Our mobile phones hold so much sensitive personal data – from photos to bank details. But how can we make sure our phones are secure? With over 3 million phones lost or stolen annually in the US, it’s crucial to lock down these devices. I once lost my phone and spent hours worried about identity theft and thinking about how to secure my mobile phone.
In short, I figured out that we should use strong passwords, enable encryption and remote wiping, avoid suspicious links, keep software updated, limit app permissions, and set up remote backups to securely protect the sensitive data on our mobile phone.
In this article, I will provide 11 pro tips to secure your phone. Follow these simple steps, and you can feel confident your data stays protected, even if your phone goes missing.
How to Secure Your Mobile Phone?
Follow these guidelines to keep your mobile phone safe and secure from any unwanted or suspicious activity:
Use a Strong Lock Screen Passcode
A strong lock screen passcode is your phone’s first line of security. Avoid using apparent passcodes, such as “1111” or “1234”. Instead, use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols that would be difficult for another person to figure out.
Plus, for greater protection, increase your passcode’s minimum length to 6 digits.
You can also set up your phone to lock itself after one or two minutes of inactivity. In the case that you leave your phone unattended, this will prevent illegal access.
Enable Biometric Authentication
Today’s smartphones frequently have biometric identification features like fingerprint or face recognition. These offer a convenient way to unlock your phone while also enhancing security.
Set up fingerprint unlock or Face ID if your phone supports it. Require biometric sign-in for unlocking your phone to prevent others from accessing it. You can also use biometrics for authorizing purchases and accessing certain apps.
Encrypt Your Phone Storage
In the unlikely scenario that your phone is stolen or misplaced, your data is protected by encrypting the internal storage. Upon booting up, encrypted phones ask for your passcode before granting access to applications and data.
Encryption is enabled by default on the iPhone. To encrypt your device on an Android phone, navigate to Settings > Security > Encrypt Phone and follow the on-screen instructions.
Enable Remote Location and Wiping
Your data won’t necessarily be in danger even if you lose your phone. With remote locating and deleting, you can safeguard your data if your phone falls into the wrong hands.
You can also remotely wipe your iPhone using the Find My Phone function if necessary.
On Android, use the Find My Device app from Google. Enable these features so you can remotely locate your phone or wipe it if it becomes unrecoverable.
Disable Lock Screen Notifications
Lock screen notifications can inadvertently expose sensitive information to anyone who picks up your unlocked phone. Disable previews and notifications on the lock screen to boost security.
On an iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications and disable Show Previews. On Android, go into each app’s notifications settings and disable the Lock Screen preview option. These steps prevent personal details from being visible on your lock screen.
Use a VPN
All network communication to and from your phone is encrypted using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). This prevents outsiders from spying on your browsing activity and communications, even on public Wi-Fi.
Do some research to pick a reliable VPN service. Install the VPN app on your phone. Connect to the VPN whenever you are on public networks to keep your activity private.
Avoid Public USB Charging Stations
If your phone’s battery is running low, it could be tempting to utilize a public USB charging station. However, avoid using these chargers as they can be manipulated to install malware on your device.
Only use charging cables and power adapters you own from reputable brands. Or better yet, carry a portable charger when you are out so you don’t need to rely on public charging stations.
Keep Your Software Up to Date
App developers and phone manufacturers regularly issue software updates to fix security vulnerabilities. To stay safe against new dangers, keep your phone’s operating system and all apps updated to the most recent versions.
On iPhone, install iOS updates promptly when prompted. On Android, check Settings > System > System update regularly for OS updates. Also, update your apps via Google Play or Galaxy Store.
Review App Permissions
Access to phone capabilities like location, camera, microphone, contacts, etc., is occasionally requested by apps. Make sure to review and limit app permissions to only what is needed for the app’s functionality.
On iPhone, check app permissions in Settings > Privacy. On Android, permissions are listed in Settings > Apps & Notifications > App Permissions. For your privacy, revoke any superfluous permissions.
Avoid Suspicious Links and Downloads
Phishing scams and malware-laced apps can compromise the security of your phone when you click suspicious links or downloads. Avoid opening links in random texts, emails, and instant messages. Install software only from reputable stores like the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Use caution when scanning random QR codes, as they could direct you to malicious sites. Maintaining vigilance about what you click and download will help keep your phone secure.
Set Up Remote Backup
If your phone is broken, misplaced, or erased, having a cloud backup adds an added degree of security. Sync your phone to cloud storage services like iCloud or Google Drive to keep a remote backup of your contacts, photos, videos, and other data.
On iPhone, enable iCloud Backup in Settings. On Android phones, turn on Backup to Google Drive in Settings. Schedule frequent backups to ensure that your data is always safe off-device.
If you take the right precautions, you can securely protect the sensitive information on your mobile phone. Use strong passwords, enable encryption and remote wiping, avoid suspicious links, keep software updated, limit app permissions, and set up remote backups. Practicing good phone security habits will go a long way in safeguarding your data.
Conclusion
Our mobile devices contain immense amounts of personal data that can be compromised if the phone is lost or stolen. Take proactive measures like using strong passwords, enabling encryption, limiting app permissions, avoiding suspicious links, and setting up remote backups. Following these security best practices will go a long way in protecting your sensitive information, even if your phone ends up in the wrong hands.
FAQs
How Do I Check Which Apps Have Access To My Phone’s Data?
On an iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy to see which apps have been granted access to location, contacts, camera, microphone, and other data categories. On Android, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > App permissions to see specific permissions granted to each app.
What’s The Easiest Way To Find A Lost Android Phone?
The Find My Device app from Google allows you to remotely locate, lock, and erase your lost Android device. Make sure Find My Device is enabled on your Android phone in advance.
Are iOS or Android Phones More Secure?
Both operating systems have robust security capabilities built in. Ultimately, keeping your phone software updated and using strong passcodes, biometrics, VPNs, and other security measures are more important than the OS itself in keeping your data secure.
