How to improve the security of your Android phone? step by step guide

Currently, one of the most used mobile operating systems in the world is Android and consequently, millions of people use their Smartphones every day and rely on it for practically all the activities they carry out. thus storing very sensitive and valuable information in it. Whether related to work, study or even intimate data that can be considered vulnerable in case of theft, loss either any circumstance of this type that endangers the privacy of the user. With what they get to be victims of blackmail, scams, identity theft, etc.

In this sense, it is essential that people care about protecting their mobile phone and in this way, they make sure to keep the data it contains 100% protected. Considering that currently, many people they do absolutely nothing to back up your personal information, even though they keep and expose all your privacy on these electronic devices. So if you are one of them, we recommend that you don’t keep ignoring this and rather, implement some methods that can help you improve the security of your Android phone.

Thus, we want to inform you about several procedures that you can carry out to keep all the information you handle on your mobile guarded, whether they are emails, conversations on social networks, information regarding your bank accounts and credit cards, photographs, videos, among others. Thus, Below we present various options so that you can select the one that best suits you..

Steps and methods to improve the security of our Android Smartphone

Luckily, there are many alternatives that you have at hand to Optimize the infallibility of your cell phone. Here, several steps and tactics you can opt for it:

Do not have sensitive information on your mobile

The most infallible method to protect your personal and private life, without a doubt, is do not store it on the Smartphone. Since in this way, your mobile can be lost, stolen or something similar and as much as they search for it, they will not find anything with which they can affect you, since it never existed there. This may refer to passwords of different online accounts, personal or bank details, address of your homeetc.

Indeed, try to handle your mobile as usual and do not store in it a lot of important information that, ultimately, only you or the people closest to you should know. So to avoid, you can store said data in another place where you really know it is safe and that no one can sniff them.

Use data encryption

Now, if you need to save private information on your mobile, one of the best tools to protect it is data encryption. Because, This perfectly guarantees the safety of the Smartphone in case you lose it or for greater danger, fall into the hands of a thief and you can’t block it remotely.

In this sense, data encryption works, essentially, to modify data and electronic information to an unreadable state through encryption algorithms and tools.

To activate screen lock on your androidthe process is extremely simple and well, you must perform the following steps:

• Go to the menu “Settings” of your cell phone, to select the section “Security”.
• When you are in “Security“, Choose “encryption”. Now choose “encrypt device” and also “Encrypt SD card” so that it is fully encrypted.
• Subsequently, enter a PIN, password or pattern and confirm to continue (make sure you remember that password). Finally, click on “encrypt phone” and that’s it.

Download apps only from Google Play

In view of the large number of ways that exist to decrypt people’s electronic data, one of them operates when you get apps from some websites. Therefore, it is opportune to download and install applications directly from absolutely reliable online stores.

In this sense, we advise you to only download apps on updated google play store, since they will not cause any inconvenience for the phone. This, mainly, because the search engine of said platform achieves analyze and eliminate the majority of “solutions” that ultimately turn out to be dangerous or problematic. Which does not happen with other web pages that many times what they offer are amounts of malware of unknown origin.

Similarly, it is recommended that before entering Google Playgo to “Settings” and to the option “Security” on your mobile. stop there, disable the “unknown sources” box and enable “Check apps”. These two measures are opportune so that the app store work more safely.

Use strong passwords

Many people due to lack of time or creativity, they do not deal with creating invulnerable passwords but they choose to place those that do not present much mystery and are easy to remember. But unfortunately, they are falling into a terrible mistakeas this gives malicious hackers more room to decrypt your personal data and access the information stored on the Smartphone without much trouble.

Therefore, we advise you that you use passwords with a high level of security and do not use digits such as the date of your birth or this type of data that can be easily guessed. Thus, it is opportune that you use combinations of uppercase and lowercase letterstogether with numbers and symbolsand also, change your password every certain interval of time to avoid risks.

It is also essential that make use of different passwords on all the websites you manage, so they are less likely to access your entire digital life. In Android, you have a useful feature to disable the checkbox that refers to visible passwordswhich you achieve by simply going to “Settings” and enter the “Security”.

Beware of app permissions

Another of the things that hackers use is the permissions that applications mostly request once you download them from the Google Play store. The most common is to be able to access the contacts, calls, WiFi, etc. Therefore, it is valuable that check well what permissions it is, depending on the program you are installing. being very important, monitor and control what they are used for.

For example, if it is an entertainment app such as a game and it requests access to your contact folder, It is normal. Now, if an application of another type like a flashlightask for the same thing, you can begin to suspect why they don’t really need it.

Now, for the benefit of Android users, Google Play provides an alternative to “View permissions”. Which, you can see when you enter the menu “Settings” from Google and so on, see the programs that are activatedwhere of course you can verify it as many times as you want.

Use SmartLock

The function SmartLock is one of the best designed for Android which provides automatic unlocking and thus allows you to unlock your mobile in an easier way but always respecting in great magnitude the security of your private life. In such a way, it gives you the facility to keep the phone unlocked automatically when you are in a trusted placeso in those situations, you won’t have to enter your PIN, password, or pattern to use it.

To activate this function, first of all you must set a screen lock. Then enter “Settings”, to the “Security” to finally access “Screen lock”. There, the option of “SmartLock” so you need to activate it. Now, in case you do not see it in that menu, you must enter the section “Advanced“, Choose “trusted agents” and verify that Smart Lock is enabled.

Always use a VPN connection

It is no secret to anyone that making use of WiFi networks can be somewhat dangerous when transferring data, since in a certain way, it is easy to decipher. Indeed, there have been VPN apps that give greater certainty when sharing private content and also allow you to access restricted sources.

Therefore, a good trick to protect all your data is make use of these appswhich despite the fact that many people consider it a complicated method, it is preferable to take it into account to avoid being connected to an Internet that can be dangerous.

In this sense, with the best VPN services it is possible to encrypt incoming and outgoing traffic, in order to share your information with much more security. Now, to activate it, you simply need to download one of these apps (especially the most recognized ones) and then enable it from the Settings menuaccessing “wireless networks” and finally to “VPN settings”.

Don’t use open Wi-Fi connections

As we mentioned in the previous method, it is not safe to use WiFi connections to share sensitive data through your Smartphone, and much less if it is those that are open to the public. This is why we advise you keep wifi signal off when you leave your house, for example, so that you can prevent any such wireless network from accessing your data easily.

Considering the large number of malicious hackers operating today, this is one of the most common techniques they use to usurp important information and cause harm. So, it is good to prevent it and also, pay close attention to what you share through the Internet network of your home or somewhere in “confidence”.

Android DeviceManager

It is considered the best tool for locate a terminal that has been stolen or lost. This platform has many advantages for Android users and among the most important we can highlight that it is a free app that weighs very littleso it can be used from any device no matter how old or new it is.

On the other hand, it is not necessary to have the app installed on your mobile, since just associate a Google account to it and well, in some of these situations you can locate it on the map with that account. This can be done from a computer, another cell phone or through the web browser. So definitely It is an excellent alternative to protect a mobilein some way.

Delete apps you don’t use

Many times, people download and install applications that after a few days, they stop using and are basically forgotten. Which, it is somewhat riskysince one or more of them can be malicious and function as a kind of spy on your personal information.

Indeed, monitor your phone completely and remove apps you no longer use, especially those that look suspicious. Thus, this great risk will be reduced.

If you don’t know how to uninstall them, just go to the “Settings” and then go to “Manage apps”from where you can delete data and eliminate programs that are not useful in your terminal.

Turn on Google’s two-step verification

Most people tend to believe that this is a function especially for Google and not specified for Android, but it’s not like that. As, two-step verification is very well linked with said operating systemin order to enhance the overall security of smartphones.

To enable it, you just have to go to the google settings on your device and click on “Google account” and then scroll to the “Security”, where you must enter the option “Two-Step Verification” and simply follow each of them to configure the tool

By using this method, in addition to put passwords in the apps you useyou have to add a code that is sent to you via SMS. Therefore, without said text message, it is impossible to enter any of your accounts, even if they know the password for it. And even though it takes a little time, it is one of the most recommended for greater protection of your personal data.

Update your Android

Another way to maintain infallible security on your phone and thus optimize the privacy of your Smartphone is update the device Android every so often. Since this allows remove certain malware And ultimately, counter device vulnerability in general.

Added to this, it provides the improvement of the functions of the mobile and even allows to improve its execution. So optimizing, the speed of it and maintaining the performance of the battery.

Put a screen lock

Today, all mobile devices have a security mechanism that allows you to place a screen lock in this way, protect your terminal from those intruders who wish to snoop on your private data. These can be treated from simple passwords or a PIN, even patterns and biometrics, which has been implemented for some time. With which, you further increase the invulnerability of everything you store on your mobile.

If you still don’t know how to set a screen lock, do the following step by step, which is very simple:

• Access the menu “Settings”.
• Select the section “Security” and then click on “Location” Y “Screen lock”.
• In “Screen lock” you have several options to select, and well, you can place the one you like the most. Afterwards, the system will ask you to confirm the password you have placed and of course, you must do it without errors. That is all.

Install an antivirus

Taking into account that Android, today, It is the main focus of the virus.since in less than a year more than 900,000 threats have been promoted and, therefore, thousands of devices have been infectedit is essential to install an antivirus on your mobile.

In short, they allow improve its securitysafeguarding everything related to bank accounts, addresses, photos and ultimately, highly sensitive topics that can be used by malicious hackers.

Also, many of these antiviruses are designed to locate and block your stolen phone immediately, if you lose it or are the victim of a theft; by means of a map that shows you where the device has moved. Also, if any of these situations occur, delete your personal information so that no one can use it. Also have remote lock that whenever you want, it prevents access to your private data.