Android, iOS and Windows, the life of a human revolves around all these platforms. From accessing social media to managing their work digitally, many people today use Android, iOS and Windows devices as per their convenience. Among all, Android has been the most popular computing platforms around the globe.
Are you an Android mobile user? And are you aware of the safety features and Android privacy settings your device offers to keep your data and device safe? If not, this article will let you know the various ways to beef up your device’s privacy. All thanks to tech enthusiasts who have made it possible to help you secure Android phone and maintain the privacy of the messages, files and photos on your device.
Let us discuss initially the pros and cons of an Android smartphone. Although using a smartphone is in itself a big risk. But with numerous proven Android security apps and methods you can protect your device data. Being a user, you just need to go through a few tweaks. Some are just simple approaches to follow within a device while some are security changes to make within your Google account.
Boost Privacy on your Android Devices
Let us discuss the inbuilt features on your Android devices such as lock screen passwords, Ad-tracking, browser settings and search settings to secure Android phone.
Lock Screen Passwords:
Got a new Android mobile device? Make sure that you configure your Android mobile in a way that it keeps your data secure. Although smartphones today come with fingerprint sensors, they are just for user’s ease not for the core security of your device. Therefore, it is imperative to set a strong password for your phone’s better safety. To set an alphanumeric password, try this out. Go to-
Settings> Lock Screen & Password> Screen Lock> Password.
Also, the lock screen and password tab in your phone settings allow you to hide contents from your lock screen to ensure your messages and other notifications are not revealed. To enable this, go to:
Settings> Lock screen & Passwords> Advanced settings> On the lock screen> Don’t show notifications at all/ Show all notifications but hide contents.
Encrypt Your Device:
It is always good to use encrypted devices to maintain the security of the device you use. Try rebooting your phone, if it asks for a password, your device is encrypted already otherwise head to the Settings app and enable ‘Encrypt Device’. Follow the instructions to encrypt your phone.
Enable Ad Personalization:
An Android device is logged in using Google accounts and therefore, your daily searches and activities are regularly tracked. If you do not want this, you can easily opt-out for Ad personalization toggle from the settings tab. This will turn off your unique advertising ID and show you personalized and generic advertisements. For this, go to
Settings> Google> Ads and enable ‘Opt out of Ads personalization’.
Turn off Unnecessary App Permissions:
In order to secure android phone you are using, go on the Settings app of an Android device, you can manage the app permissions. Only turn on permissions for the apps you trust, otherwise, disable for the apps you don’t trust. This might break the number of apps you have installed on your device, but it is better to uninstall the applications you don’t feel like trusting.
Google Account Security Tips for Android
Other than the system settings, there are some Google account settings you should consider protecting your data from being revealed. There are many Android security apps available for download on the Google Play Store like Smart Phone Cleaner that allows you to clean junk, boost device in 1-tap and clear cache to enhance the security of your device.
Follow the tips below to secure your android phone keeping in mind the security of Google accounts logged in your Android devices:
Run a Security Check:
Google has its own security check tool that you can use to make your Google account more secure as it is always logged in your Android mobile. You can enable two-factor authentication to enhance the security of your Google Account. Consider running this security check on each one of the Google accounts (if you are logged in with multiple Google accounts). For this go to Device-
Settings> Google> Security.
Turn on Android Device Manager:
With the help of Android Device Manager, you can easily track your Android mobile from a remote location. This is helpful at times if you have either lost your phone or it has been misplaced. To turn on the Android Device Manager or to check if it has been already set up, go to-
Settings> Google> Security> Find My Device and then turn on the switch at the top.
Disable Tracking Activity:
This is a feature by default in all devices to help your secure Android phone, where Google stores and keep a track of the data based upon what you do, what apps you open or the sites you visit on Chrome etc. Though the information is kept private, still you can easily disable activity data to keep your activities private. For this, you can go to Device-
Settings> Google> Google Account> Data & Personalization.
Apps to Protect Your Device Privacy
There are a lot of ways and applications to secure Android phone and to boost up the privacy, the only thing is to ensure that all necessary security tips are undertaken. We hope that the above tips and tricks will help you secure Android phone.
If you know a few other ways to protect your Android mobile, then feel free to share your suggestions with us in the comments below.
