Most of us lock down our banking apps. Face ID. Passcodes. Extra steps. But one South African’s story revealed the overlooked danger… there are other apps on our phones that can cause just as much damage.
South Africa (10 January 2026) – We talk about stolen phones in South Africa like it’s just one of those “it happens” things… but I watched something recently that made me realise it’s not the phone that hurts the most. It’s what happens after.
I love TikTok. I feel that it’s a great source of entertainment. A space where I switch off, laugh a little, learn the odd new thing and occasionally stumble across something that makes me think differently. This was one of those videos. Ironically, I am also not particularly good at TikTok, as I can’t seem to find that video again. But I remember it clearly. And more importantly, I remember how it made me feel.
The TikTok was shared by a Capetonian who was retelling how his phone was stolen while he was waiting for an Uber. That part is sadly familiar in South Africa. We’ve heard stories like this before. Phones taken at traffic lights. On tables at restaurants. While standing on pavements, checking directions or waiting for a ride.
What made his experience different was what happened next.
His phone was unlocked when it was taken. He had been watching the screen for his Uber details. In that brief window, the criminals gained access. But they did not go straight for his banking apps. Instead, they opened his shopping and delivery apps and started spending.
And it wasn’t small amounts. It was thousands of rands.
By the time he realised what was happening, the damage was done. His money was gone. Cleared out through apps that many of us use without a second thought.
There are still plenty of unanswered questions. Where were the purchases delivered? Why were such large transactions not flagged? How long did it take for anything to be stopped? I don’t have those details. What I did have was a very uncomfortable realisation: My phone felt secure. Like, I have all the “extra” security on my banking apps… but suddenly my phone felt a little less secure than before.
I use an iPhone, and one of the more recent software updates allows users to add an extra layer of protection to individual apps. Face ID. A passcode. Even completely hiding them. An additional step before access is granted. After watching that video, I went into my settings and added that extra security to every shopping and delivery app on my phone. I then thought about how a criminal might gain insight into my life if my phone were stolen… my call list, my messages, my home address (in Maps), and suddenly most of my apps seemed to need an extra layer of protection.
Am I being a bit paranoid? Possibly. Is it mildly inconvenient at times? Sure.
But if my phone is ever taken while unlocked, those apps are no longer immediately accessible. That one extra barrier could be the difference between a stressful situation and a financially devastating one.
And I guess this is where the good news lives.
We cannot control everything. We cannot prevent crime with a settings update. But we can reduce our risk. We can make it a little harder for a criminal. We can use the tools already available to us to protect ourselves a little better.
Also, I need to add that this is not about fear. It is about awareness. It is about small, practical choices that look after us in the background while we get on with living our lives.
If a TikTok I cannot even find again prompted me to make my phone safer, then sharing that thought might help someone else do the same. We live on our phones. They hold our lives, our memories and our money. Making them a bit safer is not overreacting. It is simply looking after something that looks after us every single day.
*If anyone has seen that TikTok or knows the Capetonian who uploaded it, please email info@goodthingsguy.com. We would love to give him credit for inspiring this safety hack (and share his video in the article).
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