10 simple steps to improve your smartphone’s security and privacy

 Keep your mobile safe with these easy tips

Our phones are an important part of our everyday lives. Since they store more of our personal information than ever before, it is important to keep them safe from cyber threats.

Your phone holds sensitive emails, financial transactions, and other important data that you want to keep safe.

Whether you use an iPhone or an Android device, it's important to keep your smartphone secure and private.

We are going to tell you some simple steps to strengthen your device and keep your phone safe.

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1. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security feature that adds an extra layer of security to your online accounts. This requires you to enter not only your password but also a unique code that is sent to your phone or email every time you log in. This usually involves receiving a code on another device or via SMS. This way, even if someone steals your password, they won't be able to access your account without the code.

You should turn on 2FA for any accounts that contain sensitive or personal information, such as your email, social media, banking or shopping accounts. By doing this, you can prevent hackers from stealing your identity, money or data. 2FA is especially important when you're using public or shared devices, such as computers in a library or café, where your password could be easily compromised. 2FA can also help you recover your account if you forget your password or lose access to your device. For both iPhone and Android phones, enabling 2FA is straightforward.

For iPhone:

• Navigate to Settings
• Tap your Apple ID (your name) at the top of the screen
• Select Sign-in & Security (or Password & Security in iOS 16 or earlier)
• Turn on two-factor authentication and tap Continue
• You will be asked to enter a phone number where you want to receive the verification code. This could be your iPhone number. After entering it, you will receive a code to type in.

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for Android:

Settings may vary depending on the manufacturer of your Android phone

• go to Settings
• Scroll down and tap "Google" (or tap your profile image on Samsung phones)
• Select "Security" or "Security & Privacy"
• Tap on “2-Step Verification” and follow the setup process
• It will then ask you to verify it is you by providing an email to send a verification email. Click send email

2. Update software regularly

Developers release updates frequently to fix vulnerabilities and improve overall security. Both Apple and Android release updates regularly, so check and install them often.

3. Review app permissions

Apps often request access to various features and data on your smartphone, such as your location, photos, live activities, microphone, camera, Face ID, and cellular data. Limiting access to only essential functions increases your privacy and reduces the chances of apps misusing your data.

For iPhone:

• go to Settings
• Scroll down and select the app you want to review. In this example, we will review Apple Fitness app permissions
• Adjust permissions as needed. In this case, you can limit Siri and Search, Notifications, Live Activities, and Cellular Data