Customizing your Android experience to make your device more secure is not as difficult as some people think. It mostly comes down to following a few specific practices. Keep in mind that you should always be on the lookout for new developments, as Android is a constantly evolving platform with new updates coming out on a regular basis.
There are some basic security settings you should familiarize yourself with if you want to keep things as secure as possible. However, there is always the possibility of digging down further and adding even more measures to protect your device against intruders. What we’ve listed below should work fine for the majority of users out there.
One of the most basic things you could do – and yet many people ignore – is to set a password lock. This will keep most people out in case you’ve forgotten your device somewhere unattended. Even though it’s not a perfect measure against determined attackers, it’s still far better than nothing.
Android also comes with some advanced locking features that can simplify your life. For example, Smart Lock, which can keep your phone unlocked as long as it’s within proximity of certain trusted devices (like your smartwatch), or in a known safe area (like your home). As soon as the device is out of these bounds, it will lock itself automatically without requiring any intervention from you. Afterward, you can use your regular password to unlock it.
Private browsing won’t keep your browsing habits anonymous from someone snooping in on your connection, but it can go a long way in preventing people from figuring out what sites you’ve been visiting when browsing through the phone itself.
Many people associate this with “naughty” habits, like watching porn or talking to people behind someone’s back, but there are plenty of legitimate reasons to browse in private mode, too. For example, if you’re looking for a gift for your upcoming anniversary, you wouldn’t want your significant other to accidentally come across that in your search history while using your phone.
As mentioned above, private browsing is only good for obscuring your browsing history on the device itself. If someone is tracking your connection, they could potentially still figure out a lot about what you do on a daily basis, what sites you visit, and even who you talk to. Even if you’re connecting over SSL and other secure protocols, people might still be able to infer a lot about you from knowing which sites you visit a lot.
Using a VPN is a good way to avoid this kind of tracking, and it’s not difficult to get a subscription for one and then set it up. Many companies offer advanced VPN solutions that fit the needs of users of all types, including gamers, employees, developers, streamers, and anyone else who might have more unique preferences toward their connection. Here is an example of a VPN that is known to be the most universal and performs well in mostly all cases.
Some users still don’t realize this, but Android has a very convenient feature designed for lost or stolen devices. It’s called “Find My Device”, and it works with both phones and tablets. The only requirement is that you keep location services enabled at all times. If you ever lose the device, you can go online in any browser and use the feature to see where it was “spotted” last.
As long as the GPS connection stays alive, Find My Device will show you the last known location of the phone/tablet. Even without that, you can still ring an alarm with a customized on-screen message if you wish. Note that this alarm can even override any current volume settings and will be quite loud. Thus, it’s not a good idea if it’s possible that you’ve left your device at class, church, or another location where it would be inappropriate to make it ring. As a last resort, this feature can also allow you to wipe the device remotely, erasing all data from it.
Following these tips should allow you to stay safe in your use of your Android device. Other than that, you should pay attention to update notifications, security alerts, and be wary of any suspicious contact attempts by people you don’t recognize. The operating system is pretty robust and good at keeping intruders out, but it does take some basic knowledge on your part to keep it safe and secure.
There are some basic security settings you should familiarize yourself with if you want to keep things as secure as possible. However, there is always the possibility of digging down further and adding even more measures to protect your device against intruders. What we’ve listed below should work fine for the majority of users out there.
Screen Lock & Smart Lock
One of the most basic things you could do – and yet many people ignore – is to set a password lock. This will keep most people out in case you’ve forgotten your device somewhere unattended. Even though it’s not a perfect measure against determined attackers, it’s still far better than nothing.
Android also comes with some advanced locking features that can simplify your life. For example, Smart Lock, which can keep your phone unlocked as long as it’s within proximity of certain trusted devices (like your smartwatch), or in a known safe area (like your home). As soon as the device is out of these bounds, it will lock itself automatically without requiring any intervention from you. Afterward, you can use your regular password to unlock it.
Private Browsing
Private browsing won’t keep your browsing habits anonymous from someone snooping in on your connection, but it can go a long way in preventing people from figuring out what sites you’ve been visiting when browsing through the phone itself.
Many people associate this with “naughty” habits, like watching porn or talking to people behind someone’s back, but there are plenty of legitimate reasons to browse in private mode, too. For example, if you’re looking for a gift for your upcoming anniversary, you wouldn’t want your significant other to accidentally come across that in your search history while using your phone.
Secure Connections
As mentioned above, private browsing is only good for obscuring your browsing history on the device itself. If someone is tracking your connection, they could potentially still figure out a lot about what you do on a daily basis, what sites you visit, and even who you talk to. Even if you’re connecting over SSL and other secure protocols, people might still be able to infer a lot about you from knowing which sites you visit a lot.
Using a VPN is a good way to avoid this kind of tracking, and it’s not difficult to get a subscription for one and then set it up. Many companies offer advanced VPN solutions that fit the needs of users of all types, including gamers, employees, developers, streamers, and anyone else who might have more unique preferences toward their connection. Here is an example of a VPN that is known to be the most universal and performs well in mostly all cases.
Find My Device
Some users still don’t realize this, but Android has a very convenient feature designed for lost or stolen devices. It’s called “Find My Device”, and it works with both phones and tablets. The only requirement is that you keep location services enabled at all times. If you ever lose the device, you can go online in any browser and use the feature to see where it was “spotted” last.
As long as the GPS connection stays alive, Find My Device will show you the last known location of the phone/tablet. Even without that, you can still ring an alarm with a customized on-screen message if you wish. Note that this alarm can even override any current volume settings and will be quite loud. Thus, it’s not a good idea if it’s possible that you’ve left your device at class, church, or another location where it would be inappropriate to make it ring. As a last resort, this feature can also allow you to wipe the device remotely, erasing all data from it.
Following these tips should allow you to stay safe in your use of your Android device. Other than that, you should pay attention to update notifications, security alerts, and be wary of any suspicious contact attempts by people you don’t recognize. The operating system is pretty robust and good at keeping intruders out, but it does take some basic knowledge on your part to keep it safe and secure.
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