Securing your Android phone or Android tablet is more involved than adding a PIN lock (although you should certainly do that).
Here we run through 14 ways you can keep Android secure, from dealing with app permissions to locking down apps, dealing with Android viruses and tracking down a stolen phone.
Screen lock
Setting up a screen lock is the simplest way to protect Android when your phone or tablet falls into the wrong hands. These days you can set a PIN lock, pattern lock, password lock and, if your device supports it, a fingerprint or eye scanner lock. It’s so easy to do you really have no excuses. Head to Settings > Security > Screen lock to get started.Lock individual apps & media
You can add an extra layer of protection to your apps by locking down those you really wouldn’t want to get into the wrong hands with an app such as App Lock. Not only does this let you toggle on and off a PIN lock for individual apps such as Facebook and Gmail, but it has a safe fault for hiding photos and video that shouldn’t be seen by prying eyes.Keep the OS and apps up to date
Android‑ and app updates don’t just bring new features, but also bug fixes and patches to safety vulnerabilities. You should safeguard your apps are set to auto‑update over Wi‑Fi in Google Play’s Settings > General > Auto‑update apps menu, and make sure you have applied any new operating system updates in Settings > About Phone > System updates.Don’t download apps outside Google Play
By default your Android phone or tablet won’t let you side load apps from wherever other than the Google Play store, but it’s easy to get around this in Settings > Security > Device Administration > Unknown sources. Google has no control over apps outside its app store, so only those who really know what they’re doing should even think about side loading, and doing so only from trusted sources.Manage app permissions
A benefit of downloading apps only from Google Play is that it will tell you which permissions an app requires before you install it. There is often a good aim for apps needing access to seemingly unrelated facilities on your phone, such as games that want to view your contacts (to allow you to compete against your friends) and messaging apps that want to access your camera (to allow you to send picture‑ and video messages). However, if you can think of no reason for an app needing a particular authorization, don’t install it.New in Android Marshmallow is the ability to manage app permissions and control what an app can and can’t do on your phone even after you’ve installed it. Should an app need a permission you haven’t granted, it will prompt you ask for permission before it does its thing. You’ll find App Permissions in Settings > Apps > App Permissions.
Set up user accounts
Since Android Lollipop we’ve been able to set up multiple user accounts on tablets, and more recently on phones. If you are going to be sharing your device with another family member, a colleague or a friend, you can give them access to only the parts of your Android that you are willing to let them see. Set up user accounts in Settings > Users > Add User.Be careful what information you share
We’ve often complained that people are sharing too much information on social media, such as publicizing the fact they are going abroad for a week on Facebook and leaving their home vulnerable to burglars (don’t do that), but with Android you may find you’re sharing too much information with yourself. Android uses the Chrome browser, which you may well also be using on your laptop or desktop PC. The ability to sync your bookmarks, passwords and more through a Google account (which is also tied and automatically logged into your email‑ and other Google accounts) is an awesome timesaver, but it could become an issue should you lose your phone or tablet or it gets into the wrong hands. All your logins, passwords and sensitive data within your emails will be available to whoever finds your Android device and knows where to look for that stuff.You can control what data (particularly passwords) is stored by Chrome by launching the browser, tapping on the three‑dot icon at the top right of the window, and choosing Settings > Basics > Save passwords. Also open the Settings menu in Chrome, tap on your account, and then choose what data is synched.
Don’t forget Chrome’s Incognito mode, which allows you to browse the web in privacy and won’t track you. Open a new Incognito tab from Chrome’s Settings menu.
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