Protect Your Android Phone from Theft and Hacking
Mobile phones contain most of our sensitive information, such as photos, bank accounts, passwords, etc. Follow these steps to prevent data misuse if you lose your mobile phone or protect it from hackers.
1
Enable screen lock
The first defence against data theft is to lock your phone with a strong passcode or biometric authentication (e.g. fingerprint or face recognition). This will prevent unauthorised access to your phone and its contents.
1. Open the Settings app
2. Search for Screen Lock
3. Select a Screen lock type of your choice and follow the steps on the screen. Using biometrics or a screen lock PIN is recommended with at least six characters. Patterns are considered less secure than the options mentioned above
2
Theft proof your phone by installing the “Google Find my device” app
This app will help you remotely find, lock, or erase it if you lose your mobile phone.
1. Go to Google find my device app on playstore and download the app
2. Add a Google account to your phone
3. Turn on location tracking from the settings
4. Turn on Find My device
5. Check if your device is visible on Google Play
If you lost your phone, you could refer to this post to find, lock or erase your phone
3
Back up your data regularly:
Back up your important data (e.g. contacts, photos, documents) regularly to a cloud service or external hard drive. This will ensure you keep your data if your phone is lost or stolen.
4
Download apps from trusted sources
Only download apps from trusted sources such as the Google Play Store. Be cautious of apps that request excessive permissions or ask for sensitive information.
5
Install Antivirus
99% of malware on Android phones is found to be from third-party apps. Install an Android Antivirus app to protect your mobile phone from Viruses. Refer to the article Free Antivirus for Android more information.
6
Keep your device updated
Hackers often target vulnerabilities in operating systems to hack into your devices. Google releases updates to fix these vulnerabilities through updates. Always update your phone as soon as possible to make sure your phone is always up to date. Refer to the article Keep your android phone updated