash and Vibrate if you want them.
- 3
Walk away
If the cable is pulled, a warning beep plays for 5 seconds by default, then the siren starts and the front camera takes a photo of whoever is there.
- 4
Unplugging it yourself
Unlock the phone during the beep and the alarm is cancelled and disarmed. To disarm before unplugging, open the app and tap the card.
Auto-arm every time you plug in, and not at home
Tap the automation icon on the dashboard and switch on Charger in the Automation panel. From then on the alarm arms itself whenever you connect a charger, and the tab shows Auto Activated. You never have to think about it at the airport or the office.
At home, an alarm every time you unplug would be annoying. Save home as a trusted place, or save your home Wi-Fi as a safe network, and automatic charger alarms pause there. When the alarm arms somewhere new, Alert24 pops up an offer to save that location. You can also pause alarms for 30 minutes from the alarm screen. Details are on the trusted places and auto-arm page.
- Arms on every plug-in with no tap needed
- Pauses in trusted places and on safe Wi-Fi
- 30-minute pause when you are somewhere safe but not saved
Pre-alarm beep gives you a few seconds
The beep is there for you, not the thief. When you pull the cable yourself, the beep reminds you the alarm is armed and gives you time to unlock the phone, which cancels it. When someone else pulls the cable, the beep is the first thing they hear, and a few seconds later the siren follows.
The default beep is 5 seconds. You can make it shorter or longer per alarm in Settings under Pre Alarm Beep Settings. A short beep means a faster siren; a longer one gives you more time to react. Read about alarm tones and the pre-alarm beep.
Also works as a don't-unplug-my-phone alarm at home
Not every unplug is theft. Kids borrow the phone while it charges, a housemate needs the socket, someone moves it off the kitchen counter. Arm charger removal from the tab and you will hear about it. Because a photo is taken when the alarm starts, you will also see who it was in the Intruders Pictures gallery under Charger Intruders.
If you have saved home as a trusted place, automatic charger alarms stay quiet there. Switch that place off in Settings under Trusted Locations while you want the alarm at home, or arm it manually from the tab.
Pair it with the other alarms
Earphone removal
Same idea for wired earphones on a train or in a library. Pulling them out rings the siren.
Learn moreDon't Touch My Phone
For a phone on a table without a charger, the motion alarm covers you.
Learn moreGym, office and public charging
Real situations where a charging phone goes missing, and how to set the app up for each.
Learn more
Charger removal alarm: questions
Does it work with a power bank?
Yes. The alarm reacts when the phone stops charging, so any charger the phone recognises works, including a power bank or a laptop USB port.
What if I unplug the phone myself?
Unlock the phone during the warning beep and the alarm cancels. Or open Alert24 and tap the card to disarm it before you unplug.
Does the alarm keep working when the screen is off?
Yes. The alarm runs in the background. Lock the phone and leave it charging; unplugging still triggers it.
Will it ring every time I unplug at home?
Not if you save home as a trusted place or your home Wi-Fi as a safe network. Automatic arming pauses there. You can still arm it by hand at home when you want it.
Is the charger removal alarm free?
Yes, including automation and trusted places. The free version shows ads; Premium removes them.
Charge in public without watching the cable
Install Alert24, switch on charger automation and let the phone guard itself.