How to keep your data safe when you’re out and about.

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Thank you for visiting my blog, which this week is short, but focuses on a small, but potentially important gadget you may not even know exists. 

If you're like me, I never like to travel anywhere without being able to charge my phone should the need arise. I usually take a power pack out with me, as well as a travel plug and cable. I prefer to use the plug and cable if I can, keeping the power pack in reserve in case there aren't any electric sockets to hand. 

You may have found yourself low on battery and desperate for a quick charge at the airport, café, or train station? We’ve all been there. But before you plug into that handy public USB port, there’s something you should know — those ports can sometimes be used by hackers to steal your data or install nasty software on your phone. 

That’s where a data blocker comes in. It’s a tiny gadget that connects between your charging cable and the USB port. It works by letting power through to charge your device, but blocks any data transfer. That means no one can sneak into your phone while it’s charging.

So next time you’re out and about, grab a coffee, find a plug, and charge away — safely. 

How do you know if the data blocker device actually is blocking data? To test whether a data blocker is working, plug it into a computer or power source and then connect your phone or device using a USB cable. If the data blocker is functioning properly, your device should begin charging, but should not appear as a connected device on the computer — meaning no file transfer, syncing, or data access options should appear. You can further verify this by checking that the computer does not detect the device in its file explorer or device manager. If charging works but data access is completely blocked, the data blocker is working correctly.

I hope this blog has been informative. Please drop a comment below, follow me on Instagram and Threads @smart_phone_photgrapher_53, and on my Facebook page 'Words and Frames'.

© Mike Young 2025.

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