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'Phone insurance': How to get cover for your phone with Contents Insurance

A woman making a phone call on a Melbourne street

Nicola Dowse

Posted August 23, 2023

Mobile phones can be costly to replace. Here's where you can find out more about insuring your iPhone, Android or other mobile device.

Mobile phones are a vital part of our lives, letting us do everything from stay instantly in touch with each other to browsing the internet – facilitating everything from banking and shopping to getting around town and working remotely

But being so conveniently portable, vital to our lives and expensive to replace opens mobile phones up to both theft and damage. Even when at home, mobile phones are one of the top items burglars look for during break ins. 

Thankfully, your phone can be covered as part of your contents insurance policy (as well as by other means), but there are a few things to be wary of to make sure you’ve got the right policy for your individual circumstances.

Person putting their phone into their car's centre console

Portable Items Cover can help protect your phone while you're out and about. Photo: Matt Harvey.

How to insure your mobile or smartphone 

How can I insure my phone? Is my phone covered under my contents insurance policy?

With RACV Contents Insurance (or combined RACV Home and Contents Insurance) your phone may be covered for listed events while it is inside your house. It doesn’t matter whether you have an iPhone, Android phone or another device entirely – they can all be covered under your Contents Insurance*.

However, your contents insurance policy is not the only way you can help protect your phone. You may also have the option of subscribing to a ‘care' type program from the device manufacturer or mobile phone provider.

Single-item insurance also exists which allows you to insure your phone separately to a contents insurance policy. Some credit cards also offer purchase protection which may cover your new phone if the card was used to purchase it. 

Consulting the product disclosure statement (PDS) can help determine what your phone may be covered for and whether a certain product is right for you.  

How much should I insure my phone for? 

Refer to your contents insurance policy to see if you have ‘new for old’ cover like with RACV Contents Insurance. If so, it means your phone may be insured for the full amount it would cost to replace as new and this amount can be factored into the total amount you wish to be covered for as part of your policy – using a calculator can help with this process. 

If you underinsure your phone, you may be caught short if you need to repair or replace it after a covered event. 

New for old cover means your phone may be covered for the cost it would take to repair or replace it as part of your total contents insurance policy sum, minus the excess level you’ve chosen for your policy.

What sort of damage is my phone covered for?

Check your individual policy’s PDS to learn about what types of damage your phone may be covered for. Under a Contents Insurance Policy with RACV Insurance, your phone may be covered for listed events whilst inside your home (such as fire, flood, storm and theft). 

RACV Contents Insurance also allows you to add Accidental Damage cover as an optional, payable extra. This helps protect your phone should it be accidentally damaged (e.g. if you drop it on your kitchen floor and it breaks). Accidental Damage Cover only covers accidents within your home and an excess of $300 applies.

 

A woman looking frustrated at her cracked smartphone

Accidental Damage Cover can insure your phone if it is accidentally damaged within your home. Photo: Getty. 

Is my phone insured when I leave my house?

The nature of mobile phones is that they’re mobile and spend as much time away from home as you do. However, your contents insurance policy may not cover your phone for theft or damage outside your home.

RACV Contents Insurance offers the option of Portable Items cover as an optional, payable extra, which can extend your cover to items that leave the home, such as phones. 

Portable Items Cover also helps protect your phone if it is damaged in an open-air area on your property (for example, if it is left outside in the garden and damaged by a storm). 

Is my phone covered if I go overseas?

If you have RACV Portable Items Cover your phone may be insured for the full new-for-old amount (up to $10,000) no matter where you travel in the world. There are also lots of ways you can help keep your phone safe while travelling. 

I use my phone as part of my business, how do I insure it?

Specialised small business insurance can help to cover business tools and equipment (such as mobile phones, tablets and laptops) against accidental fire or theft. RACV Insurance provides specialised Business Insurance^ for tradespeople, consultants, professionals, retail and hospitality store owners (including market stall holders) and those working in domestic services and repairs. 

Can I add a new mobile phone onto my RACV Contents Insurance policy at any time? 

Reviewing your policy after purchasing large or expensive items can help avert underinsuring your assets. You can update your RACV Contents Insurance policy at any time to reflect new purchases, as well as add Portable Items Cover at any time. 

If you wish to add Accidental Damage Cover, you’ll need to wait until your policy comes up for renewal. 

Any change to your policy may result in a change to your premium.

How to make an insurance claim with RACV Home Insurance

RACV Home Insurance claims can be made online or by calling 13 19 03. 

When an insurance claim is made, you may be asked to supply proof of ownership and value for an item, such as (but not limited to) a receipt, valuation or photograph. Learn more about how to make a RACV Home Insurance claim here.

 

Help protect your phone
Discover more about RACV Contents Insurance →

*The information provided is general advice only. Before making any decisions please consider your own circumstances and the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determinations. For copies, visit racv.com.au. As distributor and/or referrer, RACV Insurance Services Pty Ltd AFS Licence No. 230039 receives commission for each policy sold or renewed. RACV Contents Insurance issued by Insurance Manufacturers of Australia Pty Ltd ABN 93 004 208 084 AFS Licence No. 227678. ^RACV Business Insurance issued by Insurance Australia Ltd, ABN 11 000 016 722, AFS Licence No. 227681.