Android lacks an official travel mode

Multiple settings in one place

Android doesn’t have a dedicated “travel mode” button. Instead, I had to piece one together from features that already exist in the operating system.

Critically, this isn’t going to just be Airplane mode. Airplane mode just turns off your wireless connectivity; that can make your device less vulnerable to certain kinds of attacks, but it isn’t a catch-all.

Google’s Advanced Protection Mode is a hardening feature designed to be left on once enabled, not something you flip on and off. Even the Travel Mode featured in some password managers only covers a single app’s vaults.

A locked phone and a hardened phone aren’t the same thing

You might assume that a locked screen is enough security, but a phone that is just locked is more vulnerable than you think. The keys are still in memory, notifications are usually visible on the lock screen, and apps continue running in the background. Background apps have been used to circumvent phone security measures before.

My setup will attempt to combine as many of those features into a one-press setup as possible.

The settings worth changing

Figure out what to change first

The first thing I did was figure out what settings I wanted to change and why.

• Airplane Mode disables cellular signals
• Disabling Bluetooth theoretically decreases your attack surface.
• Disabling Wi-Fi ensures your phone won’t accidentally connect to an insecure network
• Disabling Cloud sync temporarily means the data on your phone is the data on your phone, and that something you don’t want to be found won’t be spontaneously downloaded
• Disable lock screen notification so that no sensitive information can be seen while the phone is locked.

You should also enable Advanced Protection Mode. That setting toggles theft detection, USB data blocking, and 2G shutoff already.

The final critical step is a full shutdown or restart any time a phone requires maximum security.Phones are vastly more secure before they’re unlocked for the first time (BFU).

Tasker is almost a one-stop shop

Tasker handles most of the lockdown by itself

Tasker is capable of doing almost everything I want, so that is what I chose to use.

I created a new Task within Tasker called “Lockdown.” There, I added each setting one-by-one from my list. Changing some permissions using Tasker requires special permissions; it’ll tell you when you need to change something. If you can’t find a setting, the search at the bottom of the Category list is very helpful—I use it most of the time.