When I travel to Asia this summer, I plan to keep my iPhone at home. Instead, pack another phone that is missing from classic apps like Instagram, Slack, Signal, and more. It doesn't even log in to my work email.
No, I'm not planning on a digital detox. My personal device contains sensitive data that I don't want to search for from others, especially US border guards, so I'm choosing to travel with something called a burner phone.
For more than a decade, the federal government has the authority to conduct border searches for travelers' personal electronic devices, such as phones, laptops and tablets. Although these tests have steadily increased in recent years, only a small percentage of people have entered the US.
Last year, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency reported that it had conducted approximately 43,000 electronic technology searches in 2023, from about 38,000.
To be clear, I might be particularly paranoid as a journalist who is constantly working to protect sensitive sources from afar, so the Burner phone is an extreme measure that most people don't find practical or necessary.
However, in recent incidents, travelers have been denied entry to the US due to phone data such as gun photos and social media posts about the protest.
“The bigger concern is that the government can select people they want to search,” said Esha Bandari, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union. “We've seen anecdote evidence of a more aggressive search at the border, including lawyers and client privileges and those considered dissidents.”
In other words, rules have not changed regarding entry into the US, but there may be changes in the frequency at which the policy is enforced. Vacationers and business travelers must be wise about the data they carry on their devices.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The best approach for you will depend on your lifestyle and occupation. This is what to do.
Assess your risk
Cybersecurity expert Jeremiah Grossman should start by thinking about who you are, what you do for your job, and what you do on your phone, laptop, or tablet.
For example, if you are a retired US citizen who has a holiday photo or text conversation with friends in your book club on your device, you probably don't need to worry. However, if you are a visa student involved in the government's protest, there may be media that could cause problems with your mobile phone.
“If law enforcement has everything on your phone and you have access to everything, is that bad for you?” Grossman said.
From there, assess whether the risk is high or low and choose your approach.
Low risk: Use a passcode to remove some apps
If you're slightly concerned about your data being searched, start by turning off biometrics such as fingerprints and facial recognition sensors. Instead, rely solely on your passcode to unlock your device.
To turn off your face ID on your iPhone, open the Settings app and tap Face ID & PassCodeenter your passcode and switch Unlock your iPhone.
For Android phones, the steps are model dependent, but the Settings app usually allows you to enter a search. Unlock face and fingerprints Disable the menu and the settings there.
Using a passcode alone could be an effective measure for US citizens as it is legally more difficult for executives to take your phone and hold it in your face to unlock it, Bandari said.
However, citizens can refuse to provide a passcode, but visa holders and tourists visiting the US will risk being denied entry if they refuse to comply, Bhandari added. So it's best to take additional steps to remove apps that contain information that can be of concern, such as Instagram, Signal, X, etc.
Medium risk: Back up and purge data
If you think there's a modest possibility that the government can search for your phone, consider backing up all your data copies and purging your device before returning to the US, Grossman said.
To make this process easier, you can back up your data to an online server, such as iCloud for Apple's iPhone or Google's Icloud for Android devices. This way, you can later restore your data online by entering your account credentials.
To back up your iPhone data to iCloud, setting App, tap nametap iCloud Select iCloud Backup. Turn on the switch Back up this iPhone Tap Back up now. Next, to purge iPhone data, use the Settings app General Tap the menu Transfer or reset your iPhonetap Clear all content and settings And follow the steps.
To back up your Android device data to Google, setting App, tap Googlethen tap backup. To purge Android data, the steps depend on your phone model, but you can usually do a search. Factory reset Settings app menu.
After crossing the wiped device and boundary, you will be presented with the option to restore the device from the backup when you go to setup. At that point, you can enter your account credentials to return the data. (Please write down your password somewhere.)
High risk: carry a burner phone
If you think it's very likely that US border officials want to see your phone, the most robust solution is to keep your personal device at home and carry a burner phone that is used exclusively for travel.
This is how I plan to do it.
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I carry an inexpensive Android smartphone with only the software I need for travel, such as rides and map apps.
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Log in to a single email account you created specifically for your trip to get itinerary and other travel-related information.
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When I land, I use ESIM to connect to a temporary mobile phone plan on a foreign network. This can be activated via apps such as Nomad, Airalo, Gigsky, etc. (I wrote a guide to using ESIM technology in the previous column.)
After that, when you get home, you copy all your vacation photos from your vacation phone to your iPhone and put the burner in your drawer until your next trip.
