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Key Takeaways:
- Secure your mobile device by using strategies like setting passcodes, keeping your software updated, and turning on “Find My Phone.”
- Always keep track of the physical location of your phone and only leave it in the hands of a trusted person.
- You will need to use a variety of strategies at once to keep your phone secure.
It’s probably hard to imagine your life without a smartphone. From texting and calling friends, playing games, checking emails, navigating via maps, taking photos, and more, phones have become a huge part of our everyday lives.
Because of this, our phones also store significant amounts of data about us. This makes it essential that our mobile devices are as secure as possible to fend off hacks and invasions of privacy.
How Can I Secure My Mobile Device?
Securing your phone takes more than a four-digit passcode and Face ID. If you want your phone to be as protected from threats as possible, you’ll need to use a variety of cybersecurity strategies at once.
By following the tips below, you can have peace of mind that even if you lose your phone, it’ll be harder for people to access the sensitive information stored inside.
1. Set Up Lock Screen Passcodes and Face ID
The first step is making sure your phone locks itself whenever it’s not being used. When you get a new phone, it should prompt you to set up a numerical passcode and either a fingerprint or Face ID.
If you want to change or set up these password options, you can go to your settings app. For iPhones, it’ll be under “Face ID & Passcode.” For Android phones, it’ll be under “Security.” Follow the steps from there.
For ease of access, it’s fine to use Fingerprint and Face ID. But if you want to make your phone extra secure, you can choose to set a custom passcode rather than using the default four-digit option. Androids may have other passcode setups, like connecting dots in a unique pattern.
For iPhones, you can set a six-digit code, a custom numerical code, or a custom alphanumeric code (with letters and numbers). For the most security, make your passcode as complex and unique as possible—something you don’t use for any other accounts or devices. The harder it is to guess, the safer your phone will be.
2. Keep Your Software Updated
Software updates can be annoying, especially when they change the aesthetic of your phone. However, updates also include bug fixes and adjustments that cover vulnerabilities in previous versions. This makes it harder for someone to hack your device or for malware to affect it.
To stay protected, keep your phone up to date. Updates should install automatically (with your permission), but you can also check manually in your device’s settings.
To check updates on an iPhone:
- Go to Settings.
- Click General.
- Click Software Update.
- Make sure automatic updates are turned on.
- In the middle of the screen, it will tell you if your device is up to date.
To check updates on an Android, go to:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap System.
- Click Software Update.
- Check your status.
3. Only Install Trusted Apps
One way your device can become infected with malware is if you accidentally download a bad app from the app store. The app might appear normal, but once your device is infected, malware can mine through your data in the background without you even knowing. It might also significantly decrease your device’s performance (drained battery, lag times, glitches, etc.).
To avoid installing an unvetted app, read reviews on the app store and Google, look up the name of the app/company online, and try to stick to well-known apps as much as possible. Also, keep your apps updated to avoid performance issues and vulnerabilities.
4. Secure Your Phone Number
This is a broad category, but it’s essential for your device’s security. While your phone number is a set of digits associated with your device and not the device itself, securing it is key to protecting your device and data.
To do this, you’ll have to employ a variety of strategies that include:
- Using a second phone number app when possible: The more your number appears online, the more likely it is to be hacked or leaked. By using a second number from an app like Burner, you can give those digits out in place of your own to protect your true number.
- Taking your number off people search and data broker sites: These sites collect your data and post or sell it online. To keep your number safe, fill in the opt-out forms on each of these sites to have your profile taken down.
- Being careful of who you give your number to: Whether online or in person, do your best to only give your real number to trusted people and companies.
5. Turn On “Find My Device”
One of the best ways to keep your device secure is by making sure it never leaves your possession. That way, people have to rely on digital methods to try to hack your phone rather than having the physical device.
Of course, mistakes and crimes happen. If your device is lost or stolen, you may be able to find it if you have the “Find My Device” feature enabled.
This feature allows you to log in on another device and see the location of your own. You can also share your device’s location with trusted contacts. On iPhones, this will be in the Find My app.
You can also go to:
- Settings
- Privacy & Security
- Location Services
- Share My Location
- Turn on “Find My iPhone” or manage other preferences like sharing with contacts.
Android options will be in the Find Hub app. In the case of a true emergency where your phone is lost forever, you can also use these apps to wipe your phone remotely and limit what can be accessed if it ends up in the wrong hands.
6. Don’t Store Sensitive Information on Your Phone
This can be a hard rule to follow since our phones are so easy to access. We don’t always want to dig into the fireproof box in the closet for our passwords or records. But in the event that your phone gets compromised, you don’t want the hacker to be able to get anything valuable from your phone.
Try to keep hard copies of sensitive files or store them on a secure storage platform like Proton Drive. Don’t keep a list of your passwords, Social Security Number, credit card number, etc., in your notes app. For your passwords, look into using a password manager to keep them safe and organized.
7. Be Cautious on Public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi is largely considered more secure now than it once was, but there’s still the risk that the network is weak or fake to begin with. Hackers can exploit these networks to access connected devices. It’s a good idea to turn off public Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you’re not using them, so you don’t leave potentially exploitable connections open.
To combat this issue, you can also use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) like Burner VPN to reroute your activity through a remote server and encrypt your internet traffic from prying eyes.
8. Install Antivirus Software
To give your phone an extra layer of protection against malware and hackers, look into installing antivirus software apps for Android and iPhone. These apps can help protect you from and identify threats before they become a major security issue.
9. Back Up Your Data
In the event of a security breach, you’ll want to have essential data from your phone backed up so you don’t lose it forever. This can be as simple as making sure your data regularly updates to the cloud so you can access it on a computer should your device be compromised or lost.
It could also mean backing up photos or files to an external drive—or to a cloud service like Google Drive, even if you're using an iPhone.
10. Keep Your Phone With You
This seems like an obvious tip, but you do need to keep your phone with you if you want it to be secure. This means doing your best not to lose it, keeping it in a zipper pocket so it won’t get stolen, and even making sure not to leave it in the hands of someone you don’t know while you step away.
If your phone stays with you and you follow the strategies listed above, it’s much less likely to become compromised.
FAQs
Can you prevent your phone from being hacked?
It’s impossible to guarantee your phone won’t be hacked. However, following the strategies listed above (strong passwords, antivirus software, and installing updates) will help to protect your phone.
How can you find a lost phone online?
By using iPhone’s “Find My” app or Android’s “Find Hub” app, you can locate your phone even if it’s lost. Make sure you set these features up now.
How will you know if your phone is hacked?
The easiest way to tell that your phone has been hacked is if your device has performance issues like a quickly drained battery, long lag times, or frequent glitches.
Keeping Your Device Secure
By following all of the steps listed above and keeping your common sense about you, your phone will be secure. Make sure you keep it close, have all the right settings turned on, and look out for signs of attempted hacks/scams. If something does happen, reach out to your phone carrier for support if necessary.
Sources:
Guidelines for Securing Mobile Devices
How To Protect Your Phone From Hackers | Consumer Advice
