Frequently Asked Questions
Can’t I simply turn off my phone?
When you turn your phone off it is quite possible that it is simply in a low power state with full receiving and transmitting capability and you would never know it. The screen will be off and there will be no detectable heat giving you the false impression that your phone is fully off, and you are safe from being tracked. A good example of this being used is Apple’s “Find My” app...
According to Apple “Find My helps you locate this iPhone when it is lost or stolen, even when it is in power reserve mode or when powered off”.
Won’t turning off location services protect my location?
Unfortunately, many phones and malicious apps have been caught disregarding your location services settings and recording location data anyways. Additionally, even with location services turned off, your phone still connects to cell towers and your location is still recorded by your mobile phone provider.
What about airplane mode?
Setting your phone to airplane mode only prevents your phone from transmitting signals and information, not receiving signals, such as GPS. Your location history can still be recorded because of these incoming signals and later transmitted to others when you reconnect. GoDark® Faraday Bags prevent this by blocking incoming GPS and Cell signals used by your phone to record your location. With nothing being recorded, there is no location history to transmit or be stolen.
Won’t I be tracked as soon as I pull my phone out?
Yes, as soon as you take your phone or device out of the bag you can be tracked again. All the places you went while your phone was in the bag will not be tracked and will appear dark, like a blank spot on your location history. GoDark® Bags give you the ability to exercise selective privacy where the choice is yours when and where you will accept privacy invasive tracking, or not.
Will I receive calls while it’s in the bag?
When you place the phone in a GoDark® bag it will cut off any incoming and outgoing signals to your phone. This means you will not receive any calls, text messages or app notifications.
However, when you remove the phone from the bag it will reconnect to the network and then begin to receive all of the messages and notifications you missed. All new calls and messages will now come through as normal.
Why do I care if my phone is tracking my location?
Every minute of every day your location history is being meticulously tracked. Cell towers (4G/5G), GPS, Wi-Fi hotspots, and even unsuspecting Bluetooth devices constantly ping your phone, weaving a digital map of your life’s most intimate details. It knows your favorite haunts, your daily routines, and even your midnight cravings. Your location history can often be as revealing, and embarrassing, as your browser history.
Your private location data is often harvested and sold by malicious apps, unethical mobile providers and shady websites, to data large data aggregators who sell your profile for profit. This can result in unethical targeted marketing, increased risk of identity theft and targeted scams.
Will it drain my battery?
This hasn't been a problem with any newer smartphones made in the past 4-5 years. Older phones were, well, less smart. They would continuously try to recapture the signal while boosting strength and in turn draining the battery faster. Newer phones are smarter in how they check for signals and use much less battery. We tested several iPhones, Samsung and even a OnePlus, by putting them in the bag when they were 80% charged for an 8 hour period and none of them drained more than 9% over an 8 hour period. Older phones from 5 years ago probably had this problem, but our customers have not reported issues with overly excessive battery drain from using our GoDark® Faraday Bag. If you have an older phone and it is a problem, placing your phone in airplane mode before going in the bag will prevent it from looking to acquire a new signal and will reduce power consumption.
How was the electromagnetic shielding tested?
GoDark® RF Shielding, used in all GoDark® Faraday Bags, was tested by Pennsylvania based Keystone Compliance (keystonecompliance.com), a leader in electronics and materials testing. GoDark® RF Shielding satisfies the testing standard IEEE 299-2006 for shielding effectiveness that exceeds 100 dB of attenuation between 200 MHz and 40 GHz, enough attenuation to prevent 4G, 5G, WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth signals to connect.
Will GoDark Bags shield my electronics from an EMP?
Yes! GoDark® RF Shielding, used in all GoDark® Faraday Bags, as tested by Keystone Compliance (keystonecompliance.com), passes the MIL-STD-188-125-2 standardized military test for High Altitude EMP shielding. For this reason, GoDark® Bags are popular with the US military as well as disaster preppers.
Will GoDark® Bags block conversations?
No. GoDark® Bags do not block sound waves, only electromagnetic waves such as WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and 4G & 5G cell signals.
Will my phone alarm go off if it’s in the bag?
Yes, it will. Our smartphone clock app will run whether it's connected to the network or not. If your alarm is set to go off and is using the phone's clock, then it will still go off. If the alarm you are using is an app that requires a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection to function, then no, your alarm will not go off if it is in the bag since the bag will prevent this connection. Most phone alarms do not require a network connection, so your alarm will still go off as expected while your phone is in the bag.
Will the GoDark® Bag block my credit cards and passport?
Yes, GoDark® Faraday Bags will also protect your credit cards and chip enabled IDs and passports from hackers.
Can I go through airport security with the GoDark® Faraday Bag?
Yes, you should have no problem going through airport security with your GoDark® Faraday Bag. It will need to be placed in the bin and not carried through the scanner as the metals in the blocking fabric may set off the scanner.
Multiple Devices in One Bag?
Yes, if you can still fold the GoDark® Faraday Bag over twice and secure it, you can fit multiple devices in 1 bag. We have many customers who use the larger MAS series phone bag or even a tablet, laptop or dry bag size bag for multiple devices.
