How to be careful what you do on public Wi-Fi on your phone

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FirewallsMedium priority

About 5 minutes to complete

Avoid accessing banking apps, email, or any account that contains sensitive information when connected to public Wi-Fi. Public networks in cafés, hotels, and airports are not secure.

Step-by-step guide

Avoid logging in to banking apps, making payments, or accessing sensitive accounts when connected to public Wi-Fi.
Check that any website you do access shows a padlock icon and 'https://' in the address bar. This confirms the connection is encrypted.
Be sceptical of Wi-Fi networks with generic names like 'Free Airport WiFi' or 'Coffee Shop Guest'. These are easy to spoof. Confirm the network name with staff before connecting.
If you need to access sensitive accounts on the go, switch to your phone's mobile data connection instead of public Wi-Fi. Mobile data is significantly harder to intercept.
For regular public Wi-Fi use, consider setting up a VPN on your phone. See the 'Use a VPN when connecting to public Wi-Fi' task for guidance.

5 steps

Why this matters

Public Wi-Fi networks are shared with strangers and are frequently unsecured. Anyone on the same network can potentially intercept data sent between your phone and the internet. While most websites use HTTPS to encrypt data in transit, public Wi-Fi still carries additional risks, including rogue hotspots that mimic legitimate networks to capture your traffic. Being selective about what you do on public Wi-Fi significantly reduces your exposure.

How to confirm it worked

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Want a device-specific walkthrough?

Android: Public Wi-Fi safety on Android →
Windows: Public Wi-Fi risks for Windows users →

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