Phone insurance in Ireland pays to repair or replace your phone if it is damaged by accident or stolen. Gadgetinsurance.com publishes phone cover from €3.99 a month, for a phone worth up to €200, under 12 months old, bought online (checked 9 November 2026). Loss is usually an optional extra, and you pay an excess on every claim.
What phone insurance usually covers
The CCPC lists the types of cover a gadget policy might include (checked 9 November 2026):
- Accidental damage, such as a cracked screen.
- Liquid damage, for example a phone dropped in water or a spilled coffee.
- Theft.
- Malicious damage, when someone else damages the phone on purpose.
- Breakdown, for mechanical or electrical faults once the warranty has ended.
- Unauthorised calls after a theft, usually for up to 24 hours.
Not every policy includes all six. The CCPC says the level of cover depends on each policy's terms and conditions.
Loss is usually an extra
A lost phone is not the same as a stolen one. The CCPC warns that loss may not be covered at all.
Gadgetinsurance.com sells accidental loss as an add-on, for €1 a month extra on phones under €1,200 (checked 9 November 2026). It offers loss cover on phones, tablets and smart watches only.
Even with the add-on, its policy wording excludes a phone lost in your own home. It also excludes a loss where you cannot confirm the time and place.
What iPhone cover costs
The price rises with the phone. On 9 November 2026, the Gadgetinsurance.com home page showed iPhone 17 cover from €7.99 a month. That price is for an iPhone 17 256GB under 12 months old, with a €75 excess.
It includes accidental damage, liquid damage and theft. At €7.99 a month, a year costs €95.88, before any excess. The €3.99 price, for a phone worth up to €200, comes to €47.88 a year.
Exclusions to check
Read the exclusions before you pay. We use the Gadgetinsurance.com policy wording as a worked example (checked 9 November 2026). Other policies will differ.
Leaving the phone unattended
Theft or damage while the phone is left unattended away from home is excluded. The wording defines unattended as out of your sight, or too far away for you to step in.
Away from home, the phone must be on or about your person when not in use. The other option is a locked room, a locked locker, a safe or a closed desk drawer.
Theft from a car
The CCPC names theft from an unlocked car as a common exclusion. Under the Gadgetinsurance.com wording, theft from an empty car is covered only if the phone was hidden in a locked boot or closed glove box, with every door and window locked.
No Garda report
Theft claims need a valid Garda or police crime report. You must report a theft or loss to the Gardaí within 48 hours and get a crime reference number, or a lost property number for a loss.
There is a shorter deadline too. You have 24 hours to tell your network about a stolen or lost phone and have it blocked.
Wear and tear
Wear and tear is excluded, including batteries, buttons and a slow loss of performance. So are scratches, dents and other cosmetic marks that do not affect how the phone works.
How old the phone is when you buy cover
The CCPC says you may only be able to insure devices less than one year old. Gadgetinsurance.com requires the phone to be no more than 12 months old when you first buy the policy.
It must have been bought new in Ireland, the UK or the US. A refurbished phone qualifies only if bought direct from the maker or a network. A phone bought from a friend or in a private sale is not covered.
Work phones and the first 14 days
A phone your employer gave you is not covered, because you do not own it. The CCPC also says you can only claim 14 days after taking out cover or making changes.
The excess
The excess is the part of each claim you pay yourself. With Gadgetinsurance.com it is €75 on every claim, paid before the claim is approved (checked 9 November 2026).
Set that against the repair bill. The CCPC says that if the excess is higher than the cost of replacing the gadget, insurance may not be worthwhile. Our guide is phone insurance worth it? works through the numbers.
Ask whether a replacement will be new or refurbished. The CCPC lists this as a question to check. The Gadgetinsurance.com policy is not "new for old": it repairs the phone if it can, or replaces it with a like-for-like refurbished model.
How a claim works
The CCPC sets out the steps for a gadget claim:
- Contact the insurer as soon as possible. Gadgetinsurance.com asks you to tell its claims team within 48 hours.
- For a theft, report it to the Gardaí and get the crime reference number.
- Fill in the claim form. Send proof of purchase, proof of use and the Garda report.
- Pay the excess.
Proof of use matters for phones. Your network can confirm the phone was in use between the start of the policy and the date of the incident, the Gadgetinsurance.com wording says. A claim without proof of use is excluded.
Before you post the phone, back it up and remove the passcode. Turn off any tracking lock and do a factory reset. Gadgetinsurance.com lists these steps in its product information document, and it does not pay the postage.
The insurer has rules to follow too. The CCPC says it must send a claim form within 5 working days of it becoming clear one is needed. It must give you 10 working days to accept or reject an offer, pay within 10 working days of acceptance, and explain any refusal in writing.
Before you buy
- Check your home insurance. The CCPC says your home policy may already cover gadgets, and warns against doubling up. See what home insurance covers.
- Work out the full price for the year. The CCPC says some policies have reduced premiums for the first few months.
- Know your rights on faults. If you bought the phone from a business, the CCPC says you have consumer rights for faulty products, and insurance is not needed for faults.
- Check renewal. Under the Central Bank's Consumer Protection Code, an insurer cannot renew gadget insurance automatically unless you opt in, the CCPC says.
- Cancel old cover. If you buy a new phone, tell your insurer or cancel the policy on the old one.
Laptops and tablets have their own rules: see laptop and tablet insurance. For other cover types, see our guide to insurance costs in Ireland and the main gadget insurance guide.
Sources
- CCPC: Gadget insurance (accessed 9 November 2026)
- Gadgetinsurance.com: Mobile Phone Insurance page, home page, FAQs and Make a Claim page (accessed 9 November 2026)
- Gadgetinsurance.com: Gadget Insurance Policy Document and Insurance Product Information Document (accessed 9 November 2026)
General information, not financial advice. Prices and rules change: check the details with the insurer before you buy.