How to improve your smartphone privacy

Smartphones have become a major part of our daily lives, but as they hold a significant amount of sensitive data, from financial details to personal contacts, it’s important to keep them safe. Smartphones have ample built-in security measures to help keep your information secure, such as password protection and advanced privacy settings.

This guide discusses these and many other privacy features. If you’re looking for a smartphone with powerful security features, check out our selection of contract and SIM only handsets.

Check for security updates

Smartphone providers keep a close eye on their security measures to ensure they are protecting you from any possible vulnerabilities, such as hackers and theft. Make sure to regularly check your device for software updates, as these help to improve the operating system and how it keeps your information secure.

• iPhone: Go to Settings > General > About > Software Update
• Android: Got to Settings > System > Software Update

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication can be applied to a variety of apps on your device to maximise their security. This feature sends a one-time code to your smartphone when you try to access an account from a different device, verifying that it’s you.

So, if you try to log onto Facebook from a laptop or tablet, a code will be sent to your smartphone to ensure that there hasn’t been a data breach. You can enable two-factor authentication by going to the app’s account security settings.

Secure apps with sensitive data

Many smartphones now have a feature that allows you to lock individual apps you want to keep secure, such as online banking and emails which may have sensitive information. This stops anyone who has access to your phone from opening those apps, keeping important data private.

• iPhone: Hold down the app you want to lock to reveal the quick actions menu and select Require Face ID.
• Android: There are a variety of third-party app lockers available for Android.

Lower the brightness

As simple as it sounds, lowering the brightness of your device while out in public can help prevent people from viewing sensitive information. Whether you need to access your online banking, write a confidential email or simply scroll through social media without prying eyes, turning down the screen brightness will make it harder for people to view the contents of your smartphone.

Fit a privacy screen protector

If you’re still concerned about people viewing the content of your phone over your shoulder, privacy screen protectors are an affordable and effective option. They limit the viewing angle of the display so you can still use your device without worrying about other people seeing your screen.

Turn on privacy notifications

If you want to be alerted by specific apps but don’t want the content to be visible on your lock screen, you can turn privacy notifications on to keep your information secure. You’ll get a notification when you receive a text message, but the content will remain private until you unlock your phone and open the app. It's a great way to stop people seeing your private details in passing.

• iPhone: Go to Settings > Notifications > Messages > Show Previews > When Unlocked or Never
• Android: Go to Settings > Display > Lock Screen > Privacy > Show sensitive content only when unlocked

There are lots of ways to store sensitive data on your smartphone, with various privacy measures in place for extra protection. If you’re switching handsets and want to move your data securely, check out our guides on transferring data between iPhone and Android devices.