12 Ways to NOT Lose Your Phone at Festivals

Here’s how not to lose your phone at festivals, from someone who’s unfortunately lost a few. Don’t be like me!

I’ve lost THREE phones at festivals, and luckily, managed to get one of them back. With the amount of phones I’ve lost in my twenties, and the amount of festivals I’ve been to, three isn’t actually that bad. For me.

Here are a few tricks I’ve used to lose proof my phone at festivals, so I don’t spend the journey home staring into the scroll-less black abyss of having no tech at my fingertips.

1. Give it two hands

Let’s start with the simple things: holding your phone with two hands. It may sound off the wall but having an extra hand and a tight grip around the phone will make theft, accidental dropping or throwing all the more difficult to do.

2. Get a grip

Buying a pop socket to stick on the back of your phone won’t cost you much and will give you some extra grip so that when you’re capturing that all important selfie you’re less likely to also accidentally drop.

3. The Keebos crossbody phone cases

If you want a way to carry your phone handsfree and carefree, then get one of the Keebos Crossbody Phone Cases. With the tough lanyard round your neck you’ll know where it is at all times, and not have to faff in your bag. You can wear it across your body, or as a necklace. The case also fits up to 6 credit cards and cash, so if you streamline your festival packing you won’t need to bring your purse or bag. Also, for every Keebos purchased, they will plant a tree.

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Fancy doing a festival quiz? 

50 questions, 50 answers – do it with friends, or by yourself!

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4. Be vigilant

No matter whether its Pharrel or the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the urge is always to capture the musical moments on video so you can replay the “best performances ever” from the comfort of your home. But how many times do you actually hit replay and does the quality ever reflect just how magical Muse was?

The answer is a resounding no so before you get your phone out in a big crowd and risk it getting lost, consider just how vital it is to record.

5. Put a face on it

This is the real reasons selfies were invented. Snap a picture of yourself and make it your background. This means that any good samaritan who finds your phone is able to put a face to the lost item and is more likely to deliver it back safe and sound.

6. And a friend’s number too

Taking it one step further and cutting out all those awkward stares the poor finder of the phone is going to have to endure while they search for you, add your friend’s phone number to the screensaver too. That means in one quick call, said finder of phone will be able to call your friend and reunite you with your mobile.

7. App it up

If you have an iPhone, give apple a little praise for creating Find Your iPhone. Having this activated means that you can track your phone and hopefully find it still in one piece. Other apps doing similar things include Google’s Find My Phone and Cerberus, which even lets you reset your phone, sound an alarm and display a message onscreen remotely. Thieves beware.

8. Lifeproof it

It’s really tempting to go for the glittery case with a cute design, but when it comes to festivals, forget style and go for substance all the way. You need a case that is strong enough to withstand an accidental crowd throwing, a Justin Briber stampede and a porta-loo mishap. You need waterproof, shatterproof, basically life proof cases and thankfully they exist.

9. Make it a fashion statement

It does not matter how lame you look if it means your phone, aka ultimate source of finding that friend, capturing that memory and documenting the entire festival, is safe. So embrace the circa 1990 look with a phone lanyard. Aside from being incredibly handy and saving you time pulling it out of your bag when there’s no moment to lose in snapping Solange, it’s another level of phone protection.

10. Waterproof it

Beverages tend to be in full flow no matter the festival and a big amount are often spilled. Make sure your phone never ends up a victim to the spill by keeping it in a waterproof bag. Again no points on offer in the fashion stakes, but guess who’ll be returning home with a fully operating phone?

11. Keep it secure

If you’re not rolling with the bag or lanyard option that’s fine, but be careful abut where you keep your phone. An open pocket or bag that doesn’t have a decent fastening can make it easy to fall out or potentially be pickpocketed. Make sure everything is zipped, buttoned and securely stored so there’s no fear of a phone-related frenzy.

12. Keep it full of juice

Finally, making sure your phone has plenty of battery is another way of looking after it and you. Getting separated from your friends and then realising you have no battery equals hours of the worst game of hide and seek. Make sure that doesn’t happen by packing a portable power pack.

If you DO lose your phone at a festival…

• – Ask at lost and found, repeatedly. This is how my friend George got hers back at Festival No 6.
• – Ask the security guards around where you were to see if it’s been handed in. This is how I got mine back, also at Festival No 6.
• – Keep phoning it.
• – Check the Apps repeatedly. This is how my old housemate Becky got hers back after SONAR Festival in Barcelona, she traced it.
• – Don’t cry, too much. I’ve been there. It’s sad.