Your smartphone is precious to you. You don’t want anything bad happening to it. You don’t want it to fall out of your pocket when you’re riding the bus. You don’t want someone to slip it out of your bag when you’re not paying attention and run away with it. And you certainly don’t want it to get infected with malware when you download the wrong app or click the wrong link.
So, how can you protect your smartphone from all of these potential threats? These are five things that you can do:
1. Lock Your Phone
You don’t want anyone who grabs onto your smartphone to browse through it. That’s why you need to password-protect your home screen. Choose a strong password or passcode that won’t be easy for a stranger to guess off the cuff. Lazy answers like “password” won’t secure your device. Invest a little effort into your smartphone protection.
What about scans? Some smartphones will offer thumbprint scans or face unlock features instead of prompting the user for a password. Using one of these features will drastically increase the security of your smartphone. It will be even harder for a thief to unlock your phone than one with password protection. They can guess a password, but they’re not likely to have a mold of your thumb on hand.
2. Use Tracking Apps
There are tracking apps that can help you find the location of your smartphone in case you lose it. If you have an iPhone, you can use the app “Find My iPhone.” If you have an Android, you can use the “Find My Device” app.
This type of app will help you do more than find a missing phone’s location. It will also help you remotely wipe your smartphone when you’re worried that it’s been stolen. Wiping or “erasing” your phone means that you are completing a factory reset. So, a thief can’t access your private information, even if they eventually crack your password.
3. Download an Antivirus App
It’s easy to miss some of the signs of malware on your smartphone. You might not notice that it’s infecting your device. It could be happening right under your nose!
The best way to catch malware as quickly as possible is to download a top-quality antivirus app on your smartphone and run a scan for any potential viruses. It will reveal whether there’s an infection in the works.
4. Run Updates
Do you keep skipping your smartphone’s updates? That’s not a good idea. These updates can patch up old security issues in the system. By ignoring them, you’re making your device a lot more vulnerable than it needs to be.
Go into your phone’s settings to see whether its system is fully up to date. If it’s not, run those updates immediately.
5. Get an Extended Warranty
If you’re really worried about your phone, you might want to sign up for an extended warranty program. Extended warranty programs tend to offer partial coverage for most device repairs, so you’ll pay less than someone who hasn’t opted into the warranty. Some programs even offer coverage for cases of theft and loss. So, if your smartphone goes missing, a replacement will be much easier to afford.
What if you skip the extended warranty? Then, you may face some steep repair costs when something goes wrong.
If you don’t have enough savings to cover the urgent repairs, you might have to borrow funds to handle the emergency. One borrowing option you could try is an online loan. With an approved online loan, you can use temporary funds to handle the repairs and then follow a repayment plan afterward. Before you submit an application, learn what to look for in an online loan provider. You’ll want to make sure that you choose a provider that is legitimate and safe.
Precious things need extra protection. So, take these steps to protect your smartphone as soon as possible!
