A Guide to Cell Phone Insurance

Moe Long Senior Writer

Updated 06 June 2023

Contents

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What is cell phone insurance?
Insurance vs. warranties
AT&T phone insurance
Verizon cell phone insurance
T-Mobile phone insurance
Other phone insurance options
Is phone insurance really worth it?
Alternatives to phone insurance
FAQs

Cell phone insurance provides additional peace of mind considering the high cost of flagship phones. However, mobile phone insurance isn't always the most financially logical option despite its allure.

Individual carriers offer optional insurance to help you remedy a broken or damaged device. But chances are, you may never make a claim. While insurance offers additional protection over a standard warranty, your money may be better spent on a decent phone case.

Learn everything there is to know about phone insurance, from what it is to whether it's worth spending the extra cash on it.

What is cell phone insurance?

Cell phone insurance lets you pay a low monthly or annual fee covering damage outside a manufacturer's typical warranty. For instance, these policies protect against major damage from drops, water, and sometimes theft. Even if you lose your precious mobile device, insurance may cover the cost.

Deductibles

Like home, auto, and health insurance, phone insurance includes a deductible. A deductible is an out-of-pocket amount you'll need to pay before an insurance provider covers the rest. Depending on how high that deductible is and the price of your phone, buying a new phone could be the cheaper option. Check your deductible before signing up for an insurance plan.

Cracked your screen? Trade in with Trademore

Cell phone insurance can be helpful, but it's not always the best answer if you damage your phone. If your device is several years old, it may not be worth fixing. You may decide that getting a new phone with a trade-in is better than filing an insurance claim. A new phone might also be the best option if you didn't buy phone insurance or let it lapse. Carriers won't always accept a damaged phone as a trade-in, but Trademore generally will.

Trademore is a pre-owned electronics dealer specializing in cell phones. It sells used devices in good condition at a cheaper price than many other retailers. The company will also let you trade in old devices for a virtual Mastercard, a deposit in your PayPal account, or credits towards your next device. While damaged devices won't pay top dollar, you can still use them to knock down the price of your next phone.

4.5 out of 5 overall

Trademore: Buy and sell used devices

Smartphones, smartwatches, and tablets
Accepts damaged devices
Payment in Mastercard or PayPal

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Insurance vs. warranties: What's the difference?

Warranties offer limited device protection. Typically, a warranty covers malfunctions caused by the manufacturer—such as mechanical or electrical failures—whereas phone insurance includes comprehensive coverage. Phone insurance may even cover loss or theft. You’ll see coverage for accidental damage that you inflict upon your phone, like when it goes careening out of your armband case, landing facedown on the sidewalk during a 10-mile run. Phone insurance may even cover loss or theft.

Additionally, most extended warranty periods range from 30 to 90 days. Granted, a manufacturer or store warranty is usually free, but it doesn’t cover much. By contrast, cell phone insurance lasts a lot longer, but at your expense. Ultimately, phone insurance gets you comprehensive coverage at a cost, whereas warranties tackle faulty parts and manufacturing.

Need help keeping track of your handset?

It's easy to misplace things during busy days with your family or at work. The good news is that you can track your devices with apps and physical tracking tags. Android users can turn to the Google Find My Device app, and iPhone users can use Find My iPhone. But if you want to go on step further, we recommend attaching physical tracking tags to your devices, such as Tiles, SmartTag+, or AirTags. Think of these as your own insurance policy, except you're responsible for all the legwork.

AT&T phone insurance

AT&T partners with insurance provider Asurion, offering Protect Advantage, which has starting points of $14/month or $17/month, and gets you:

One-device protection
Same-day device replacement
Unlimited screen repairs ($29 deductible/repair)
US-based ProTech troubleshooting support
Unlimited storage for photos and videos
Unlimited battery replacement
Three claims for physical destruction, theft, or loss
Two accidental damage claims

If you need coverage for four phones, the $45/month package includes the same benefits, with up to six accidental damage and eight loss, damage, and theft claims per year.

Making and tracking a claim with AT&T

You can make a claim online with your AT&T phone insurance anytime. Or, you can call 1-888-562-8662 on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. EST or on weekends between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. EST. If you file a claim, you can track it online with AT&T. Be prepared to provide the phone number of the device tied to your in-progress claim.

Verizon cell phone insurance

Verizon offers several insurance plans via Asurion. Its main offering is Verizon Mobile Protect, which includes:

Same-day replacement for lost, stolen, or damaged devices
Unlimited screen repairs ($29 deductible/repair)
Battery replacement
Security and privacy features
Identity theft monitoring

Depending on your device, Verizon Mobile Protect starts at $17/month for one device or $50/month for three devices.

Filing and tracking a claim with Verizon

To file a claim with your Verizon phone insurance, you can visit the Asurion website anytime or call 1-888-881-2622. You can track a claim online with Asurion using your Verizon phone number and PIN.

T-Mobile phone insurance

T-Mobile customers can insure their mobile devices with the basic Device Protection or the premium Protection<360> option via Assurant.

With the basic Device Protection, you’ll get accidental damage, theft, loss, and mechanical issue coverage. Protection 360 gives you everything from the Basic Device Protection tier plus:

McAfee Security with ID Theft Protection
Unlimited screen replacements ($29 deductible/device)
JUMP! early upgrades

File and track a claim with T-Mobile

You can easily track a claim online or contact Assurant at 1-866-866-6285. The Un-carrier also lets you file and monitor claims using the Protection 360 mobile apps for Android and iOS.

Other phone insurance options

While most carriers partner with various phone insurance companies, there are other options. For iPhone users, AppleCare+ is a good choice. Samsung enthusiasts can sign up for Samsung Care+. And Google lets Pixel users choose Preferred Care coverage. Progressive, the Allstate-backed SquareTrade, and AKKO also offer cell phone insurance plans. However, these will come as a separate bill you’ll need to manage.

Is cell phone insurance really worth it?

Cell phone insurance is only worth it if you actually file a claim; otherwise, you're shelling out a monthly fee for nothing. If you predict that you'll experience major device damage, loss, or theft—or you simply prefer to know that you won't have to shell out thousands for a brand new phone should you damage your current one—insurance could reduce the strain on your wallet, especially considering the high price of most flagship phones. But based on the monthly fee, you'd need one or two repairs a year to justify the cost of phone insurance.

Alternatives to phone insurance

Although phone insurance seems pretty enticing, it's not your only option. The best strategy eschewing phone insurance is simply caring for your device. For starters, we suggest using a good case and screen protector. These will help when during accidental bumps and drops.

Additionally, avoid placing your phone near water. Despite manufacturer claims of IP68 waterproofing, electronics and liquids don't mix well. If your phone takes a dive and stops working as expected, there's always the bag of rice trick.

Often, the price of repairs isn't outrageous. Tech-savvy folks can perform at-home device surgery using parts from outlets like iFixit. If you're not comfortable getting your hands dirty, repair shops such as uBreakiFix—which phone insurance company Asurion owns—offer trustworthy phone, tablet, laptop, and game console repairs. There's probably a reliable local mobile device repair store near you, too.

Our take: Put your money towards a high-quality case and screen protector rather than phone insurance. It’s likely cheaper to pay for the rare device repair or replacement than signing up for another monthly bill.

Cell phone insurance FAQs

Is it worth it to have phone insurance?

Phone insurance might be worth the price if you suspect a high likelihood of experiencing a lost, stolen, or damaged phone. However, cell phone insurance only justifies the cost if you file a claim.

What does my phone insurance cover?

Phone insurance offers comprehensive coverage of device loss, theft, and user-inflicted accidental damage. Specific examples include drops, water damage, lost phones, and stolen devices.

Can you get phone insurance after purchase?

Yes! Most providers let you opt into insurance after buying a cell phone.

Can you put phone insurance on your phone anytime?

Yes! While it's common to insure a device at the time of purchase, you can put insurance on your phone at any time. As such, you can insure a used cell phone.

How does a phone warranty work?

A phone warranty typically covers device failure because of manufacturing defects, whereas insurance covers user-inflicted damage, theft, and loss.

Moe Long

Senior Writer

Moe is a Senior Staff Writer with a passion for all things tech. As a writer and editor for over a decade, he specializes in researching and testing smartphones, gaming devices, and connected smart home systems. He’s been featured in publications including MakeUseOf, SmartHomeBeginner, TechBeacon, and more.

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