Mobile phone, tablet and laptop insurance

Mobile electronic devices can be easily lost, damaged or stolen. Insurance can be a good way to help cover the cost of repair or replacement.

What is insurance for mobile devices

Insurance for mobile phones, tablets and laptops is often called portable cover, personal effects cover, personal valuables cover or single item insurance. It usually covers theft or damage in or away from your home. Some policies do not cover loss or mechanical failure.

You can buy this type of insurance through telcos, by adding portable contents cover to home insurance, by buying a standalone mobile insurance policy, or buying insurance through the product provider (for example, AppleCare+).

Electronic devices lose value quickly. Insurance is most useful when the device is new. Always compare the cost of premiums and any excess with the current value of your device.

First, check if your device is already insured

Before you buy a separate insurance policy, check if your device is already covered under any other insurance policy. For example:

indeterminate_check_box Home contents insurance - check if your home contents insurance policy includes portable items. If not, most policies have an option to include them. This will increase your premium, but it's generally cheaper than paying for separate insurance.

indeterminate_check_box Credit card purchase protection - If you purchased your device using your credit card, you may have purchase protection insurance. This will cover your device for limited time, often up to 90 days from purchase. You need to check your card’s policy booklet for the exact rules, limits and exclusions.

indeterminate_check_box Device purchase insurance - When you bought your new phone, tablet or laptop, you may have also purchased insurance through your telco or though the product provider.

indeterminate_check_box Guarantees or warranties - Portable items may also be covered under the consumer guarantee or any warranty attached to the product.

Salespeople must wait four days before selling you insurance as an 'extra' to your main purchase. This gives you time to consider if you need it. If they don’t wait before selling it to you, you have the right to cancel the insurance and get a full refund.

If your device isn’t already insured, you can buy a separate policy

If your device isn’t already insured, you can buy separate insurance.

What device insurance usually does and doesn’t cover

Policies differ, so always read the product disclosure statement (PDS). Common inclusions are:

Theft
Accidental damage (for example, dropping your phone)
Liquid damage
Damage away from home if you have portable cover

Common exclusions include:

Loss (for example, leaving your phone behind)
Wear and tear or gradual deterioration, such as battery life
Mechanical or electronic failure
Devices stolen from an unlocked car or left unattended in a public place
Devices used for business or work purposes
Restoring lost electronic records or files

Some device policies also exclude damage from fire or rain, so check the PDS carefully.

You can cancel a new insurance policy in the contract's cooling-off period (usually 14 days). Details of the cooling-off period will be included in the contract.

When insurance may not be worth it

Insurance may not be good value if:

Your device is old and has a low resale value
The premium and excess together are close to the cost of a replacement
You have enough savings to cover a replacement yourself

In these cases, it may make more sense to self‑insure by setting money aside in a savings account.

Compare mobile device insurance

Get quotes from more than one insurer to find the best value and a policy that suits your needs. Ask questions and read the fact sheets when comparing different policies. If you want more detail, read the product disclosure statement (PDS).

Compare insurance from:

your telco
your home insurer
contents insurance providers
specialist insurers
product providers

Compare these features:

Premium	cost for the same type of cover
Excess	option to adjust your excess, or pay no excess
Replacement cover	replacing your device if it's stolen, lost or damaged
Listed cover	option to specify higher value items
Unauthorised calls	reimbursing unauthorised calls
Travel	cover for overseas travel
Cover limits	maximum limit on how much you can claim for certain items
Mechanical failure	cover for mechanical failure — not all policies cover this
On demand	option to only pay for cover when you need it

If your device is lost or stolen

If someone steals or you lose your phone, laptop or tablet, act quickly to:

check_box Change your passwords to online accounts.

check_box Contact the police (within 48 hours).

check_box Contact your insurer (within 14 days).

check_box Check your bank statements for unauthorised transactions.

If you lose your phone, try to locate your phone using GPS. Contact your provider — they may be able to disable SIM cards and block your handset.

If you do claim, your insurer may ask for proof of purchase, such as a receipt. If your device is stolen, they'll need a police report.

Georgia damages her phone

She called her phone provider, but they said accidental damage was not covered by the warranty.

Before Georgia bought a new phone, she compared a few insurance plans based on their premiums, excess, what damage they covered and how quickly they could replace her phone. She also looked at the difference between getting separate phone insurance versus adding the phone to her existing home contents insurance policy.

Georgia made sure her new insurance policy covered her phone for accidental damage, just in case she dropped it again.