Nine Phone Settings to Change Before Attending a Protest.
Before heading to a protest, take precautions to protect your privacy and the physical and digital security of any device you bring. The safest option, of course, is to leave your phone at home, but you can also lock down your data to minimize the risk of it being accessed by law enforcement or anyone else who gains access to your device.
Fortunately, both iOS and Android have built-in device encryption when using a passcode, meaning your device’s data is inaccessible when locked. (On Android, go to Settings > Security to ensure disk encryption is enabled.) For maximum protection, we recommend using the following privacy settings.
Disable face and fingerprint scanning.
At a minimum, you should disable biometric access, such as facial recognition and fingerprint recognition, on your device and use a password or PIN. As the Electronic Frontier Foundation notes , this minimizes the risk of physical coercion to unlock the device and may provide stronger legal protection against forced decryption.
On iOS, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and disable iPhone Unlock . You can also set a more secure passcode—a custom numeric or alphanumeric code—under Change Passcode . On Android, you’ll find the option to remove your fingerprint and replace it with a PIN or pattern under Settings > Security & Privacy > Device Unlock > Fingerprint .
Limit location tracking
Again, the best way to prevent your location from being tracked is to agree on all the details in advance and leave your phone at home. If you absolutely must take it with you, keep it turned off unless absolutely necessary.
You can enable airplane mode beforehand and disable Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and location services, which will prevent your device from sharing your location. However, please note that some apps may still store GPS data and transmit it when connected to the internet—so, again, the safest option is to keep your device turned off during the entire flight.
You can enable Airplane Mode (and disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) in your device’s settings or quick access menu. On Android, go to Settings > Location to disable location services and turn off Location History for your Google account. On iOS, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services to disable location services completely.
Turn off previews and notifications.
Temporarily disable notifications and screen previews to prevent anyone who gains access to your device from accessing any information from the lock screen. You can adjust these settings in Settings > Notifications on iOS and Settings > Apps & Notifications > Notifications on Android.
Set up screen lock time
Minimize your screen lock time so that it turns off when you’re not using it and requires authentication to turn it back on. On iOS, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock and select 30 seconds. The exact steps on Android may vary, but it’s typically found in Settings > Display or Lock Screen .
Keep in mind that on most devices, the camera is accessible from the lock screen, so you can take photos or record videos without unlocking your device.
Turn on app pinning or Guided Access.
App Pinning (Android) and Guided Access (iOS) are features that prevent others from navigating your phone beyond a specific app or screen. This allows you to use important device features while locking others with a PIN or password. You can enable these features in advance, so if someone gets hold of your device, they won’t be able to access it.
On Android, you can find this setting under Security or Security & Location > Advanced > App Pinning , and on iOS, you can find it under Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access .
Use your SIM card PIN.
You can also lock your SIM card to prevent unauthorized use of your device or SIM card, including access to two-factor authentication codes sent via SMS. This PIN will be required every time you restart your phone or if someone tries to use your SIM card in another device. On iOS, go to Settings > Cellular , select your SIM card, and tap SIM PIN . On Android, you’ll find this under Settings > Security > Advanced Security Settings (the exact path varies by device).
Exit apps, hide them, or uninstall them.
This step will depend on the contents of your phone and your risk tolerance, but you may want to log out of your social media accounts and delete apps that contain or provide access to sensitive data.
On iOS, you can also lock or hide specific apps: the former will require additional authentication to open them on the Home screen, while the latter will move the apps to a hidden folder that will also require authentication to unlock. Long-press an app icon to open the quick actions menu, then select “Require Face ID/Require Passcode.”
On Android, you can set up a “Private Space” to lock apps with a pattern, PIN, or password. Apps will be hidden from the launcher, recent apps list, and quick search. Go to Settings > Security & Privacy > Private Space , confirm authorization using the lock screen, and tap “Set Up” > Got it .
If necessary, enable blocking mode or extended protection.
Both iOS and Android have strict device-level security modes that significantly restrict access to certain app and website features and block changes to settings. Both systems were designed with the needs of journalists, activists, and other users with access to sensitive data that could be targeted by cybercriminals in mind. These settings are redundant for everyday use, but they add a potentially useful layer of security in high-risk situations.
On iOS, you can enable Blocking Mode in Settings > Privacy & Security > Blocking Mode . On Android, enable Advanced Protection in Settings > Security & Privacy > Advanced Protection .
Protect your privacy after a protest
While the steps above primarily focus on protecting your data during the protest, you should also follow best practices for protecting your privacy (and that of others) after the protest is over. If you plan to post photos or videos, use blurring tools to obscure faces and other unique identifying features, and remove file metadata, which includes information like the photo’s location. You can do this by taking a screenshot of the image you want to post or by sending a copy to yourself in Signal, which automatically removes metadata. Signal also has a photo blurring tool, or you can blur an image in your device’s default photo editing app.