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Secret Service forces Donald Trump to ditch his Android phone

Donald Trump and wife Melania Trump arrive at the White House as President Obama looks on before the inauguration
Donald Trump and wife Melania Trump arrive at the White House as President Obama looks on before the inauguration (ddp USA/REX/Shutterstock)

Donald Trump had to hand over his Android mobile phone in advance of his inauguration as U.S. President.

Just like President Barack Obama before him, Trump was forced to give up his personal phone in favour of a more secure handset.

He will now use an encrypted phone approved by the Secret Service, reports the The New York Times.

Donald Trump has vowed o continue using his personal Twitter account as well as the @POTUS handle
Donald Trump has vowed o continue using his personal Twitter account as well as the @POTUS handle

Trump will also have a different phone number, available only to a select few individuals, it was reported.

It’s unclear whether Trump will be able to use any other smartphones in addition to his Secret Service-approved handset.

He is well known for using his Android phone to post tweets, which often prove to be controversial.

Following his inauguration, Trump will take over the @POTUS Twitter handle from Obama but has also vowed to continue to tweet from his personal account.

When Obama lobbied to keep his beloved BlackBerry when he entered the White House in 2008, he was eventually given a modified version with limited functionality.

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He was also given a separate phone that he used to tweet, though much of his Twitter activity was carefully mediated by staff, reports The Associated Press.

All of Obama’s calls were reportedly routed through the White House.