Privacy Tips for Your iPhone

Apple's devices are known for their privacy and security. However, your iPhone may not be secure. iPhones are more secure than other mobile devices since they're made by one company. Dozens of businesses make Android smartphones, increasing vulnerability.

Hackers have devised inventive methods to steal your sensitive iPhone data. They might steal your browser history, photos, location, and passwords. Apple doesn't control where app-collected data goes. Some app developers sell your data, so iPhone privacy worries go beyond hacking.

There are several free or inexpensive ways to reduce your risks. Below, we'll outline how to secure your iPhone's privacy so sensitive data doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

Four-digit passcodes are insecure. Avoid dates, years, months, your kid's birthday, or your parents' anniversary. Choose a random number that means nothing. Avoid using your passcode on other accounts, devices, and applications.

Go to the Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Enter your current passcode and authenticate > Change passcode > Authenticate again by entering your current passcode > Choose Passcode Options. 

Here, you can choose between a four-digit number code or a number code that you make up yourself. You can make a number code that is as long as you want. You can make it six, seven, nine, or even more if you want. The more words, the harder it is to guess.

Imagine that someone took your iPhone's SIM card and put it in another device. Yes, everything on your phone is safe, but information about your mobile phone account is at risk. Let's secure it all.

Go to Cellular > SIM-PIN. Go in there and create a PIN code for your SIM card. 

Make it as safe as possible.

Your iPhone is connected to your iCloud account in so many ways that it's important to keep it safe. Imagine that your iPhone and all the information on it are stolen. The main problem is that they don't even have to have it in their hands.

Go to your iCloud Settings > Password & Security and make sure the Two-Factor authentication is switched on.

Even if your iPhone is completely safe, your connection to the internet might not be. Unreliable Wi-Fi sources can be unsafe. When you're in a public place and you're not sure what Wi-Fi you're using, you might not be the only one who looks at your data. This is why you should go to your iPhone's Wi-Fi settings and turn off Auto-Join Hotspot. Or at least pick the Ask to Join option. Don't use public Wi-Fi that aren't safe unless you know you can trust them, like the one at your home or office.

No one is protected from having their iPhone stolen. Sometimes it looks tragic, but it's not. Keeping private data, images, and phone numbers to oneself and erasing them remotely is best.

Go to your iPhone settings > Apple ID > Find My > and make sure the Find My iPhone function is on.

 If your iPhone does get stolen, go to icloud.com/find > Find My iPhone and from there remotely erase your iPhone. 

If you're still wondering, "Can someone hack my iPhone?" after all that, the answer is yes. The bad news is that they still can. So, let's do something else while someone takes your phone and looks at your information. And your iPhone doesn't require a passcode. How could that be? Well, it won't happen if you go to your Face ID & Passcode settings and switch Require Passcode to "Immediately." So, even if you just locked your iPhone, it will still ask you for a passcode.

Your USB input is another security hole. Check your Face ID and Passcode settings and turn off the function of your USB accessory. If you don't do this, anyone can connect their USB accessories to your iPhone and use it without a passcode. Usually, this happens after someone connects some hardware to your iPhone and puts some software on it. So, 

Go to Face ID & Passcode > USB accessories > switch it off. Now you’re all set.

Even when your iPhone is locked, you can still get to a lot of the things on your Lock screen. Like Siri, the Control Center, or the Wallet. Yes, it is easier to have them on because you don't have to enter your passcode every time you want to use them. But let's say someone steals your iPhone and can use all of those features. Isn't that scary? If you turn off all of these things, no one can look at your Notification Center or send you a message when you're not near your phone.

Check the bottom of your Face ID & Passcode settings for the "Erase Data" button. Go there and turn it on to have your iPhone erase all of its information after ten failed attempts to enter the passcode. Most of the time, ten tries are not enough to figure out a strong passcode. And it's a good way to keep hackers from getting into your iPhone.

Web surfing on your iPhone can be dangerous sometimes, so you should make it as safe as possible. Let's start with browsing without being seen. Most people use "incognito mode" to browse the web 

Launch Safari > Tap the new page button > Private > Done. 

What's the point of browsing on your own? It doesn't save cookies, and it doesn't leave any digital footprints. In private mode, you can't use autofill to fill in passwords or look at your search history.

When you jailbreak your iPhone, you unlock it so that you can install apps and files from places other than Apple's App Store. If you jailbreak your phone, hackers will be able to get to your personal information much more easily. Any third-party app you download could compromise your security because Apple is no longer making sure they are safe. And if that wasn't enough, if you jailbreak your iPhone, your warranty is no longer valid.

In addition, you should look through the App Library and get rid of any apps you don't know or don't fully trust. Hackers often try to get people to download malware or spyware by making it look like a useful app.

You can protect your iPhone from hackers in more ways than just with location services. You should also look at all the apps that can use your iPhone's camera, microphone, Bluetooth, photos, and other features.

Go to Settings > Privacy and use the iPhone's features in order. If you tap on an option, you can see a list of all the apps that have asked to use that feature. Make sure you turn off the switch for any apps you don't fully trust to stop them from getting access.

Depending on how you've set up your iPhone, a stranger might not even need to unlock it to see your notifications, send messages, control your smart home, or return missed calls. All of these features are easy to turn off, so hackers

 Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and enter your passcode, then scroll down to the Allow Access When Locked section. We recommend you disable every option here to completely protect your iPhone. 

If you wish to retain Lock Screen alerts, you may hide their information. Choose When Unlocked or Never under Settings > Notifications > Show Previews.

Can Siri be used to break into your iPhone? Unfortunately, this is true because it has happened before. Personal assistants that let you use your phone without using your hands are great. A skilled hacker, on the other hand, can get Siri to let them into your iPhone. If you want to avoid the risk and are willing to give up the convenience of a voice-activated assistant, go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode and turn Siri's toggle off. Even though it's sad, it has to be done.

Using a public iPhone charger is just as risky as using a public Wi-Fi network when you're out and about with your iPhone. Hackers can take control of these chargers and use them to get to your iPhone's data. Get a portable battery pack instead, or just wait until you get home to charge your iPhone again.

When iOS 16 comes out, Apple will add a Lockdown Mode that you can use to protect your iPhone right away from hackers. This Lockdown Mode was made with highly targeted cyberattacks in mind, so that people who are unlikely to be attacked can easily protect themselves.

 Go to Settings > Privacy & Settings > Lockdown Mode. Once enabled, Lockdown Mode will:

• Block non-image attachments and link previews in Messages
• Disable just-in-time JavaScript compilation and other complex web technologies
• Block invitations and service requests from Apple services, such as FaceTime
• Block wired connections to computers or accessories
• Stop any configuration profiles from installing.

When it comes to problems with iPhone security, it is easy to convince oneself that "That'll never happen to me." However, the basic security settings that Apple provides are not sufficient to protect you from the many privacy risks that we all confront in the modern day. Follow the instructions outlined above, and most importantly, install a native VPN program that is of a good quality, and you will ensure that your iPhone and your privacy are entirely protected. You have nothing to lose since the leading virtual private networks (VPNs) provide free trials as well as assurances that your money will be refunded.