Put An End To Ad Personalization
Google uses data it collects about you to offer personalized ads. Part of this is assigning you a personal advertising ID that they use to accumulate data about you. We can turn that off too. At least, tell apps not to use that ID to build profiles or show you personalized ads.
Note: If you disable Ads personalization you will still be forced to see ads but they wont be customized for maximum impact on you. In addition, if you clear your cache, it will automatically turn Ads personalization back on.
Shut Down Location History
Android devices are constantly trying to figure out where they are in the world. Even if you arent using any services that track your location, Android does so. It then will upload that information to Google to store in your Google account. The company uses that data to send you personalized maps and recommendations and probably for targeted ads, too.
If you dont like the idea of Google keeping a record of everywhere you go, at the very least you will want to shut down Google Location History. Location History is a timeline that shows everywhere you have been with your device.
Note that Location History access to your position is independent of the Location permissions we worked with in the Permission manager.
By pausing Location History, we can stop Google from tracking us as we move about. This wont keep apps from using location information from your device , but it will stop Google from filling up up their databases with a detailed profile of where we go in our day-to-day lives.
To pause Location History, follow these steps:
Or Attach Your Own Strap To The Back Of Your Phone With A Super
Promising Review: I bought this band and one of the Lovehandle ones. Both are very nice. But this one has a wider elastic strap that I liked better. The back part is also thicker, so my phone doesn’t lay flat any more. But I can deal with that for the security this little gem provides. Its definitely worth the money! Bcgal
Get it from Amazon for $3.42+ .
Also Check: Cash Back Apps For Android
Viruses And Other Types Of Malware
Malware is malicious software that can sneak onto your phone. Written with the intent to cause harm, malware can include viruses, computer worms, Trojans, ransomware, and spyware.
Cybercriminals can use malware to access your personal data and, in some cases, subsequently use that sensitive information to commit identity theft or fraud.
Viruses are a particular type of malware that infiltrate a computer or other device and their programs. A cybercriminal may be able to install a virus on your device without your knowledge or consent. The virus may then be able to insert new, malicious code on your device that can monitor and manipulate your online activity.
Build Mobile Security Awareness Through Training
People are accustomed to consumer-type freedoms on mobile devices. Its a wise policy to build awareness of corporate security risks inherent in mobile technology. Security training programs ought to include the topic of keeping mobile devices secure, what activities belong in their enterprise devices , and what day-to-day practices they can implement to avoid falling victim to common threats. Educating your employees can save your company lots of money and reduce mobile security threats dramatically.
You May Like: Where Can I Buy A Cheap Android Phone
Ways To Make Android More Secure In 2021
The readers like you support PrivacySavvy to help keep up the good work. When you purchase using links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Learn how PrivacySavvy.com makes money.
As more than 60% of people use mobile devices for shopping and get information online today, smartphones now define digital identity and businesses presence. And as per the Statista data, over 70% of mobile users globally use Android.
That makes it vital to secure Android devices.
The modern-world change of relying more on smartphones not only adds value to our lives but boasts serious concerns related to security and hacking. You lose more than just your contacts in the case of losing your smartphone.
Smartphones store a vast amount of your sensitive information, dont let that slip out of your mind.
Most people use smartphones to access social media accounts, business emails, website admin sections, and important documents. Other items that are now managed via smartphones include business, and marketing strategy documents, synced files, photos, and many other things.
If you are not protecting your Android devices, your entire data is at risk. Thats because anyone can trace and steal information from your insecure phones and mobile devices.
While talking about smartphones, you need to differentiate between iOS and Android phones. According to experts, Android phones are less secure than iOS phones.
Buy Android Devices From Vendors That Release Updates Quickly
Most are the times that people ignore the updates notifications on their Android devices. This would have been different if they knew how essential updates are when it comes to cybersecurity. While looking for an android smartphone, make sure you buy from a brand that is vigilant about releasing updates.
Remember that millions of malware are created every other day. This means that your smartphone may lack the capability to deal with the new malware. However, when the vendor works to release new security patches through updates regularly, you will be at par with the hackers and fight malware effectively.
As your vendor releases new updates every other day, it is also essential for you to make it a habit to update your device as soon as you can.
Also Check: Create Android App That Opens A Website
Ways To Make Your Phone Battery Last Longer
A mobile phone is about as useful as its battery life: it wouldnt really be a mobile phone without a charged battery after all. But while most of us protect our phones with sturdy cases, we dont seem to invest as much effort in protecting our phone batterys lifespan.
Today the vast majority of mobile phones use lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion offers many advantages but these batteries still inevitably degrade with use.
Anyone who has used a mobile phone for many years will probably notice that its battery life seems to get shorter over time, perhaps lasting only half a day even after a full charge. Thats because every time your phones lithium-ion battery charges and discharges energy it loses how much charge it can hold.
How can we keep our phone battery working in top form for as long as possible? Here are 10 things you can do:
Avoid Installing Unauthorized Apps
There may be many unauthorized apps which do harm to your device. Such apps can control everything on your phone from your contacts, calls to photos, messages and so on. After rooting our device becomes much weaker. So it is better to install the apps from Google Play Store and avoid the unauthorized apps. Always remember to control the permissions all by yourself after rooting.
You May Like: What’s The Difference Between Iphone And Android
Double Check While Installing:
Whatever the Operating System may be, There are tons of applications to get our works done.But only a few of them are original and official.The rest of the app is not dangerous but there is no use of them as well.The app which stood first in a play store search is not always the official Application.Follow the below measures before installing an application.
- Check the creator of the application.
- Check Reviews.
- Double check the terms and conditions displayed before installing an application.It seems legit and agrees with them to install the app.
Never Allow the applications to gain power over your device.Just double check the permissions you are giving for an application.
Can Iphones Get Viruses
iPhones cant get viruses, because iPhone viruses dont exist. But while iPhones are less vulnerable to malware than Androids, there are other security threats you should watch out for. Phishing attacks and unsafe Wi-Fi networks are just two of the various threats that can affect your iPhone or iPad.
iPhone viruses dont exist , but there are other threats to watch out for.
Jailbreaking your iPhone when you remove Apples built-in user restrictions makes it just as vulnerable to malware as an Android device. So if you jailbreak your phone, its important to learn how to do a virus scan for your iPhone. But even without jailbreaking your phone, iPhone users are still vulnerable to other serious security threats like identity theft.
A well-known 2021 iPhone hack installed spyware known as Pegasus that can steal tons of personal data and turn your phone into a permanent surveillance device. Using a security exploit to leverage a vulnerability in iMessage, Pegasus bypasses iOS 14s built-in security measures intended to prevent this tactic. The hack was created by Israels NSO Group, one of the worlds best hacking groups.
Thats why we strongly recommend using a robust mobile protection app for iPhones and iPads. Avast Mobile Security for iOS goes way beyond antivirus or malware protection, keeping you safe every time you go online with free, innovative tools specially designed for your iPhone and iPad.
Read Also: How Can I Buy Music On Android
Apple Iphone Support Durations
- Typical support duration: 5-6 years
- Clearly labels unsupported phones? No
- Popular handsets that are no longer supported: iPhone 6 and below
Apple consistently leads the line when it comes to software support the closed ecosystem of Apple products means it is able to retain greater control over devices like iPhones. Although its official update policy is five years, in practice it’s often beaten this. The Apple iPhone 6s, launched in 2015, is still on the latest iOS version.
Read our Apple iPhone reviews to find your perfect model.
Look At Whats On Your Smartphone
The first step to protecting your phone is seeing whats on it. This includes installed apps, text messages, emails, photos, videos, and contacts. If theres anything that isnt necessary or looks suspicious, delete it. This will not only free up space, but make you aware of what exactly is on your Android device.
You May Like: Remote Access Software For Android
Segment Data And Apps On Enterprise Devices
It is a good practice to segment mobile users into role-based groups with varying levels of access privilege. This reduces the exposed attack surface area if one device gets compromised. Segmenting applications will also prevent users from installing unwanted software that might end up infiltrating your network.
Many companies create their own BYOD programs that have been proven to keep company devices safe. To learn more, check out our article outlining best practices for BYODs.
How To Remove Viruses And Other Malware From Your Android Device
If you think you have malware on your phone, its important to stop the malware from causing any further damage. Here are a few steps you can take.
Recommended Reading: Best Apps For 5 Year Olds Android
What Is Phone Security
Phone security is the practice of defending mobile devices against a wide range of cyber attack vectors that threaten users privacy, network login credentials, finances, and safety. It comprises a collection of technologies, controls, policies, and best practices. Phone security protects us from mobile security threats of all kinds.
How To Protect Eyes From Mobile And Computer Screens
Computer eye strain perhaps isnât something you think about a lot, but once it affects you, itâs hard not to notice.
Protecting eyes from computer screens and smartphones is more important than ever, but effectively tackling the problem is more about prevention than treatment.
Simple preventative measures help protect eyes from computer screens and smartphones, and weâre going to take a look at a few of those measures in this article.
Recommended Reading: How To Remove Chatbots From Android Messages
Disable Smart Lock For Passwords And Auto Sign
Smart Lock for Passwords might be convenient, but if you want to lock down your phone, youre going to need to handle your passwords on your own. And that unfortunately means turning off Smart Lock for Passwords. Heres why: Googles method doesnt use any kind of authentication on a per-site or account basis like password managers do, so after signing in to your account for the first time on your device, all of your passwords will be available. That obviously could be a problem if someone swipes your phone.
IDG
Youll find the toggle inside the security settings for your Google account, not inside the Security tab in Settings. Once you get there, tap on Security, then scroll down to Signing in to other sites, and tapped Saved Passwords. Youll see two toggles: Offer to save passwords and Auto sign-in. If you dont want to turn the whole thing off, you can also select sites that ignore auto sign-in. We think a much better solution would be to require biometric authentication every time a password is entered , so until that happens, you should switch it off if youre paranoid.
Last Resort: Wipe Your Android
If the steps above dont work, try resetting your phone to its factory default settings. But this is a last resort so before resetting your phone, try using an Android virus removal app instead. Otherwise, heres how to factory reset your Android:
Reset your phone.
Open up your Settings, select System, then tap Reset options. Choose Erase all data and then tap Erase all data. Confirm via the pop-up and restart your phone.
Restore your phone.
If you have a backup available, you can restore your phone to get your data back. You need to restore from a backup from before your phone started acting strangely, otherwise you risk installing the Android malware again.
You May Like: How To Use Facebook Pay Android
Understanding Mobile Security Threats
Attackers are after our phones. They want to take control of them so they can use our mobile processing chips to mine cryptocurrencies or make them part of botnets. They are after our identities and accounts, which they can steal and sell for as low as pennies and as high as thousands. Our mobile wallets and financial information can be hijacked for the benefit of thieves.
Mobile security threats also include theft of login credentials for corporate networks. Indeed, mobile phishing attacks, which use texts and emails to trick recipients into clicking on malicious URLs, are up 85% in the last year.
Get Rid Of Old Appsand Update The Ones You Keep
We all download apps, use them once, and then forget they are on our phone. Take a few moments to swipe through your screen and see which ones youre truly done with and delete them along with their data. Some apps have an account associated with them that may store data off your phone as well. Take the extra step and delete those accounts so any off-phone data is deleted.
The reason for this is that every extra app is another app that needs updating or that may have a security issue associated with it. In a time of data breaches and vulnerabilities, deleting old apps is a smart move. As for the ones you keep, update them regularly and turn on auto-updates if thats an option. Updates not only introduce new features to apps, but they also often address security issues too.
Recommended Reading: Virus Protection For Android Phone
Computer Eye Strain Symptoms
The American Optometric Association recognizes the most common symptoms of eye strain are headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, and in extreme cases, neck and shoulder pain.
When your eyes strain, they tell the rest of your body that something is wrong.
Dry eyes are caused by the fact that we subconsciously stop blinking while reading screens, and other pain responses are caused by the body signaling that something is wrong.
When you use a computer all day for work, these symptoms will arise after using a screen for prolonged periods of time.
Letâs take a look at how to protect eyes from screens.
Avoid Using Public Wifi
In todays world we have to ability to check our emails, the weather, do some shopping online and even pay our bills using our smartphones. Technology has truly come a long way. We are also simultaneously drinking coffee with friends and doing these things, and multitasking means you can fit more activities into your day and spend more time with loved ones. The problem is that the public WiFi that you connect your phone to isnt always safe. In fact, around 25% of public hotspots have no encryption whatsoever according to a report released by Kaspersky Security Network.
Think your public WiFi connection is safe? So do most people, but chances are, its probably not. If you are traveling and find yourself at the airport or in a hotel, using public transport like buses and trains, or even at tourist attractions, there is a possibility that the security of the public WiFi you are using has been compromised. Hackers are using fake websites and fake hotspots to distribute malware to unsuspecting individuals.
Your best bet is to just stay away from free public WiFi. Just because its free doesnt mean its good. Use your own mobile data and stay safe.
Also Check: Best Way To Facetime Between Android And Iphone
