Do you take your phone out of your bag for scanning/security

Am I paranoid or does anyone else feel a sense of reluctance to put their phone with other technology in the scanner bin? Do I recall that Bretty's OH lost one at that point? I've travelled through at least one airport where you're instructed to leave phones and tablets in your bag but maybe that was a domestic flight in the US.

Hi, I went through Gatwick in March and returned from Sarasota/JFK and left my iPhone & iPad in my carryon bag on these occasions.

I know how you feel worrying about personal possessions in those security bins. With the introduction of body scanners, it can take quite a bit of time before we are able to pick up or possessions. A few years ago at Gatwick a lady starting yelling that her handbag was gone, felt so sorry for her.

If you are asked to take a phone out of your bag, don't leave it in sight - cover it with your coat

on the basis it's usually in my trouser pocket then yes, I take it out. I don't go through the scanner though until I see it entering the xray machine

I stick mine deep in my shoulder bag, with the bag zipped at the top.

My OH was robbed at security and his wallet taken as he'd removed it from his pocket and didn't have a bag to put it in.

I make sure he does now and small items like wallet and phone get put inside bags at security. I always ask if they want my iPad removing. Sometimes they do but mostly they don't. Otherwise I don't put anything in the tray unless asked.

It is tricky and you have to look out for yourself, because be assured, the guys manning the conveyor and the scanner etc are not paying attention to, nor are they interested in, what belongs to whom.

That old saying "you pays your money and you takes your chance" certainly applies.

I just do what I'm told on the day.
Last time I traveled I was told I didn't have to take my shoes off, but as I approached the scanner I was told to take them off. When I told the security person that another, and pointed her out, had told me to leave them on he asked how old I was. I answered and had to take shoes off. I didn't know there was an age limited.
But to answer the question; phone stays in my carry on and laptop usually comes out.

Dick D

I've just come back from Amsterdam after a long weekend and at Gatwick I had to take everything out and at Amsterdam (where it took 35-40 minutes to go through security) I only had to take my iPad out. I also have an Apple Watch which has to go into the tray as well. At Heathrow everything had to go in a separate tray, and because the alarm sounded I had to be swapped, machine beeped (and it happened a further twice due to a faulty machine). This held me up and because of the tech equipment I asked them if I could get my husband over to collect them as he had gone through before me with no problems. It really does seem to depend on who you get in security as well as location

It sounds to me like all the news back when the initial electronics panic happened, hasn't really left some peoples minds. Phones don't need taken out.

Of course, some countries will just have their own rules. However, I've been told anything under 7" screen can stay safely in the bag. It's larger screened devices which need taken out, and even at that, not all countries will pull your bag for that. I still take out my 7" tablet anyway, just to save standing in the big line of spanners who've just chucked liquids into their bag, or put them in a clear bag, and then not taken them out.

I've never been pulled aside for that. Only once I was pulled aside for something wrong, and it was the small bottle of wine I'd forgotten I'd been given coming off the last American Airlines First class flight...

I always take them out, but usually my phones (I have 2) are in my pockets anyway.

I am not too concerned with them being lost or stolen - both are encrypted and have 8 digit passcodes and are trackable easily. I pity the soul that tries it.

It really does seem to depend on the security agent. I once had someone in LCY insist I take my Macbook Pro out of its neoprene case, which I found totally silly. Never has anyone asked me to do that before, not even in the US.

Never been asked to take my phones out of my handbag and never been an issue at any airport

It really does seem to depend on the security agent. I once had someone in LCY insist I take my Macbook Pro out of its neoprene case, which I found totally silly. Never has anyone asked me to do that before, not even in the US.

I have regularly been asked to remove tablets and netbooks from their cases for scanning, in a separate tray in Europe.

Never been asked for a phone.

Without being judgmental i can imagine items going missing will be even more common once VS depart from the North terminal

[honey lamb]

I just do what I'm told on the day.
Last time I traveled I was told I didn't have to take my shoes off, but as I approached the scanner I was told to take them off. When I told the security person that another, and pointed her out, had told me to leave them on he asked how old I was. I answered and had to take shoes off. I didn't know there was an age limited.

Dick D

There is an age limit but it's not advertised. It's 75. I asked recently on a couple of trips if I needed to remove my shoes and I was asked if I had attained that age.

I work at LGW S and go through search pretty much every day - there's no requirement to remove phones from bags but larger devices such as tablets and laptops should be placed in a separate tray (at least in the UK) but they're fine to remain in cases/protectors. You're usually only required to remove your shoes if you set off the scanner - but sometimes they'll just ask everyone beforehand to save hassle.

laptops need to be taken out of bags AFAIK, but not phones or tablets.
I do as I am told & keep my eyes on my back going into the scanner & again as soon as they come out.
I also have find my phone enabled - so if it goes walkies it wont get far!

All the thief has to do to defeat "find my phone" is to turn it off.

Sadly I found this out the hard way when housekeeping stole my iPad from a hotel room.

I got a "random ping" from the metal detector at MAN on Sept 11th a couple of years ago when flying to DXB. 100% miserable security guard refused to let me touch any of my electronic / personal items in the x-ray trays before he had done the secondary screening.

So I had my wallet, phone, watch, iPad, MacBook etc all in prime theft position for a good few minutes. I have no problems with secondary security screening if you get a random ping, but they should let you retrieve your valuables first & leave them on floor so they are safe from theft.

Just got back from Vegas, no phones required but iPads, watches, handbags, shoes and coats in the bin. They randomly selected people for the full body scan and others they let walk through.

A couple of years ago when flying from Gatwick someone nicked our passports and money from my bag while we were putting our shoes on, they said they had cameras but it took two hours to find the tape and high enough security to view and then they could not see who took it. We were getting close to boarding and the guy who said he had picked up the wrong travel wallet as it was the same as his noticed our passports in it and did return it. I think I aged another twenty years in those hours, although I now always zip close my handbag there is no lock on it, so it could happen to anyone. Linda

All the thief has to do to defeat "find my phone" is to turn it off.

Sadly I found this out the hard way when housekeeping stole my iPad from a hotel room.

but you need to enter your password to turn it off.

The instruction at most airports is to take tablets and laptops out of bags.

I have a section in my normal carry on which I keep empty. Any currency I am carrying is put in those little bank bags and then placed in the carry on with phones, music player, card wallet and watch. That way, it is all in one place but secure so that nobody else in the queue can tamper with it. Failing that, I put all that stuff in the pockets of my jacket and then fold it over in the tray so that everything is on the inside and not easy for others to access.

Despite knowing that I shouldn't, I still get frustrated at some of my fellow travellers who seem incapable of reading simple instructions or looking at pictures which make it fairly obvious what you have to do when you approach security. Nearly as annoying as those people in supermarkets who load up a trolley and then seem amazed that they need to pay for the shopping and take an age to find their purse/wallet.

The instruction at most airports is to take tablets and laptops out of bags.

I have a section in my normal carry on which I keep empty. Any currency I am carrying is put in those little bank bags and then placed in the carry on with phones, music player, card wallet and watch. That way, it is all in one place but secure so that nobody else in the queue can tamper with it. Failing that, I put all that stuff in the pockets of my jacket and then fold it over in the tray so that everything is on the inside and not easy for others to access.

Despite knowing that I shouldn't, I still get frustrated at some of my fellow travellers who seem incapable of reading simple instructions or looking at pictures which make it fairly obvious what you have to do when you approach security. Nearly as annoying as those people in supermarkets who load up a trolley and then seem amazed that they need to pay for the shopping and take an age to find their purse/wallet.

I share your exasperation at the supermarket idiocy - there's no question that they are going to have to pay!

But the security issue is I think different from my own experience and seemingly that of others in the posts above. Most of us seem to have encountered security staff whose instructions differ from those on the printed notices as you enter telling you to remove shoes and remove technology from bags. Several times I've been instructed to leave technology in my bag and/or put my shoes back on. I've also tried attempting to protect technology with my wrap or my handbag, only to have security staff firmly remove the covering, so your procedure of leaving all in your carry-on or at least covered by your jacket hasn't worked for me. OH a couple of years ago managed to forget to remove his Kindle and was hauled out of the line and had to remove absolutely everything from his backpack, since which time we have removed everything unless instructed otherwise.

It is very poorly dealt with at airports, certainly busy ones. The ease at which people can help themselves to your belongings is frightening. I'm grateful for this thread as my 17yr old is off to Germany this evening, through Gatwick and I've told him what's been reported here - I think he realised it isn't just mum nagging him!