Simple online security involves physical security and location security. Often, you get so focused on data security involving your network, applications, and devices that you forget the simple ways you compromise your digital life. Fortunately, simple solutions exist for some major physical security threats. For example, you can use a phone privacy pouch to hide your location from corporate, government, and law enforcement entities.
Your cell phone privacy pouch can prevent people from locating you based on the location of your phone.
A simple device can stop your phone from communicating with the outside world. If it works, it can prevent malicious attacks on your phone. It can also prevent adverse location-based repercussions.
You are learning from an authoritative report. Because of your phone, you, your business, and your family live in danger. Continue reading to learn more about the threats and how to deal with the problem.
Phone Privacy Pouch to Hide Your Location
Before I tell you about a simple physical privacy solution for your phone, I want to help you understand the importance of the matter.
Why location security matters.
Your are your phone.
You, your employees, family members, and friends have their phone with them all the time. Some people keep their phones with them for productivity reasons. Others need constant availability for work. Also, some people deal with screen addictions that mean they always have their phone.
NEWSFLASH: If someone can find your phone, they can find you. Also, if someone can access your phone, they usually can find out where you have been.
Are you understanding the issue?
Your phone compromises you.
Let me give you a few reasons for concern about the location component of your online security.
Stalkers can follow you to do you bodily harm, photograph you, and engage in nasty confrontations.
Burglars know when they can safely break into your home or business.
Thieves know where to go to steal your phone.
Cybercriminals know where to go to hack your phone and steal your data.
Suspicious spouses can monitor your whereabouts 24/7.
Competitors can follow your phone to learn about your customers, vendors, and service providers.
Social activists and activist journalists can doxx you and disclose your whereabouts to their online followers.
Law enforcement agencies will place you at or near the scene of a crime.
Corporations, politicians, NGOs, can work with government agencies to identify, dox, unperson, and blackball you for attending a legal protest, rally, or religious meeting.
According to Cooper Quintin, a security researcher with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit digital rights group,
The biggest threat is a law enforcement agency using the signals on your phone to prove you were at a protest or demonstration that they decide later is illegal, and using that information to arrest you,
https://www.wired.com/story/silent-pocket-signal-blocking-smartphone-pouch/
Did you see that? The government can decide in the future that something you did today was illegal.
Your best defense is to prevent your phone from creating a digital record of your location.
Your phone keeps location records
You can never undo your location history. Your phone keeps hidden records of its tracks. It stores the information in hidden files which you cannot delete.
You might not know how to access those records, but law enforcement and other government agencies can. Hackers can do it too.
Your phone company keeps records of your location.
Even if you can erase that information, you will never eliminate the location records stored by your phone company. Employees, hackers, attorneys, marketers, government agencies, courts, and law enforcement organizations can get your location history without a warrant.
Sometimes, your phone company sells your location and online history. Sometimes, they give it away upon receiving a request for it.
Apple and Google keep location records.
If you have an Android phone, you use Google services. You log into Google with an email address. Everything you do passes through Google as well as your mobile services provider.
Think about Google Maps. Google knows everywhere you go and everything you do. You can close Google Maps, but Android software continues reporting your movements.
Apple does the same thing. Besides following you every time you ask Siri for directions, your phone clandestinely and constantly sends your physical location and online activities to Apple.
Facebook track and store your location.
Social media sites also track and record your location. Facebook let’s you see and clear some of that data. Sadly, hackers, stalkers, attorneys, and government entities know how to get your location history from Facebook.
How your phone discloses your location
Your phone uses several methods for collecting and revealing your location information.
Built-in Location Services
You can check the location settings of your phone to decide what apps can access your location data. In most cases, you can choose the option to turn off location services.
POWER TIP: Turning off location services does not stop your phone, Apple, Google, and your phone company from recording your location.
GPS
Your phone has a GPS chip that communicates with satellites to reveal your location. Unless you can physically disable that GPS chip, your phone constantly discloses its location.
NEWSFLASH: You cannot turn off GPS on your phone via a software menu option. No way exists to turn off your phone’s GPS chip.
Cell Towers
Your phone provider can discern your location via triangulation. This works even if you turn off mobile data services on your phone.
Everywhere you go, your phone shakes hands with nearby towers.
IP address
Your phone service provider assigns your device a unique identifier called an IP address. Besides identifying you, your IP address reveals your location whenever you connect to a mobile data network, Wi-Fi network, or hotspot.
HTML5
Even when you have disabled location services on your phone, many websites and software apps can capture your location based on the HTML5 data they collect.
Although you may disable HTML5 location services in your browser, you might not have any options in your apps for controlling HTML5.
Bluetooth
Wireless connectivity for your headphones, car, and other accessories gives you convenience and freedom. However, Many bluetooth-compatible devices disclose their location. Moreover, rogue Bluetooth devices can connect to your phone to steal your data and your location.
Wi-Fi
When you connect your phone to a Wi-Fi network, Big Tech knows your location. If Big Tech knows, then the government knows. Activists know. NGOs know. The police know.
Wi-Fi networks record your phone’s MAC address and can associate the data you exchange online with your device. Based on the location of your network, authorities can positively confirm your precise location in real time. They can also use the information to create a location history for you and your device.
Can a VPN protect my phone’s location?
Use a VPN as a simple online security precaution to safeguard your online browsing data.
A VPN gives you a new IP address from the country of your choice. It can add a level of privacy and security to your online identity. A VPN will not, however, prevent your phone from sharing its location via triangulation, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, or HTML5.
How to prevent location leaks
Your device reveals your location using a variety of separate and redundant methods. Even if you disable location services or turn off your phone, your phone may send and receive data that betrays your location.
LIFE HACK: Whenever you have your phone, assume that everyone knows your location. You must also accept the fact that you create an indelible location history that someone may use to harm you.
POWER TIP: Turning your phone off does not stop it from revealing your location.
What works
I can suggest several ways to stop or reduce location leaks from your phone.
The “old way” of doing things has value.
At one time, everyone left their phones at home because their phones were attached to a wire and a wall. If someone called and you couldn’t answer the call, they could leave a message on your answering machine.
Stop carrying your phone with you. Leave your phone home. Snoops will think that you stay home a lot.
With your phone at home, you can go wherever you want, but your phone, Google, Apple, and your phone company will not have records of your whereabouts.
With such a simple solution, why bother talking about Faraday bags and anti-tracking wallets? It’s simple: Sometimes you need to have your phone with you.
Whether you need it in case of emergency or to receive business phone calls, you need your phone.
In the next few paragraphs, I’ll discuss with you the possibilities for controlling your phone, including when and where it can disclose your location.
Blocking all signals to and from your device.
In exchange for convenience, you give corporations, hackers, and governments access to every part of your life. You tell them everywhere you go, when you go, and how long you were there. You disclose your personal routine for work and your personal life.
If you must have your phone with you, you must block your phone from receiving and transmitting radio signals. These signals include:
- Cell phone towers.
- Mobile data networks.
- Wi-Fi networks.
- GPS.
- Bluetooth.
- Near Field Communication (NFC).
How do I block signals from my Phone?
What doesn’t work
First, let me tell you some methods that do not block radio waves from your phone:
- Wrapping your phone in aluminum foil. Maxine Griswell wrapped her phone in foil to “evade detection,” but the foil was ineffective. Go ahead and test it yourself: Foil won’t block signals from your phone.
- Inserting your phone into an empty Combos™ snack bag. Our tests show that a Combos™ snack bag will block some, but not all signals.
- Placing your phone inside a microwave. Put your phone in the microwave, close the door (don’t turn it on!), and call it. It will ring.
- Storing your phone in a refrigerator or freezer. Place your phone in the fridge or freezer. Call it. It will ring. It will also connect to your Wi-Fi network.
- Wrapping a deflated mylar balloon around your phone.
- Many, if not most, privacy pouch for smartphones. Product reviewers routinely report that the products don’t function as promised. That’s why we’re testing them. We’ll tell you which ones work.
- Roofing material.
- Metal screens. The many types of radio signals sent and received by your phone make creating a custom Faraday cage difficult.
OK, I didn’t give you a comprehensive list of possibilities. If you have any other cool ideas for blocking signals to smartphones, send us an email to tell us about it.
Do you get the point? Stopping your phone from receiving and transmitting signals poses a significant challenge.
CAUTION: Some phone blocking tactics may block your phone from some signals, but not all signals. Thoroughly test any solution before depending on it.
What works
You can encapsulate your phone in material that blocks the types of signals used by your phone.
If you’re an engineer, you can design and build a Faraday cage to block your phone from sending and receiving signals.
For most people, the process is beyond their technical capabilities.
Fortunately, specialized fabric exists that has built-in Faraday characteristics. Although you can make your own Faraday pouch for your cell phone, you can save time and money by buying one.
Use a phone privacy pouch to hide your location.
I want to help prevent location data from your phone from complicating life for you, your business, your family, your associates, and your groups.
I want dependable, affordable protection.
You can use a phone privacy pouch to hide your location. It gives you a simple way to prevent your phone from sending and receiving location data. Ideally, a privacy pouch will prevent your phone from sending or receiving any data.
- No sending or receiving phone calls.
- No receiving or sending text messages.
- No Bluetooth connections to anything.
- No GPS data.
- “Find My Phone” services will not find your phone.
- No network data connections.
NEWSFLASH: You can not use your phone, including recieiving phone calls, if you store your phone inside an effective privacy pouch.
NEWSFLASH: Some, if not most, privacy pouches do not block your phone from all signals.
To help you find a product that works, try the following recommendations.
I have personally tested the following privacy pouch devices. If I say they work, they work for me. For this reason, I expect them to work for you. Neither I nor Simple Online Security, LLC can guarantee that a product will work for you.
POWER TIP: Thoroughly test any privacy pouch or cell phone blocking device before you depend on it.
POWER TIP: Based on our experience, blocking GPS signals from your phone poses the greatest challenge.
Will an affordable phone privacy pouch work? If you read the product reviews, you will see that some people have different expectations. Also, users have varying experiences based on their personal criteria.
You shouldn’t expect every privacy pouch for phone to work. To save your time and money, we will test and compare the InfoWars privacy pouch, the product from Hodufy, and others. We will also post separate review pages so you can learn more.
In our first product evaluation, we discovered that yYou can use the Hodufy phone privacy pouch to hide your location.
Hodufy fireproof phone faraday bag
I bought this product, a privacy pouch for phone, and have tested it. For me, it blocks all signals from my iPhone 11. This includes cellular phone, cellular data, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, SMS, and GPS.
Hodufy Faraday bag for phone: price
I bought the Hodufy Phone Faraday Bag (privacy pouch) for $9.99 minus a 5% coupon.
Hodufy phone privacy pouch: Features
This fireproof bag also keeps signals away from your iPhone. I didn’t buy the Hodufy Faraday Bag for its fire-resistant qualities.
You can also use this Faraday bag to protect your car FOB. I understand that soaring FOB crimes give auto owners valid concerns. However, I did not test the Hodufy phone pouch with my FOB.
The bag has a pouch in the front that does not block signals to and from your phone. If you want to, you can use the pouch to carry stuff. I don’t plan on storing anything in the unprotected portion of the pouch.
Unlike many phone Faraday bags, the Hodufy bag claims to be fireproof. I did not test that aspect of the product.
The following information led me to try the Hodufy privacy pouch:
Hodufy Faraday Bag Product description
Hodufy specifies in its product description that this phone blocking pouch blocks all key signals.
【SIGNAL BLOCKING BAG】This Faraday Cage for your cell phone and car key fobs that shields and protects them from being hacked, tracked and cloned! Stops all signals and radiation like RFID, Bluetooth, GPS, Wifi, EMI, EMF and EMP, protect your Privacy.Place your phone, car key remote, credit cards, transmitters, or small electronics inside the car key holder to prevent hacking, tracking, signal amplification attacks, and data theft. keep it when not in use and during travel
– Hodufy
Hodufy Anti Tracking Wallet Product questions
The following questions and their answers influenced my buying decision.
Q: Does this cover all signals? Cell, Bluetooth, Bluetooth, gps?
By Stuart Porter on August 19, 2019
A: Yes it will cancel all radio waves when phone is placed in the faraday side. There’s also a non faraday pouch which I use just to keep my phone clean and free from sparks and grinding dust while I’m at work (welding)
Q: I want one pocket to block gps and calls, and the other pocket to block radiation only, but still receive calls. does this bag do that?
A: Dear customer,Yes, The outer layer is ordinary material, and the inner layer can shield the signal.
By chris.terry on March 28, 2019
Hodufy privacy pouch: Good product reviews
You will see wide variations in the product reviews. Some people say the product works, others say that it doesn’t work at all. Some product reviewers report mixed and inconsistent results.
Here’s the one product review that influenced my purchase.
It works as expected
Amazon customer
By Justin on October 31, 2019 Works as expected. Tested it WiFi, cell, Bluetooth, and GPS. No issues. I didn’t put it through any rough use, splatter water on it, or pit it next to flames, but I’m sure it will be fine. Not really using this for heavy use. I’m mindful that the materials inside and out are sensitive and shouldn’t be bent or scratched. Would buy again!
Hodufy phone privacy bag: Bad product reviews
You can find numerous reviews that say the Hodufy privacy pouch doesn’t work, one stood out as worth mentioning.
buyer beware. works only for a little while.
Amazon customer
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2020
i purchased in Oct 2019 and I teated it and it worked blocked signals. Today I learned the bag no longer blocks signals and was able to acces info from my phone through the bag. bag has never been dropped, abused, left in a hot car etc. seems it just stopped working. just a-little after 6 months, you would think it would still work. Bag still looks new. I would shop for another brand. dont get suprised like I did.
Hodufy phone privacy pouch- recommendation
Based on that review, I recommend that you periodically verify the operation of your privacy pouch. Never assume that it works without first testing it.
Get the Hodufy privacy pouch. You’ll check out securely with Amazon, sharing no personal information with us.
Check out our Hodufy Faraday Bag for Phone page to learn more about the product and view our product video.
InfoWars Privacy Pouch
We are waiting to receive our InfoWars Privacy Pouch. When it arrives, we will post our experience with it here.
Right away, I noticed that the InfoWars’ product costs twice as much as the others I have tested. I ordered it with “free” shipping. I could’ve paid $8.50 to have it sent Priority Mail.
If you don’t want to wait for my InfoWars Privacy Pouch for Phone to arrive, you can get one now at the InfoWars Store. (Link provided as a courtesy. Simple Online Security, LLC will receive no fees, commissions, or personal information if you decide to buy the product.)
InfoWars disappointed me.
Fresh out of the shipping envelope, my InfoWars Privacy Pouch is coming apart at the seams. The manufacturer didn’t properly attach the ribbing that holds the pouch together: It’s coming off. Loose threads are unravelling from it.
Visit our InfoWars Privacy Pouch review page to read more and watch our “unboxing and first impressions” video.
The InfoWars Privacy Pouch works.
Judging by the material and workmanship of the product, I didn’t think it would work. However, it passed all our tests for cellular voice, data, and SMS. The pouch also successfully blocked Bluetooth, NFC, and GPS.
We’re unsure how long it will last.
Ska Direct Cell Phone Privacy Pouch
I bought and tested the Ska Direct To see how well it could protect my phone from RF signals. At $8.50, the product costs less than the Hodufy Faraday bag ($9.99) and the InfoWars Privacy Pouch ($19.99). Also, being Prime-eligible, shipping was free. I received it the day after I had ordered it.
The Ska Direct Anti-Tracking Anti-Spying Signal Blocker Pouch comes in either black or pink.
Ska Direct Anti Tracking Bag Features
Amazon displays little information about the Ska Direct privacy pouch. The item’s title contains most of the useful information provided by the seller.
Ska Direct 100% Anti-Tracking Anti-Spying GPS RFID Signal Blocker Pouch Case Bag Handset Function Bag for Cell Phone Privacy Protection and Car Key FOB
– Ska Direct via Amazon
Like the Hodufy phone privacy bag, this one has a “unprotected” front pocket. If you want to safeguard your location and prevent data exchanges by your phone, you must use the rear pocket.
The front flap seals via a hook-and-loop (velcro) closure. The velcro on the flap seems to line up better with the receiving end than the closure on the Hodufy Faraday bag.
Unlike the Hodufy product, the Ska Direct Faraday bag has no branding.
Also unlike the Hodufy Faraday bag, the Ska Direct privacy pouch for phone has a loop for a carabiner on the back.
Here’s what the Amazon privacy page says about the product’s features:
* High quality and perfect design, Can be used as a wallet at the same time
* Anti-radiation,anti-degaussing,anti-signal
* Prevent people from being tracked with this bag,Protect your privacy
* If you don’t want to answer the phone,you can put the phone in the bag,then the phone will tell “Calls can not be connected.”
* Size: 3.5 x 7.2 x 0.4 inches.
Ska Direct Faraday bag: Questions
Based on my eperience, GPS signals pose the greatest challenge to your privacy. Many privacy pouch bags will prevent your phone from ringing, but they won’t block your phone from “Find My Phone” and other apps.
Here’s a product question that almost deterred my purchas:
Q: Will this block gps signal and from being pinged??
A: No, this bag does not seem to block the GPS signal or stop the phone from being pinged. What it does seem to do is interfere with the voice and text mail features of the phone, i.e., although the phone will not ring (when in the bag), being able to retrieve voice and text messages is “spotty.” I’ve stopped using the bag because I don’t want my phone damaged over time…..
Product question on Ska Direct Anti-Tracker Bag Amazon page.
Here’s another question that cast doubt on this product:
Not reliably. It works quite well, but quickly stops. I wouldn’t trust it if you need it to absolutely block gps
Ska Direct Q&A via Amazon.
Out of the many “iffy” questions and answers, I found a couple questions and answers that gave a positive indication:
Q: If i put my iphone in this bag, will i be able to locate the phone using the “find my phone” app on my other phone? does the bag block gps?
A: The question is not whether gps is blocked ( I assume it is). The question is whether you can contact the phone to get the gps data. You can’t. When you put your phone in the bag, it is completely blocked from the world. No “find my phone”.
Product Q&A on AmazonSka Direct Faraday bag page.
Here’s the other one:
Q: i have an ex-husband stalking me with my cell phone. will this remedy the situation? and couldn’t you simply turn off phone and get same results?
A: Turning off the phone does not always disconnect you from the phone apps working in the background. Once you place you phone in the protective section turned off, your phone is off the grid period. No signals in or out and fully stealth.
Question about Ska Direct privacy pouch for cell phone via Amazon product page.
Ska Direct phone signal blocker: Positive product reviews
Product reviewers tend to report on the Ska Direct product favorably. Here’s a product that influenced my buying decision.
Works as advertised.bag blocks gps signal completely
JD, Amazon product reviewer.
Also this one:
Works as describes, dose cut off cell signal, and WiFi, and GPS Will buy more in future!! Well made too, high quality materials!!!
RSM, Ska Direct product reviewer via Amazon.
Interestingly, very few people leaving positive ratings for the product commend it for blocking signals.
Ska Direct privacy cell phone bag: Negative product reviews
Most of the negative reviews for this product state it doesn’t work. Be prepared to see many like this one:
Can’t Recommend – Does not work
The phone had proper sealing inside and still received cell service data messages. Proper RF protection should seal out all radios and GPS.
Amazon product review for Ska Direct cell phone privacy pouch.
Here’s another one that makes you wonder:
Crap this isn’t the real deal. Do not buy!
This thing is crap. It doesn’t work. I was wondering while my phone kept buzzing while in the bag….it was receiving text messages…..tried and experiment today, called my phone from another phone while it was in the bag…….it rang! WTF?! Do not buy!
MDO, a verified purchaser of the Ska Direct anti-tracker bag, via Amazon.
Ska Direct – Simple Online Security’s recommendation
I recommend the Ska Direct phone privacy pouch to hide your location. I tested the product and discovered that it blocks cellular voice and data, text messaging, Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi, and GPS.
To be safe, periodically test your Ska Direct privacy pouch to make sure it continues blocking signals.
Ska Direct anti-spying phone wallet: Is it Fake?
We need to mention that we found a product insert inside the product’s bag (See below image). Apparently whoever sells under the “Ska Direct” name is buying and reselling someone else’s phone privacy bag.
As you can see, the product insert bears the “Perfect Jammer” brand. We could not find this product for sale on Amazon under the “Perfect Jammer” brand.
You can learn more on our Ska Direct product review page.
Privacy Pouch for phone FAQ
No. You can use the phone privacy pouch to hide your location. It works by blocking all radio signals to and from your device. Your phone will still can hear and record sound. If your phone does record sound inside the pouch, your phone won’t transmit it until you open the privacy pouch.
Corporate media and Big Tech have banned InfoWars from every conceivable platform. They sell the privacy pouch for phones, and other products, to sustain their operation. For this reason, InfoWars tends to aggressively markup the products they sell.
Yes. Your phone communicates as soon as you open the privacy phone pouch.