Protecting your Android device is much more than just adding a screen lock. There is more to it than that. Read below to know how to protect Android device.
Protect Android: Screen Lock
This is the basic way to protect your Android device if it ever falls into the wrong hands. You can use PIN lock, Pattern Lock, Password Lock and, if your device supports, Fingerprint Scanner or Eye Scanner Lock. Although there are ways to bypass the lock, your data can still be secured even if you lost your device. Setting up Screen Lock is pretty simple. All you have to do is head over to Settings > Security > Screen Lock and select one of the provided options.
Protect Android: Locking individual apps and media
You can go a step further and lock individual apps and media. If you don’t want anyone to use certain media file or apps without your consent then you can add an extra layer of security by locking them down using an app such as AppLock. This will let you add PIN lock for individual apps. This is particularly important if you get a lot of confidential emails or you don’t want anyone to go through your messages and texts. App Lock also lets you hide photos and videos from prying eyes by keeping them in a secure vault and hide applock icon itself
Protect Android: Keeping OS and apps updated
Apps and OS updates is not just for rolling out new features; it also patches any security flaws and vulnerabilities. Its recommended that you have enabled apps to auto-update on Google Play Store, or you can check if any app needs to be updated manually. To enable auto-update, go to Google Play Store > Settings > General > Enable Auto Update. If your OS has any update available, you will receive a notification but you can also check for updates manually by heading over Settings > About Phone / Tablet > System updates.
Protect Android: Check Apps’ Permissions
Google Play Store allows you to see all the permissions the app needs before you download it. It is often a good idea to check those permissions before downloading any app from the Play Store. If you find any permission to be suspicious and unnecessary, do not download the app and report it immediately. Starting from Marshmallow, you have the complete power to manage permissions of the individual app after you’ve installed it. If you have denied any permission of any app, it will prompt you for permission if the app is trying to use it. You can find App Permissions in Settings > Apps > App Permissions.
Protect Android: User Accounts
Since Lollipop, you can now set up multiple accounts on your Android phone or tablet. This is useful you are sharing your device with other users such as family members or roommate. You can customize an account to give the users access only to the parts of your device that you are willing to see. For instance, if you don’t want the user to make any calls, you can block deny the access to the Dialer. You can setup user accounts from Settings > Users > Add User.
Protect Android: Remote Tracing and Wiping
Every Android user must install Android Device Manager on their device(s). It is an important tool that enables you to track down your lock Android device and even wipe the contents remotely. This app is from Google and is available for free on the Google Play Store. Android Device Manager can also be accessed from your PC using any web browser if you have signed into your Google account.
Protect Android: Insurance
As Android devices are getting expensive given that some devices costs over $700, its always a good idea to ensure your device. Many banks and private insurance companies offer electronic device insurance. You may want to consider this.
Protect Android: Backing Up Android
Losing your device doesn’t only mean that the sensitive data inside it may get into wrong hands; it also means that those data are no longer in your hands. It is essential that you back up your android. Your contacts and apps settings can be backed up to your Google account. You can use Google Drive to back up your documents and media to the cloud. You can also manually copy all your documents, media and contacts to your computer. If you lost your device and bought a new one, simply associating your device to your Google account can automatically restore all the contacts, documents and media to that device. There are various apps for App Backup and Restore that lets you backup all your apps on your SD card. If your device is rooted, you can use Titanium Backup to backup all your apps including their data. Starting Android L, you can backup and restore app data.
Protect Android: Android viruses and malware
Sometimes you may click a link on your Gmail or Facebook that maybe a carrying a virus, or download an app that is actually a malware. This can give away your credentials, your personal details and identity theft. Installing an antivirus app such as Avast, AVG and Lookout can be a good idea but if you stick to Google Play for downloading apps, viruses and malware will not be a problem.
Protect Android: Use secure WiFi
Surfing the internet when you are on a café waiting for someone has become a trend and an excellent time killer. If you really think about it, who doesn’t love surfing free internet? Connecting to a free and unsecured WiFi is not a good idea. The one who is proving the free unsecured WiFi may be silently tracking your device and recording your passwords. Connect to an unsecured WiFi only if it is extremely necessary and never perform any monetary transactions when on an unsecured network.
Protect Android: Encrypt Android
Encrypting your Android will scramble all your data and you will need to provide the password to decrypt it and use the phone every time you turn it on. Encrypting and decrypting your Android takes a lot of time and is unnecessary for the most user and will only slow down your device. However, if your device as extra sensitive information, then this is mandatory.
Protect Android: Secure Messaging
Some of the popular messaging apps such as WhatsApp now offers end-to-end encryption. This means the data gets encrypted before it leaves your device and gets decrypted only after it reached the receiver’s device. This secures your data from being snooped before the receivers gets it. Another app called Signal Private Messenger allows you to chat securely without its server being able to access your data.
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