Does Home Insurance Cover Mobile Phones?

Modern smartphones are becoming more advanced. We depend on them so much. 

It's no wonder that people are looking make sure they're phones are insured. At the same time people are looking for ways to save money and that could leave you wondering, does home insurance cover mobile phones?  

In this insight, we will provide detail on what exactly should be covered and what could be covered with a small extra spend. 

Key takeaways

•  Most home insurance providers cover mobile phones as standard inside the home. That covers you for fire, theft and flood damage.
• If you need cover for items outside of the home, you will need to include this in your home insurance cover and pay an additional premium.
• If you have a comprehensive home insurance policy, you could cover all electrical items outside of the home. Ipads, laptops, smart watches could all be covered by home insurance under one premium.
• If you are paying for separate mobile phone insurance, you may only be able to cover one mobile and you may have an excess to pay. You should take this into account when deciding whether covering your phones with home contents insurance is right for you.

Does Home Insurance Cover Mobile Phones?

Mobile phones are covered by home contents insurance. However, the level of cover will depend on your policy. Phones are covered inside the home as standard, but when you take your phone outside you will need additional cover to be insured.

What type of home insurance covers mobile phones?

There are two main types of home insurance. Contents insurance and buildings insurance. Sometimes you insure them together as one buildings and contents policy. However, if you have no reason to insure your buildings, maybe you live in a flat, you can have a standalone policy. Buildings insurance covers the fixtures, fittings and external walls of your home. Contents covers everything you own that can be moved. That could be cutlery, to televisions, to mobile phones. If you have a standalone buildings insurance policy, your mobile phone will not be covered. If you have a contents insurance policy, your mobile phone will be covered, but only under certain conditions.

What are the conditions that a mobile phone would be insured under a contents insurance?

Home insurance provides insurance for belongings inside the home. That generally means that a basic level of contents insurance will only pay a claim if an insurable event has occurred inside the home. This is important to consider as mobile phones leave the house every time you do. Without adding any additional level of cover, you can expect your mobile phone to be covered for fire damage, if it is stolen during a burglary, or water/flood damage. If you want your mobile phone, and even other electrical goods to be insured, you will need a more comprehensive policy.

How do you cover mobile phones with home insurance?

To make sure your mobile phones are fully covered, inside and outside of the home, and for accidental damages you will need additional cover. Additional cover does come at a cost. However, if you are already paying for phone insurance, you may find more value for you and your family with home insurance. Here are the different levels of cover and how they can insure your mobile phones. 

Standard Contents insurance

As discussed, a standard contents home insurance will cover your mobile phone inside the house for fire damage, theft, or flood damage. 

Contents + Accidental damage insurance

An accidental damage cover will extend the claimable events that could occur within your home. If you choose to add accidental damage to your policy, your mobile phone will now be covered for accidents in the home. For example, if you drop your phone down the toilet (oops). Some insurers include accidental damage for electronic items inside the home as part of their standard policy. Mobile phones will be included as an electronic item alongside TV's, Laptops and Tablets etc. 

Contents + Personal belongings (away from the home) cover

Personal belongings cover will provide insurance for your items that you take outside of the home. Items such as, watches, mobile phones, laptops, tablets, rings etc are included. You're covered if they're lost, stolen, or accidentally damaged. This is where home insurance can become a suitable replacement for an individual mobile phone insurance. With this level of cover, you may feel that you no longer need a standalone mobile phone insurance. Whether you lose your phone, or the screen gets cracked if you dropped it, you would have cover in place here. 

How many devices can you insure with home insurance?

You can insure as many devices as you like. However, some insurers will insist on you specifying devices. For example, you could need to declare that for your personal belongings cover, you intend to insure 4 mobile phones, two laptops, three tablets, four smart watches etc. It's a good idea to do this as it will speed up any claims process. If you have a family, insuring these devices individually could cost a monthly fortune. 

What to be aware when deciding to use home insurance to cover mobile phones

So far it sounds worthwhile exploring. However, there are a few things you need to be aware of when deciding if insuring your mobiles under your home insurance policy is right for you. These include:

Excess

Mobile phone insurance and home insurance will both have an excess. An excess is the amount you have to pay towards an insurance claim. It is a fixed amount normally agreed upfront when you take out your insurance policy. With some insurers, you can choose the excess you agree to. If you choose a higher excess, your premiums should be less, if you choose a lower excess, your premiums will be higher. When making a claim, you need to decide if the claim is worth paying the excess. If the excess on an iphone screen is £100, and you can fix it privately for £75, you aren't going to make the claim on your insurance.  

You need to be aware of how the excess will impact your likelihood to claim. If you take a Tablet out of the home worth £200, but your home insurance excess is £250, is it worth insuring?

Travelling abroad

The policy on travelling abroad with devices does vary between insurers. Some consider that as long as travelling abroad is temporary then a claim is acceptable. Others take a stance that you are only insured in the United Kingdom. You will need to check this in the policy details when assessing your level of cover.

What are the costs?

A comprehensive home insurance for a large family with many rooms won't be cheap. The bigger the property, the more devices assumed, the higher the premium. You will need to consider your budget carefully when reviewing your home insurance options. Including electronic devices might cost more than you can afford and it might be more important to prioritise serious events that you cannot recover from financially, such as fire damage.

Are you currently paying for standalone mobile phone insurance?

If you are currently paying for mobile phone insurance, and for a few different devices, you could consider cancelling the policies and using the money to upgrade your home insurance instead. It may work out cheaper overall to do this. It is worth noting that you will also be able to insure more types of devices on a home insurance policy than you would on a standalone mobile insurance. The standalone mobile insurance will only insure mobile phones, where a home insurance policy will also include smart watches, tablets, laptops etc.

Mobile insurance may cover you for more

Home insurance would not cover you to the same level that a standalone mobile phone insurance policy would for specific mobile related claims. For example, if you phone is stolen, your home insurance may not cover the costs of the bill for calls and charges incurred after the theft. 

Individual items limit

Home insurance policies have limits that you can claim for specific items. You should check your policy to ensure your phone is worth less than the claimable limit is. Otherwise, you will need to increase the level of cover on your home insurance to get full cover for your mobile phone.

How to find the right home insurance policy

There are many different insurers out there. They all have different policies, different excesses and different costs. Deciding the best option for you will require quite a bit of research. It's a good idea to review your home insurance annually. Do this to ensure you are paying the right price for the right cover. To save you time researching, you can talk with an insurance adviser, discuss your needs and receive a recommendation. 

On Sunny Avenue, you can find advisers who can help you with your insurance needs. You can create an account and message them directly with your enquiry for free.

Are iphones Covered on Home Insurance?

iPhones are typically covered by home insurance, but making a claim for an iPhone may involve a higher excess. This is because older versions can be challenging to repair or replace, leading insurers to opt for newer models as replacements.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

So, Does Home Insurance Cover Mobile Phones? Well yes, Mobile phones can be covered under your home insurance policy, including iphones, if you pay for them to be. Whether it is worthwhile paying will depend on your circumstances. Take into account how many devices you have, what your budget is and how much you currently pay to insure your devices.