A 2022 report suggests that Android phones are targeted by hackers more than Apple’s iPhone, but that doesn’t mean that the iPhone is safer. The new iOS 11.1 was also hacked by security researchers just a day after it was released. It doesn’t matter if you are using an Android or iPhone, or how new and advanced the new update is; hackers will find a way to crack into it and compromise your personal details. It’s better to be safe than sorry, as the old adage goes. Here are 10 features for Android users that will keep you safe from hackers, viruses, and more.
Find my device
The feature will help you in case you lose your phone or someone grabs or snatches it from you. You can use this feature on the web itself; you’ll be able to locate the current position if your phone is nearby, or if the current location is not available, you’ll be able to see the last known location. You can wipe data from your device remotely, and you can also lock it. In order to use this feature, you’ll have to set it up beforehand. This is how you set it up: Go to Settings > Security > Find My Device. Turn on the toggle on the “Find My Device” page.
Permission manager
Every app nowadays requires permission to make calls, send SMS, or take photos from your phone. Calculator, for example, would request the same. Sometimes, the rules and regulations are so vast that you do not have the time to read them properly and you keep clicking on “yes.” You apparently gave the app permission to sell your data to a third-party organization. How do you tackle this situation when it arrives? Permission manager is the solution. Android devices come with a permission manager that will help you see all the apps that require permissions. You can manually check and toggle the permission list.
Read More: Safe Mode Feature on Android Devices
Google play protect
Suppose you want to download an app from the Play Store, and you believe that the app is legit and won’t harm your device at all. You download it, and it turns out you have installed a harmful virus on your device. That’s where Google Play Protect will help you; it will run the app before you install it and warn you if it’s harmful for your device. Apart from that, Google Play Protect keeps running security checks on all the apps that are installed on your device and makes sure that none of them causes any harm.
Lock screen options
As stated earlier, Find My Device will help you lock your device remotely, but there are certain ways to make sure your device is locked and no one apart from you will be able to access it. Usually, users will have only one security measure for their phones, such as the grid or a passcode. You can definitely have that, but you should also do a fingerprint scan and a face scan. You can also set a lock delay timer in Android’s lock screen settings so that you can immediately lock your phone after you finish using it.
Google security checkup
This is predominantly a Google feature, but nonetheless, this feature will make sure that your device is safe and secure. Using this feature will show you all the security issues that are detected and will tell you how you can make your device secure. Go to Settings, Google Manage Google, Account Security tab, click on the Security Issues Detected option, and then tap the Secure Account button to run a Google security check on your phone.
Read More: Android Lock Screen Vulnerability
Emergency Contacts
This feature is more for your safety than for your phone. This feature will save your emergency contacts and your medical information, so if by any chance you are in need of any medical assistance and people around you don’t know what to do, they’ll be able to look at your phone and see all the details, and this information will be reflected even if your phone is in lock mode.
Smart Lock
This Android feature works the way you want it to work. The smart lock will focus on three verticals: on-body detection, trusted devices, and trusted places. Which simply means that your phone will unlock if you make a motion, and once your phone is placed on a stagnant area, it will lock itself. Similarly, if you connect your phone to a trusted device like a Bluetooth headset, it will unlock itself. Lastly, if you are in a trusted place like your home, then your phone will unlock itself. It is obvious that you’ll have to save trusted devices and places beforehand, but this feature works like a charm.
Password Manager
If you use Google Chrome for browsing the Internet, then you must know that the browser comes with a security feature known as Password Manager. This feature will help you check all the passwords that have been leaked or compromised. So check it out and update all of your passwords.
Better App permission
To provide users more control over their programmes, Google upgraded the app permission option. Users can direct apps to only use specific permissions when the app is open. This makes sure that apps aren’t secretly gathering info from the device.
App Pinning
The app pinning feature enables users to lock one app or process on the phone, after which they must unlock the phone once more to access any other apps or processes. You’ll find this feature helpful when you give your phone to someone you do not and they want to use your phone.