How to Protect your Privacy on a Android Smartphone?

By Sudhiir

| Published: Wednesday, March 16, 2016, 15:51 [IST]

There is a lot of personal information stores on our phones - phone numbers, call history, app data, shopping information, saved chats, browser history and the list just goes on.

How to Protect your Privacy on a Android Smartphone?

However, in a world where just about everyone uses a phone, it is necessary to safeguard your privacy as several personal details are stored in your phone.

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It is possible for scrupulous people to use your phone and gain access to very critical information. However, there are several tools on Android that help you to protect your privacy if you lose your phone or if your phone finds itself in the wrong hands.

Let's look at 5 ways that helps you to safeguard your privacy from the wrong hands when your phone is lost.

1

Use the Lock feature on your Android Device. You can either use a Pattern, Password or numbers. This is one way to protect your device when it falls into the wrong hands

2

Encryption of a phone is complex and not so simple. However, you can get you phone encrypted even with the help of experts. To encrypt your phone go to Settings -> Security. You need to Plug in your Charger when you are encrypting your phone. Also encrypting your phone can take a lot of time.

3

Android Device Manager still remains the best tool if you lose your phone. All you have to do, when you lose your phone is to go to Android Device manager on any Desktop computer and login to your Google account and Erase your Phone as the person who has stolen your phone will not be able to use your phone anymore

4

Use strong passwords. Do not use passwords that are very easy to crack. Using a combination of alphabets, numbers and characters to help you better.This will make it difficult for same one to break into your phone.

5

App permissions are important. The all new Android Marshmallow 6.0 lets you set App permissions. After you download apps, you can choose if apps can access your data and you also get to know what data they are able to access using the new App permissions feature.

6

Be careful with messenger apps. Some Messenger apps follow strict rules which include BlackBerry Messenger, Facebook Messenger, Skype, Snapchat, and WhatsApp and Hike. These remain some of the most safest apps to chat. While other messenger apps are certainly not unsafe, you should weigh your own risks before you download.

7

Antivirus apps are important to keep your phone away from Snoopers. Antivirus apps are important as they protect your phone from malware.Also Antivirus apps will let you know which of the apps you download are safe for your smartphone.