I lost my phone..

This happened.

I lost my phone. It happened. In modern days fast paced life on the road you lose your phone.

But this is not about me losing my phone or how sad I was. It is about how my Kolab Now account helped me to recover fast and effective…

The phone was encrypted, it had a 6 digit pincode, and I did not have any big concerns about anyone accessing my data on the device. Also, I found out quite fast that it was gone, and I could disable the SIMcard online and prevent any misuse. If someone found my phone, they could now use it as an expensive paperweight.

You can never be too careful – As the phone had probably touched some of the online services that I am using, and I wasn’t quite sure which, I spent 20 minutes changing all my passwords; An operation that was made easy by KeePassX, my Free and Open Source password tool.

Damage control done!

Now, living in 2020 without a smartphone is like living in Canada without a canoe. I really needed to get a mobile connection again, and fast. I walked into the closest shop and identified myself. Being a high-traffic user made it easy for the tech-pusher in the shop to give me an excellent offer on a new piece of equipment, and I walked out with a brand new and shiny Android device (and – of course an updated contract from the provider).

My old device had been configured to synchronize with Kolab Now, so getting my new device out of the dark and empty default state was not too difficult.

I installed CardDAVsync, and after one synchronization, my addressbook was up to date.

I installed CalDAVsync and my calendars were synchronizing smoothly.

I enjoy to read and manage my email client via IMAP, so i installed K-9 mail and configured it towards Kolab Now. After connecting to the server, the important mails were available, and I could start sending out mails as well.

I installed WebDAV Nav, and configured apps.kolabnow.com, where I already had saved my files from the phone (pictures, videos, etc.).

Thanks to Konrad Renner I could even install Kolab Notes, and synchronize my notes on the go (I fast figured out that I had to bring home milk and apples!).

For my second Kolab Now account (Yes – I am a fanatic..) I have 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) enabled. Luckily I had saved a screenshot of the QR code for the TOTP app FreeOTP (as recommended in the KB article). Now I could just install FreeOTP+ and make a new entry with the old QR code. I did not loose any access.

At the end of the hour I was back up to speed – celebrating my recovered digital mobility with a beer in the sun.