Your cell phone is one of the most powerful tools you can use at a protest, but it can also be one of your greatest vulnerabilities. This year, massive protests have taken place across the United States, particularly against aggressive immigration enforcement and the use of force by federal and local authorities – including the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis – where protesters used their phones to record videos, document abuse and communicate with each other.
Data and phone usage are increasingly being targeted by police and government agencies. Phones are also tracking devices that can be intercepted to monitor locations, match identities, and monitor text messages (the FBI has also threatened to investigate encrypted Signal chats). Although the safest option is to leave your phone at home, it’s not always practical.
If you want to secure your phone data, limit your digital footprint, and protect your privacy while exercising your constitutional rights, here are some steps you can take.
If you’re considering protesting or serving as a legal observer, here are some tips from the American Civil Liberties Union and Amnesty International.
Make sure strong encryption is enabled
Your phone contains all kinds of information about you: your contacts, your work address, your photos, your social media accounts, your emails, your stored financial information, and more. If your phone is confiscated, lost or stolen, you don’t want to make it easy for someone to recover that data.
First, make sure your device is securely encrypted. Most iPhones and Android phones automatically encrypt data when you set a password. Make sure it is a strong password (8-12 random characters).
On Android, go to Settings > Security & privacy > Device unlock > Screen lock (or similar, depending on the device you have).
On iOS, go to Settings > Face ID (or Touch ID) and passcode and press Enable Password.
You can verify that encryption is enabled after setting a password. On iOS, go to Settings > Face ID and password, then scroll down, where you should see the phrase “Data protection is enabled”.
On Android, go to Settings > Security & Privacy > More Security & Privacy (or similar, depending on your device), and look for a line “Encryption and credentials” or similar which should confirm that the data is encrypted.
Turn off location settings
Location Services allows apps and services to retrieve the phone’s location via GPS. Disabling this option blocks access to this data. You’ll find it in the privacy and security settings on iPhone and in the location settings on Android.
Turning off location on iPhone (left) and Android (right, Pixel 10 Pro shown here) ensures that your phone and its apps don’t store location data.
Screenshot from Jeff Carlson/CNETTurning off location services also prevents location data from being saved in photos you take. You can also manually prevent photos you’ve taken from including location information in their metadata, usually located in the Camera app or your phone’s settings.
On iOS, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Camera to enable or disable location metadata.
On most Android phones, you can turn off photo location data directly in the Camera app. Open the camera, tap the settings icon, and search Save location (or a variation of this: Store location data, Location tags), and turn it off.
Disable scan-to-unlock and tap-to-unlock features
Biometrics make it easier to unlock your phone and provide security during everyday use, but if your phone is confiscated by law enforcement, they might try to force you to unlock it using facial recognition or fingerprint readers.
This is an area of law that is still being worked out, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which states in its guide to attending protests, “Using a memorized passcode generally provides a stronger legal basis for fending off a court order to forcibly unlock/decrypt a device.”
Disable biometric phone unlocking methods such as facial recognition and fingerprint. iOS on the left, Android on a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra on the right.
Screenshot from Jeff Carlson/CNETOn an iPhone, go to Settings > Face ID (or Touch ID) and passcode and turned off iPhone Unlock.
On Android, look for fingerprint or face unlock options in Settings > Security and Privacy Or Lock screen settings.
Quickly disable biometrics in the moment
What happens if you forgot to turn off biometrics and are faced with someone trying to force you to use them? There is a quick workaround that requires you to use the password even without resetting your phone (all phones require you to re-enter your password upon reboot).
On an Android device, hold the power button and volume up or down button (depending on your device) and select Confinement. You may need to specify that the Lock option appears. On a Samsung Galaxy phone, for example, in the Lock screen and AOD > Secure lock settingsturn it on Show lock mode option.
On an iPhone, press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Volume Up buttons for one second until the Power, Medical ID, and Emergency SOS options appear. Then press Cancel. The next unlock will require your password.
Remember that if you use this option, biometrics are disabled only until the next time you unlock the phone with the password. In a protest environment, it is best to disable biometrics as described above.
Turn off Bluetooth
Bluetooth, the short-range networking feature, is most commonly used to send music and podcasts to wireless headphones or to communicate with smart devices such as watches and fitness trackers. But it also speaks to locators like Apple AirTags and searches for other items nearby.
Turn off cellular data when you’re not using it
Your phone sends and receives a lot of data in the background, such as checking for updates, sending and receiving text messages, and receiving app notifications, requiring it to maintain a constant conversation with nearby cell towers. This traffic may identify your approximate location or show that you (or at least your phone) were present at a later protest. (Note that turning off cellular data will interfere with any encrypted communications you may use.)
While you turn off cellular data, you should also turn off Wi-Fi. Not only can connecting to Wi-Fi networks reveal your location, but it also drains battery, especially in high-density areas where there are many networks.
Leave your phone at home or get a burner phone
If you leave your phone at home, you won’t have to worry about all these settings. Another option is to get a prepaid cell phone to use only at the protest, then turn it off before you get home (so it can’t be traced back to you).
A cheap prepaid phone can allow you to stay in touch with friends and family, without having to bring all your sensitive information to an event.
Andrew Lanxon/CNETDon’t forget the other devices
Your phone may not be the only one tracking you. Your smartwatch can connect to cellular networks or store location data, and wearable trackers like Apple AirTags are designed to relay their location via Bluetooth. Consider putting your watch in Airplane mode and leaving the trackers at home.
Take photos and videos while your phone is locked
You’ll probably use your camera a lot during a protest event, and in addition to turning off location services so that GPS data isn’t recorded in the images, it’s a good idea to use the camera without unlocking the phone. This way, someone who snatches the phone from you while you’re recording won’t be able to access your data.
iPhones and Android phones include this feature to make it easier to take quick photos. The camera is active, but other phone features remain unavailable. From the iOS lock screen, press and hold the Camera icon or swipe in from the right edge of the screen. Your model may also include a camera control button or an option to activate the camera using the action button.
On an Android phone, look for a camera icon on the lock screen. There may also be options for quick launch, such as pressing the power button twice.
And one final note about recording: Be sure to take photos of protesters’ faces and share your images later, as law enforcement uses facial recognition technology to identify people in photos uploaded or publicly posted.
