Your mobile phone may contain more personal information than almost any other item you own.
It can provide access to your email, bank accounts, photographs, medical portals, social media profiles, contacts, and saved passwords. If someone gains control of your phone, they may also be able to gain control of your online identity.
Fortunately, you do not need to be a technology expert to improve your phone’s security. A few carefully chosen settings and habits can make a meaningful difference.
1. Protect Your Phone With a Strong Screen Lock
Set your phone to require a passcode, password, fingerprint, or facial recognition before it can be opened.
Avoid easy-to-guess codes such as:
- 1234
- 0000
- Your birth year
- The last four digits of your phone number
- Repeated or simple patterns
A longer passcode is generally harder to guess. The Federal Trade Commission recommends using a passcode with at least six digits when that option is available. You can usually combine a passcode with Face ID, fingerprint recognition, or another biometric lock for convenience.
Set the phone to lock automatically after a short period of inactivity. This helps protect your information when the phone is lost, stolen, or left unattended.
2. Install Apps Only From Trusted Sources
Download apps through the official Apple App Store or Google Play Store whenever possible.
Apps downloaded from advertisements, text-message links, pop-up windows, or unfamiliar websites may contain harmful software. Even in an official app store, review the developer’s name, ratings, number of downloads, privacy information, and requested permissions before installing anything.
Be especially cautious with apps claiming to:
- Clean or repair your phone
- Detect dozens of urgent security problems
- Provide unexpected prizes or refunds
- Track packages you did not order
- Offer free access to paid services
- Provide technical support you did not request
An urgent warning does not necessarily mean your phone is infected. It may simply be an advertisement designed to frighten you into installing something.
3. Keep Your Phone and Apps Updated
Software updates often repair security weaknesses that criminals could otherwise exploit.
Turn on automatic updates for both your phone’s operating system and its apps. Apple, the FTC, and CISA all recommend keeping mobile devices current with available security updates.
Do not ignore an update simply because the phone appears to be working properly. Many important updates are designed to fix problems you cannot see.
When your phone becomes too old to receive security updates, consider replacing it. An unsupported phone may continue to function, but newly discovered weaknesses might not be repaired.
4. Turn On Lost-Phone Protection
Both iPhones and Android phones include tools that may help you locate, lock, or erase a missing device.
On an iPhone, this feature is called Find My. On newer Android devices, Google refers to its service as Find Hub.
Make sure the appropriate feature is turned on before your phone goes missing. Depending on your settings and device, you may be able to:
- View the phone’s location
- Play a sound
- Mark the phone as lost
- Lock it remotely
- Display recovery information
- Erase its contents
Apple’s Find My and Google’s Find Hub can also use encrypted location features to help locate some devices when they are offline.
Do not personally confront someone who may have stolen your phone. Contact law enforcement and your mobile carrier when appropriate.
5. Back Up Important Information
A backup is a protected extra copy of your information.
Regular backups can help you recover photographs, contacts, messages, and other files if your phone is lost, stolen, damaged, or erased by malicious software.
Your phone may offer automatic backups through Apple iCloud, Google services, your computer, or another trusted provider.
Confirm that backups are actually working. Simply turning on a setting does not always mean every item you care about is being saved.
Pay particular attention to:
- Photographs and videos
- Contacts
- Important documents
- Notes
- Authenticator apps
- Health information
- Work-related files
Authenticator apps require special care when changing phones. Confirm that you have a recovery method before erasing, selling, or trading in an old device. The FTC specifically advises setting up an authenticator app on a new phone during an upgrade.
6. Do Not Open Unexpected Links
Fraudulent text messages and emails frequently try to create a sense of urgency.
A message may claim that:
- Your bank account has been locked
- A package could not be delivered
- You owe an unpaid toll
- Your subscription is expiring
- A family member needs money
- Your password must be reset immediately
- You have won a prize
Do not use the link or telephone number in an unexpected message.
Instead, open the organization’s official app, type its known website address into your browser, or call a trusted number from a statement, card, or official website.
Scammers can make a message look as though it came from a real company or even someone you know. Pausing to verify the request independently is safer than reacting to the message.
7. Review App Permissions
Apps may ask for permission to use your location, microphone, camera, contacts, photographs, or other information.
Some access is reasonable. A map app, for example, may need your location. A video-calling app may need your camera and microphone.
Other requests may not make sense. A simple flashlight or calculator app probably does not need your contacts, microphone, or precise location.
Open your phone’s privacy settings and review which apps can access:
- Your camera
- Your microphone
- Your location
- Your contacts
- Your photographs
- Nearby devices
- Bluetooth
- Health information
Remove permissions an app does not need. Delete apps you no longer use or trust.
8. Use Your Own Charging Equipment
When possible, charge your phone with your own wall charger, cable, or portable battery.
Public charging locations may use ordinary electrical outlets, which are generally preferable to connecting your phone directly to an unfamiliar USB port. A USB connection can carry both power and data, depending on the equipment and your phone’s settings.
When traveling, consider carrying:
- Your own charging plug
- A trusted charging cable
- A portable power bank
- A charge-only cable or data-blocking adapter
If your phone asks whether to trust a computer or allow data access while charging, decline unless you intentionally connected it to a device you know and trust.
9. Use Extra Protection for Important Accounts
Your phone’s security is closely connected to the security of your online accounts.
Use a different strong password for each important account. A reputable password manager can create and store those passwords so you do not have to remember every one.
Turn on multifactor authentication whenever it is available. This requires an additional verification step, such as a code from an authenticator app or a physical security key.
Also protect the main email account connected to your phone. Anyone who gains access to that email account may be able to reset passwords for many of your other services.
Never share a one-time security code with someone who contacts you unexpectedly. A legitimate support representative should not ask you to read back a code that was sent to protect your account.
10. Use the Phone’s Built-In Security Features
Modern iPhones and Android phones include important protections such as app screening, encryption, secure startup features, permission controls, and warnings about suspicious activity.
Keep these protections turned on.
Most people do not need to install a separate antivirus app on a modern smartphone simply because an advertisement recommends one. Unnecessary security apps may request broad access, display alarming messages, collect information, or charge recurring fees.
On Android, check that Google Play Protect is active. On an iPhone, keep iOS updated and use Apple’s built-in privacy and security settings.
Some newer iPhones also offer Stolen Device Protection, which adds extra safeguards when the device is away from familiar places.
For sensitive conversations, use a reputable service that provides end-to-end encryption. This means the content is designed to be readable only by the people taking part in the conversation. Remember that encryption does not make an untrustworthy person trustworthy, so continue to be cautious about what you share.
A Quick Mobile Security Checklist
Review these settings on your phone:
- Use a strong passcode and biometric lock.
- Turn on automatic software and app updates.
- Confirm that lost-device tracking is active.
- Check that your phone is backing up properly.
- Remove apps you do not use.
- Review camera, microphone, and location permissions.
- Protect your email and financial accounts with multifactor authentication.
- Avoid unexpected links in texts and emails.
- Carry your own charger when traveling.
- Learn how to remotely lock or erase your device.
What to Do if Your Phone Is Lost or Stolen
Act as soon as possible.
Use Apple Find My or Google Find Hub to mark the phone as lost and attempt to secure it. Contact your mobile carrier to report the device, particularly if you believe it was stolen.
Change the passwords for your main email, financial, and other sensitive accounts when there is a possibility that someone accessed the phone.
Review your accounts for unfamiliar activity and contact your bank or card provider immediately if you notice suspicious transactions.
Do not remove a stolen iPhone from Find My merely because someone sends you a message demanding that you do so. Apple warns that a thief may use your contact information or social engineering tactics in an attempt to gain control of the device.
Small Steps Provide Stronger Protection
Your phone does not need complicated security software or constant attention to be better protected.
Start with the basics: lock it, update it, back it up, and think carefully before installing apps or opening unexpected links. These simple habits can reduce the risk of account theft, financial fraud, lost information, and privacy problems.
Review your phone’s security settings today. When you are unsure about a setting or message, pause and ask a trusted technology professional or contact the company through an official channel.
Need help securing your organization’s mobile devices? Contact our team for assistance reviewing settings, updates, backups, and account protections.
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