If These Apps Are Still On Your Phone, Someone May Be Spying On You
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Future Publishing/Getty Images WhatsApp"This is a call to action for users who may be living under a rock and unaware of the vulnerabilities that were disclosed earlier this year," says Michael Covington, VP of Product for mobile security leader Wandera. "The vulnerabilities with WhatsApp—both iOS and Android versions—allowed attackers to target users by simply sending a specially crafted message to their phone number. Once successfully exploited, the attackers would be granted access to the same things WhatsApp had access to, including the microphone, the camera, the contact list, and more."
Yes, that means attackers had the ability to do a lot of scary spying. "This was one of the most widespread issues I've seen impacting mobile devices, and we continue to see out-of-date versions on enterprise devices," Covington says. Luckily, this one is easy to remove: Simply update the app to the latest version. At the time of writing, the latest version for Android is 2.19.339 and the latest version for iOS is 2.19.112. If you've already caught yourself wondering "is Whatsapp safe?" you've got good instincts.
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Poungsaed-Studio/Shutterstock InstagramWhatsapp and Instagram are both owned by Facebook, which is part of what makes them all a risk. Dave Salisbury, director of the University of Dayton Center for Cybersecurity and Data Intelligence, says that Instagram "requests several permissions that include but are not limited to modifying and reading contacts and the contents of your storage, locating your phone, reading your call log, modifying system settings, and having full network access."
Even more worrisome, updates may automatically add additional capabilities. "People need to remember that at Facebook, and plenty of other places, you're the product, not the customer," Salisbury says. "Information about you, what you do, where you go, who you interact with, etc., is valuable. If you're OK with giving that up for some free services, that's a valid choice. What I'd hope is that people actually think through the choice in an informed way and make sure they're getting as much as they're giving."
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Facebook MessengerSince Messenger is a separate Facebook app, Attila Tomaschek, digital privacy expert at ProPrivacy, feels that it's important to address as well. "Deleting Facebook Messenger is a no-brainer, based upon the company's frighteningly lax approach to protecting user privacy," Tomaschek says. "The messages you send and receive using the Facebook Messenger app are not encrypted, meaning that all your messages are plainly viewable to any Facebook employee with the appropriate permissions."
While the company is planning to roll out a "Secret Conversation" mode that will offer encryption, it won't be the default option and won't be available for the calling feature. "What's more, the app automatically scans any links or photos you send, and if any suspicious content is flagged by the algorithm, your messages will be read by moderators employed by the company," Tomaschek adds. "Basically, if you don't want your personal data to be subject to Facebook's flimsy data-privacy practices and you don't want anyone potentially eavesdropping on your private messages, then it's best to cut your losses, delete the app, and look elsewhere."
If you're looking for an alternate private messaging app, Tomaschek recommends the secure messaging app Signal. "Your messages in Signal are secured by the app's proprietary encryption protocol, which many consider being the most secure messaging protocol available today," he says. "In fact, Edward Snowden has even endorsed Signal as a secure messaging app."
These Top Budgeting Apps Sync With Your Bank Accounts, Are Widely Available And Come Highly Rated
Many financial experts and personal finance gurus agree that making a budget is key to taking control of your money.
If the B word seems daunting and tedious, however, you're not alone. That's why dozens of companies have created apps that do the grunt work for you. Budgeting apps typically link to your bank accounts and credit cards and automatically track your purchases from there. Many even categorize your spending into different buckets (transportation, food, etc.) so you know exactly where your money goes. By using a good budgeting app, you save time you would otherwise spend manually inputting numbers into a spreadsheet — all the while encouraging you to spend less and save more.
To determine which budgeting apps are the best overall, CNBC Select reviewed and compared over a dozen apps, looking at their pricing and their features. To rank the top five, we only considered apps that sync your transactions, come with low (or no) cost to sign up, are easy to use and can be accessed on multiple devices. We favored those that have a considerable number of user reviews and high ratings.
The five apps we selected for this ranking are either free, offer a free version or have a free trial for users to test out before signing up. They each have at least 1,000 reviews in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android), as well as a rating of 4 stars (out of 5) or higher on both platforms. (See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best budgeting apps.)
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Best overall free app MintInformation about Mint has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by Mint prior to publication.
Shows income, expenses, savings goals, credit score, investments, net worth
Yes, but users can modify
Yes, bank and credit cards
Offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)
Verisign scanning, multi-factor authentication and Touch ID mobile access
Information about You Need a Budget (YNAB) has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by YNAB prior to publication.
34-day free trial then $84 per year or $11.99 per month (students who provide proof of enrollment get 12 months free)
Instead of using traditional budgeting buckets, users allocate every dollar they earn to something (known as the "zero-based budgeting system" where no dollar is unaccounted for). Every dollar is assigned a "job," whether it's to go toward bills, savings, investments, etc.
Yes, bank and credit cards
Offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)
Encrypted data, accredited data centers, third-party audits and more
Information about PocketGuard has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by PocketGuard prior to publication.
Free basic budgeting app; $34.99 per year to upgrade to PocketGuard Plus, the premium version
Taking into account your estimated income, upcoming expenses and savings goals, "In My Pocket" feature uses an algorithm to show how much you have available for everyday spending (available for all users)
Yes, but users can modify
Yes, bank and credit cards
Offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)
Major bank-level encryption, PIN codes and biometrics like Touch ID and Face ID
App is free, but users have option to add investment management services for 0.89% of their money (for accounts under $1 million)
A budgeting app and investment tool that tracks both your spending and your wealth
Yes, but users can modify
Yes, bank and credit cards, as well as IRAs, 401(k)s, mortgages and loans
Offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)
Data encryption, fraud protection and strong user authentication
Information about Honeydue has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by Honeydue prior to publication.
Allows couples to see both partners' bank accounts, credit cards, loans and investments (and each partner can select what to share with the other) so you can manage money together and see everything at one glance
Yes, but users can customize
Yes, you and your partner's bank and credit cards
Offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)
Data encryption, Touch ID and multi-factor authentication
Once you download a budgeting app to your mobile device, tablet or computer, the app helps you track your money. The basic budgeting apps show you how much you earn and organize your expenses into separate categories so that you can see where and how much you spend.
Many budgeting apps offer much more than that, however. The best ones come with other services, such as monitoring your savings, your investments, your debts and/or your credit score. They will offer alerts when you have an upcoming bill due or recommend ways you can save.
Budgeting apps often sync with your bank accounts so it automatically tracks your spending. Some require that you input your transactions manually, which can take time.
How much do budgeting apps cost?Many budgeting apps are free, offer a free version or have a free trial for users to test out before signing up.
After a free trial, or if you want to upgrade beyond the free option, budgeting apps can cost anywhere between $1 per month for very basic budgeting features to $6-$15 per month for more advanced tools and customized tips for users. Sometimes, you can get a discount if you pay an annual fee instead of monthly.
Should I pay for a budgeting app?The short answer: You don't need to. There are plenty of free budgeting apps on the market if you don't want to invest in one. A solid choice is Mint, which we ranked best free budgeting app.
However, free apps usually have limited features or a bunch of in-app ads.
If you want a more robust budgeting app that offers a variety of premium services (such as a retirement planner tool), or you simply can't stand all the ads, consider a subscription-based app where you pay a monthly or annual fee.
You might find that paying for an app encourages you to use it more since you have some monetary stake in it. If that means you get serious about trimming your spending and saving more, the fee could be worthwhile.
Be sure to check if the app offers any sort of free trial so you can test it out before paying for it.
Our methodologyTo determine which budgeting apps offer the best user experience, CNBC Select analyzed over a dozen apps offered by the top companies in this market and looked at their pricing, features, user reviews and ratings.
We narrowed down our ranking by only considering apps that sync transactions from users' bank accounts, come with low (or no) cost to sign up, are easy to use and can be accessed on multiple devices so are accessible and compatible for most.
The five apps we selected for this ranking are either free, offer a free version or have a free trial for users to test out before signing up.
All of the apps in our round-up have a sizable number of user reviews and high ratings. Each app on this list has at least 1,000 reviews in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android), as well as a rating over 4 stars (out of 5) on both platforms.
Other factors we looked at included apps' security features, user customization and educational tools offered.
Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
The Best Sports Betting Apps In The USAOctober 2023
AP AccessibilityA mobile app has become the newest and easiest way to bet. Having everything in your pocket – your wager, winnings, markets and promotions all in one place – is easier than ever. Times of having to go to a sportsbook to place your bets are gone.
App-Only Offers and PromotionsThere are a wealth of promotions available through online sports betting, with some of these promotions only available via the sportsbook app.
Our piece outlines which of the best mobile sportsbooks have app-only offers, so you should be sure to check out which apps offer these, as they can often be enticing incentives. If you can, doing your own research can also be helpful, as other customer reviews will enlighten you on which apps boast the best loyalty schemes.
NotificationsSports betting apps allow you to turn on notifications for the events you want to follow, giving you the chance to keep up to date with what's happening without having to open the app.
Perhaps one aspect that separates the best apps from the rest is that their notifications will be faster than others, making sure you're the first to know about that touchdown, home run, or goal.
Notifications can also be turned on for events you're not wagering on, with sports betting apps often boasting faster notification times than regular live sports scores apps.
Safety and SecurityEvery sports betting app will have some form of security feature, in the form of a pin or password. Your mobile device itself will likely have your own password/Face ID/Touch ID. The security protection differs from app to app, with the range of security features normally found being:
With many different variations of security controls, your money will always be safe and secure in your mobile sports betting account. If security is important to you, most sportsbooks will offer extra levels of security, which can be added to your app once you've created your account.
Quick TransactionsAll of the best betting apps will allow you to deposit and withdraw through different methods. With mobile apps, certain sportsbooks will accept Apple/Google Pay, meaning your deposits take only a few seconds, requiring touch/face ID, or your phone password.
The majority of mobile sports betting apps will also save your payment details, meaning the next time you wish to deposit, you won't have to worry about entering all your details in again.
Mobile Live StreamingOne of the best aspects to come from online sports betting is the introduction of live streaming. This feature is also available through mobile apps, with most of the best sports betting apps offering this feature.
Remember, not every game will have live streaming, meaning you'll have to check whether or not the game you're wagering on has live streaming available.
An easy way to watch the game on the go, whilst having a flutter on the game itself.
Prefer Online Casinos? USA Sports Betting Apps Customer RatingsMobile betting app users will either be playing on an iOS or Android device. We've compiled a rankings table of the app store and play store reviews, for you to see which apps rank better with bettors playing on the same devices as you will be playing on.
Different apps will rank better on different devices, meaning there's not always a perfect choice for the best sports betting app for you.
App Store Customer Ratings Rankings Sportsbook Rating 1 BetMGM 4.8 2 FanDuel 4.8 3 PointsBet 4.7 4 Caesars 4.6 Play Store Customer Ratings Ranking Sportsbook Rating 1 FanDuel 4.8 2 Caesars 4.5 3 BetMGM 4.3 4 PointsBet 4.1 USA Sports Betting Apps FAQs Is Mobile Sports Betting legal in the USA?Yes, mobile sports betting is legal in a number of states, as online sports betting is legal in all of these states. The list of states where mobile sports betting is legal is:
Bettors in these states over the age of 21 are free to download their chosen sportsbook app from the App Store (iOS) or Play Store (Android).
Do All Sports Betting Sites Have Mobile Apps?No, not all current online sports betting sites have mobile apps. We have provided the ten best betting apps for you in this piece, with all the big operators posing very impressive apps. Despite this, some of the smaller and less recognizable sportsbooks have not yet launched a mobile app.
What Sports Can I Bet on Using Apps?Given that mobile sports betting apps are just a packaged version of online sites, all of the major sports are available to be wagered on. Football, basketball, baseball and soccer are all available to bet on with sports betting apps in the USA.
Top sports betting apps will offer markets less popular sports, such as rugby, darts and table tennis.
Can I bet on college sports on sports betting apps?The premise of betting on college sports depends entirely on whether or not college sports betting is legal in your state. The list of states which allows college sports betting are:
It is worth noting that there are specific rules tailored to each state surrounding college sports betting, which is worth researching before downloading a sports betting app.
Are Sports Betting Apps Safe?Sports betting apps are completely safe and secure. While with any form of betting there comes a level of risk when it comes to your wagers, your information and details are always secure. All of the apps in this piece are completely 100% legitimate, and are fully legal and licensed in the states in which they operate.
Do Mobile Sports Betting Apps use a lot of storage?This depends. Some mobile apps don't take up a whole lot of storage, such as PointsBet at 52MB, with DraftKings one of the biggest at 246MB.
Mobile betting apps do not save storage on your phone, so you can rest assured knowing your storage won't be eaten into whilst using sports betting apps. It's also worth remembering that some of the larger-sized download apps may be larger due to a better app interface, live streaming features, and more markets.
Can I use sports betting apps on mobile data?Yes, both wifi and cell phone data work for online gambling. However, it's important to be cautious when using public Wi-Fi networks as they're more vulnerable to security problems than at-home networks.
You will also want to be aware to not eat into your data allowance when live streaming, or using mobile betting apps for a long period of time whilst using mobile data.
