7 quick Android fixes to ensure privacy on your phone - Wired.co.uk

Posted: 29 Nov 2020 12:00 AM PST

To lock your apps, you're going to need another app. There are plenty available on the Android app store and, as with all downloads, you should be cautious of what you're accessing. If an app is full of ads, doesn't have clear privacy policies, or isn't from a trusted developer then you should probably avoid it. For an app locker, Norton App Lock is not a bad place to start. It's from a trusted security name and allows individual apps or groups to be covered by the same passcode.

Hide leaky notifications

Travel isn't really an option for lots of people right now but there's nothing more mortifying than someone peering over your shoulder on public transport and seeing notifications pop up with the full message contained. It's a feeling that's also repeated when you're sharing your screen with colleagues and a gossip-filled message about the meeting you're in flashes up.

It doesn't have to be this way though. Navigate to settings and search for notifications, and from this page turn off the option for 'sensitive notifications'. This will mean the content of your messages won't pop up in the notification banner when the phone is locked.

Check for stalkerware

There's been a troubling rise in stalkerware in 2020. On phones, stalkerware manifests itself as apps running in the background that can record and track everything a person does. The technology can appear invisible unless you go specifically looking for it and is a form of coercive control and tech-abuse.

If someone has installed stalkerware on your device there are a few telltale signs it may be there. A phone may run hot and see its battery levels drop quickly. Cybersecurity companies have been increasingly detecting stalkerware code through their antivirus tools – both Kaspersky Antivirus and Avast's Antivirus can check your phone for malicious apps. Refuge's National Domestic Abuse hotline can also help people who are experiencing tech-based domestic abuse.

Use a VPN

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) aren't a failsafe for protecting your privacy but they can help. The software creates an encrypted connection from your device to a remote server and passes internet traffic through this: it stops your internet service provider from fully knowing and storing your browsing history, something that might be required under UK surveillance laws. Journalists, activists and people looking to avoid state censorship are some of the most frequent users of VPNs.

But which VPN should you pick? There are a lot of VPNs out there and they all have a lot of different pricing options. If possible, it's best that you go for a paid VPN as these are less likely to have questionable data practices and ones that offer family, or multiple device, plans can cover whole households easily. Our pick of the best VPNs favours Windscribe and ExpressVPN. They're both quick and have proven they don't store logs of your browsing activity, unlike some VPNs.

Change your default apps

If you've had your Android phone for a while, you probably haven't thought twice about the apps you use for search, voice assistants, phone and SMS. This summer Google launched a choice screen on new Android phones – after it was fined £3.8 billion by the European Competition Commission – that allows people to pick their search engine during the initial setup. This lets you pick a search engine that isn't Google – yes, they exist.

Within Android's settings options, look for 'default apps' in 'apps & notifications,' and you can pick the apps you use most frequently. It goes beyond search: you can change browsers, digital assistants, home app, phone app and SMS app. Some of our favourite privacy-friendly alternatives include Firefox (for a browser), DuckDuckGo (browser and search), Signal (SMS).

Encrypt everything

While your phone's passcode protects your files and data from being accessed by someone trying to access your phone, it doesn't do anything to secure the data stored on your phone at a technical level. For this, you need to encrypt your device's disk. Turning on encryption means that the files can't be accessed by anyone trying to extract them from your device unless they have the passcode. "Encryption ensures that even if an unauthorised party tries to access the data, they won't be able to read it," Google says.

You can encrypt your phone through the settings app – it's easily found by searching for security or encrypt. To do this you'll have to enter, or create, your phone's PIN and make sure it is on charge. Encrypting a full device can take a little bit of time, so it's probably best to do this during some downtime. Google has made it mandatory that Android devices can be encrypted since 2015 and is increasing its efforts to make it less resource intensive on low-end devices.

Matt Burgess is WIRED's deputy digital editor. He tweets from @mattburgess1

Search This Blog

Android Full Encryption