Your phone doesn’t include a user manual. Sure, you will discover online guides from Apple or Android, but don’t bet on Big Tech telling you the secrets to best protect yourself.
Default settings are sometimes a lot better for the businesses behind them than for you. Tap or click for 10 default iPhone settings that need your attention.
Some features get more attention than others, just like the recent approach to take back a text. Tap or click to see what really happens while you unsend a text. Spoiler: It’s not quite as sneaky as you’re thinking that.
Now, grab your iPhone and I’ll show you just a few changes to make to maintain yourself secure.
1. Filter out the junk texts
Spam calls are blocked relatively effectively on the carrier level, but texts are different. In case your phone is inundated with fake shipping notifications and other junk, take just a few steps to stop them.
Essentially the most basic and simple method to stop spam texts is to dam the number. Here’s learn how to block a number in Messages:
- Tap the name or number at the highest of a Messages conversation.
- Tap info, then scroll down and tap Block this Caller.
It’s also possible to go a step further by filtering messages from unknown senders. Texts from anyone not in your contact list will probably be sent to the Unknown Senders tab within the Messages list. Here’s learn how to do it:
- Go to Settings > Messages.
- Activate Filter Unknown Senders.
Bonus tip: Should you get a message from an unknown number identified as spam or junk, you possibly can report it to Apple. Within the message, tap Report Junk, then Delete and Report Junk.
What should you get a verification code you didn’t request? It is likely to be nothing, but it surely might be a scam. Tap or click here for hints it’s worthwhile to take motion.
2. Stop all of the tracking
While you go from one website to a different, you’re often followed by trackers that collect data on where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing.
Data in your browsing habits, likes, shares, ads you click, and shopping cart is all up for grabs. This info will be sold to 3rd parties or used for targeted promoting.
Safari limits third-party cookies and data. The excellent news is that this is on by default, but it surely’s idea to make sure you might have this feature turned on. Here’s how:
- Go to Settings > Safari.
- Under Privacy and Security, toggle on Prevent Cross-Site Tracking. If it’s already on, you’re good to go.
Your computer’s browser is probably going full of trackers. Tap or click for a straightforward approach to wipe out dozens with just a few clicks.
3. Block the creep who won’t leave you alone
I get requests for assistance on my national radio show and podcast on a regular basis from people coping with an ex, an abusive member of the family, or an old friend who can’t take a touch. Should you’re sick of their calls and texts, block them.
Block someone via Contacts:
- Open Contacts, then tap the name of the contact you should block.
- Tap Block this Caller, then Block Contact.
Block someone via the Messages app:
- Open the Messages app and tap a conversation.
- Tap the name, number, or profile pic at the highest of the screen.
- Tap the info button below the contact.
- Scroll down and tap Block this Caller > Block Contact
Bonus tip: You may hide or block your number from Caller ID. Tap or click here for the steps to do it.
4. Browse privately
The Safari version of Incognito mode is named Private Browsing. No, it doesn’t keep every little thing you do entirely private, but it surely does have some plusses:
- Your browsing history isn’t saved, and the sites you visit aren’t shared together with your other devices.
- Safari won’t remember the pages you visit, what you seek for, or your AutoFill information.
Here’s learn how to open a Private Browsing window in your iPhone:
- Open Safari in your iPhone and tap the two squares tabs button within the lower-right corner.
- If you might have many tabs open, tap [number] Tabs at the underside of the screen to point out the Tab Groups list.
- If you might have only one tab open, tap Start Page at the underside of the screen to point out the Tab Groups list.
- Tap Private, then tap Done.
In fact, Private mode isn’t 100% private. Tap or click for my 60-second podcast that breaks it down.
5. Lock down your lock screen
You may access just a few features — widgets, media playback controls, your camera, and the Control Center — out of your iPhone’s lock screen.
You might want to alter what’s accessible out of your lock screen to guard your privacy. Should you can see it, so can anyone else holding your phone.
Here’s learn how to keep things private:
- Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode (on an iPhone with Face ID) or Touch ID & Passcode (on an iPhone with a Home button).
- Enter your four-digit passcode when prompted.
- Under the Allow Access When Locked section, review the choices and select which will be seen on the lock screen. Selections include Notification Center, Control Center and more. Turn Notification Center off if you should keep notifications private.