1. A real lock and a shorter timeout
Most snooping happens on a phone that is still unlocked. Set the screen to lock after 30 seconds or less, and use a PIN of six digits or a long pattern rather than a swipe. Turn on fingerprint or face unlock so the shorter timeout does not slow you down.
If the phone is often in other hands, for example with children, use the built-in guest or pinning options in Android's settings so they can use one app without reaching the rest.
2. A motion alarm when it is on the table
A lock stops people reading your phone. It does not stop them picking it up, or walking off with it. A motion alarm does.
Alert24's Don't Touch My Phone alarm uses the phone's motion sensors. You tap Activate, a ten-second countdown lets you put the phone down, and then it is armed. If anyone lifts or moves it, a short warning beep plays, followed by a loud siren, with flash and vibration if you want them. Only your Alert24 PIN, pattern, knock code or fingerprint stops it. Pressing the volume keys cannot make it quiet.
- Sensitivity slider so a passing truck does not set it off
- Works with no internet connection
- Anyone who enters the wrong PIN to stop it gets photographed
3. Lock notifications on the lock screen
A lot of "touching" is really reading. Messages, codes and bank alerts on the lock screen can be read by anyone at the table without unlocking anything. In Android's notification settings, choose to hide sensitive content on the lock screen, or hide notifications completely for messaging and banking apps.
Then face the phone down when you put it on a table. It is a small habit, but it removes the reason to reach for it.
4. A photo of whoever tries
If someone does pick up the phone and tries the lock, you want to know who. Alert24's intruder selfie takes a silent front-camera photo after a set number of wrong unlock attempts, saves the time and place, and sounds the alarm until the right unlock is entered.
For people who already know your PIN, Phone Access Snap takes a snap on every unlock, groups them by face, and shows when each session started and how long it lasted. Those snaps never leave the phone.
- Set the limit to 1, 2 or 3 wrong attempts
- Photos stay on the phone, backed up only to your own Google account
- Full setup in how to see who tried to unlock your phone
5. Auto-arm so you never forget
An alarm you forget to switch on protects nothing. Alert24's automation arms the charger alarm whenever you plug in, the earphone alarm whenever you connect wired earphones, and the pickpocket alarm when the phone is in a pocket and you are walking. It pauses all of that at trusted places such as home, on a saved safe Wi-Fi, or for 30 minutes when you tap pause.
The motion alarm is the one you arm on purpose: in a café or library, at a shared desk, or on a hostel bed, tap Activate before you walk away.
Which method for which situation
| Situation | What works best |
|---|---|
| Kids grabbing your phone at home | Short timeout, app pinning, Phone Access Snap |
| Colleague reading your screen | Hidden lock-screen notifications, phone face down |
| Phone on a café table while you order | Don't Touch My Phone alarm |
| Partner or flatmate who knows your PIN | Phone Access Snap, change the PIN |
| Stranger picks it up and tries the lock | Intruder selfie plus alarm |
| You keep forgetting to arm anything | Automation and trusted places |
Frequently asked questions
Can someone stop the alarm by turning the phone off?
Holding the power button on a locked phone shows the power menu on most devices, so a determined person can switch it off. The alarm has already drawn attention by then, and a wrong PIN attempt on the alarm screen is photographed. You can also require the screen to be unlocked before the power menu appears on some phones; check your phone's lock screen settings.
Will the alarm go off when I pick up my own phone?
Yes, that is the point. Tap the status card to disarm it before you pick it up, or enter your PIN when the alarm screen appears. The warning beep gives you a few seconds.
Does it use a lot of battery?
The motion alarm uses the accelerometer, which is a low-power sensor. The app keeps a small background service running so it can react; a persistent notification shows when protection is on.
Is the motion alarm free?
Yes. The alarms, the intruder photo and the app lock are free. Remote Access, for ringing and locating the phone from a browser, is part of Premium.
Put your phone down without worrying
Install Alert24, set your PIN and tap Activate. Anyone who touches your phone will hear about it.