Gadget insurance
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Mobile phone insurance
Get cover for your mobile phone[1]
Do I need mobile phone insurance?
Smartphones are an essential part of everyday life. So, for most of us, our phones are always within arm’s reach.
But this technology comes at a price and taking our phones with us everywhere means they’re more likely to get damaged, lost or stolen.
Mobile phone insurance can offer a lifeline. So if something happens to your phone, the cover can help to pay for repairs or a replacement.
Taking out cover can be a good idea if:
- You’ve got an expensive phone model
- You’re on a long contract you’ll need to keep paying if you lose or damage your phone
- You’re accident-prone and have a history of broken phones
- You’d need an instant replacement if something happened to your phone
2,248 people were a victim of mobile phone theft in the West Midlands alone in 2021
According to West Midlands Police
What does phone insurance cover?
Mobile phone insurance is designed to protect your phone against common situations that might happen. Most standard policies cover:
- Accidental damage - If you accidentally damage your phone, including cracking your screen, your insurer will pay for repairs or to replace it
- Theft - If your phone’s stolen, your cover will replace it with the same make and model, or a phone with the equivalent specification
- Loss - If you lose your phone, your cover will replace it with a similar model. With some policies, this is an optional extra you’ll need to pay an additional premium for
Which policy features can I get with mobile phone insurance?
As well as the standard cover, many policies offer extra features which can include insurance for:
Liquid damage
If your phone’s been damaged through splashes, spills, or full immersion, your phone cover will pay to get it fixed or replaced
Worldwide cover
Worldwide cover extends your policy to cover your phone anywhere in the world for up to a set number of days a year
Mechanical breakdown
You’ll be covered if your phone’s out of warranty and breaks down or stops working properly
Unauthorised network charges
You’ll be covered up to a set amount if your phone has been lost or stolen and is used for unauthorised calls and data usage
Cover for accessories
Things like your headphones and phone case can be covered if they’re lost or stolen at the same time as your phone
Family cover
If you’ve got multiple phones in your household this feature can extend cover to any that belong to your immediate family
E-wallet cover
If your phone is accidentally lost or stolen, you’ll be refunded the cost of unauthorised transactions made using your e-wallet, up to a limit
Cover for second-hand phones
If your phone is refurbished or up to three years old, some insurers will still provide it with the same cover as standard policies
How much does it cost?
The cost of your premium depends on the make and model of phone, the level of cover and any extra features you choose, the excess amount, and whether you pay in full or monthly.
Find the average cost of insurance for popular phone models below.[3]
| Device | Average Monthly Cost | Average Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 13 128GB | £3.87 | £83.42 |
| iPhone 11 64GB | £3.55 | £81.05 |
| iPhone 12 64GB | £4.36 | £83.44 |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max 128GB | £5.55 | £100.48 |
| iPhone 13 Pro 128GB | £5.31 | £89.74 |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max 256GB | £5.31 | £122.29 |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 128GB + 8GB | £4.86 | £102.60 |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 256GB + 12GB | £5.65 | £100.67 |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 5G 128GB | £3.36 | £82.17 |
| iPhone 13 Pro 256GB | £4.96 | £106.02 |
Are mobile phones covered by home insurance?
Your smartphone may already be covered by your home insurance for things like loss or damage due to fire, flooding or theft from your home. Or you might be able to add cover for your mobile as an optional policy add-on.
But there are often limitations, including how much you can claim for a single item. And you may need to pay a high excess.
Plus, you won’t have features like cover for fraudulent activity on your phone or worldwide cover that you could get with standalone mobile insurance.
Your contents policy will need to include accidental damage cover if you want your phone protected against mishaps at home. And if you want cover when you take it out and about, you’ll need to pay extra.
So you may want to upgrade your home insurance to make sure you’ve got the cover you need, or take out separate phone or gadget insurance.
Are there downsides to claiming for my phone on my home insurance?
There are also other reasons why you may want to choose standalone cover for your mobile phone rather than using your home insurance:
-
Paying the excess
If your home insurance excess is £500 or more it may not be worth claiming for a phone that isn’t worth much more than this. The excess on standalone mobile insurance is likely to be lower
-
Increasing your premium
Claiming for your phone through your home insurance is likely to increase your premiums when your cover comes up for renewal
-
The single-item limit
This is the maximum amount you can claim for a single item. You’ll need to check your home insurance policy to see whether it’s enough to cover the value of your phone
-
The time to process a claim
Claims on your home insurance can take a lot longer to be processed than if you claimed using your phone cover. So you could be left without a phone for weeks
Frequently asked questions
To get a quote, you’ll need to have some basic information to hand including:
- The phone’s make, model and age
- The IMEI number - usually found on the back of your phone or in your settings app
- Your address and personal details
- The level of cover and excess you want
- Whether you want to pay monthly or make a one-off payment
Before you take out mobile phone insurance, check to see exactly what will and won’t be covered. Policies usually don’t cover:
- Breakdowns that are covered by the manufacturer's warranty
- More than two claims for loss or theft in a 12-month period
- Loss or theft as a result of you not taking care of your phone
- Phones when you haven’t got a receipt or proof of purchase
- Older phones, or phones that weren’t refurbished to manufacturer standards
- Deliberate or cosmetic damage
- Unauthorised repairs done before the mobile insurance was taken out
Most mobile phones come with a warranty that lasts between 12 and 24 months, but this won’t give you the same level of protection that phone insurance will.
A warranty will typically only cover mechanical and electrical faults, it won’t cover your phone for accidental damage like smashed screens or water damage.
The key thing is to contact your insurer as soon as possible. If your phone’s been lost or stolen, you should contact your local police station and get a crime reference number.
You’ll need to provide your insurer with your policy number, as well as details about your phone and what happened.
After making a claim, your insurance provider may want to collect your damaged phone and deliver your replacement at the same time, so you’ll need to have it ready.
Some mobile phone insurance will cover the loss of your digital downloads, like ebooks, music, and movies, stored on your phone.
It can cover the cost of you having to buy or replace them again. But regularly backing up your phone can minimise the risk in the first place.
This depends on your insurer. Some mobile policies will also let you insure other gadgets like tablets and smartwatches.
Alternatively, if you’ve got a phone, laptop, and other gadgets you need to insure, putting them under one umbrella policy means you can get a multi-gadget discount.
See also
Page last reviewed: 3rd January 2023
Page reviewed by: Ceri McMillan
[2] There are 15 active insurers on the panel at Comparison Creator. Last checked July 2022.
[3]Average mobile phone insurance costs are based on quotes from ProtectYourGadget.com, conducted on the 12 July 2022. All quotes are based on combined theft, loss and accidental damage cover.