Our world is growing more and more digital every single day. We don’t even realize, but our lives have shifted to the virtual world. And, we cannot stress the need for security on our electronic devices. If you have one account that you use for all your devices, and if all are synced, you need to upgrade your iPhone privacy right now.
Smartphones have become an intricate part of our lives. Apart from our private details, contacts, and messages, there are apps that have our health information, our locations, and have access to almost everything that we do every single minute of our lives. And so, securing our private life through the iPhone’s privacy and settings are crucial.
Here are some of the key aspects of iPhone privacy.
Your Location
You need to be extremely careful with your location. You can always switch them on for an app when you need them. Don’t just let any app take your location in.
Even the New York Times has warned people about the accuracy of some apps in locating an individual. Some apps have also been known to sell your location information to third-party companies. This casual invasion of iPhone privacy is inconvenient in its best and dangerous at its worst.
So, to secure your privacy and settings, go to iPhone’s settings. Then tap on Privacy, then location services. There you will get access to all the apps that are keeping track of you. Consider which app you want to allow and act accordingly.
The best option would be to change settings to “While Using The App.”
Could Someone Be Breaching Your iPhone Privacy Through Your Camera?
Your iPhone’s privacy and settings need to be top-notch. Many apps ask for access to your smartphone’s camera. Some are understandable, but many are not, especially if you download a lot of unknown apps.
Again, go to your Settings. Tap on Privacy, and then Camera. There you will see a list of apps that have been granted access to your smart phone’s camera. The best thing is to switch them to “While Using The App.” You don’t want your iPhone security breached through your camera.
Which Apps Need Access To Your Microphone?
“Why” is an important question to ask whenever you allow any app to have access to your smartphone. Go over to your Settings, then Privacy, and then Microphone, and check which apps have access to your microphone. You might be taken aback by the list. Sometimes, we don’t even realize, but when we download some apps, they gain access without our knowledge. And so, it’s always good to double-check.
Note that you can always give access to apps when you need them.
Did You Know About Ad Tracking?
iPhone privacy is great, but oftentimes, we don’t even know what features our iPhone’s provide us. One excellent privacy and settings feature provided by our iPhones is the ad tracking feature.
Head on to Settings. Tap on Privacy, and then Advertising. There, you need to tap on “Limit Ad Tracking.” Meanwhile, you can also select the “Reset Advertising Identifier.” This means that targeted advertising companies won’t be able to see your identity. This will definitely lessen the invasion of your iPhone privacy.
Your Live Photos Are Actually Live Video
Remember the same “live” icon on your iPhone camera? Well, as Apple explained, it means that whenever it’s enabled, it takes a 3-second video when you take a Live Photo. Apple explained that it is so that you can capture the moment with sounds and movement. Well, that sounds great unless you accidentally share something that you don’t want the public to know. It’s just too risky. Disable the Live feature if you don’t want your iPhone privacy to be breached. Moreover, you can always enable it when you want to.
Make Sure That Your Lock Screen Does Not Tell On You
What’s the use of putting a pattern in your iPhone when your lock screen shows you any message you receive? Well, it will give you privacy and security, but only half of it.
Imagine that you are with your parents and your partner decides to get cheeky. It’s all okay if you don’t mind uncomfortable silence. But it gets even riskier when something else gets revealed. Imagine you are with a person you don’t particularly like. What if your friends text you about that person and not a good text by any standards. These are just some very tame examples of what your exposed lock screens can do.
We are sure you don’t want that. So, to avoid your lock screen telling on you, head on to Settings. Go to Notifications, then down on to Messages. When you get to the Message setting, you will see “Show Previews.” Opt for “Never” so that your lock screen doesn’t rat on you ever.
Do You Remember A Thing Called Voicemail?
Yes, voicemails are still a feature on your iPhone. And, your iPhone security can be breached through your voicemail. In 2018, at DEF CON, digital experts showed the audience how someone can easily sneak into your iPhone and cause major damage. Besides accessing your private photos, they can even link your other accounts like PayPal and Google. And we don’t need to tell you the damage this can cause.
Don’t neglect your voicemail simply because you don’t use it. Go to your voicemail and set up a strong password. Head on to Settings. Then tap on Phone, and then go to “Change Voicemail Password.” Your iPhone privacy and settings will ask you to create a 9-digit code. Get this done, and you will thank yourself in the future.
These are some of the basic ways you can protect your iPhone privacy. It’s just that easy. So, head on to your Settings and start securing your precious private data right now.
