10 Security Settings to Protect Your IPhone From Thieves

Posted on by

Theft of your iPhone is traumatic enough, but it’s even more painful to know that your most intimate data is also in the hands of unscrupulous individuals. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to ensure that even if thieves find a way to steal your iPhone, they can’t easily get hold of your data.

Set a longer password

Your iPhone password can be easily used against you . Thieves have long used the trick of looking over someone’s shoulder to see the passcode for their iPhone before stealing the device. With this code, all of your personal information can be easily accessed, and they can even use it to disable built-in security features like Find Me tracking. You can prevent this by closing your phone whenever you need to enter a passcode, but you can also use a more secure and complex passcode.

Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Change Passcode > Passcode Options and select either a longer numeric passcode (10 or more digits) that is harder to remember at a glance , or an alphanumeric password.

Turn on Find Me

It seems obvious, but it’s worth repeating: Find My tracking allows you to find your device if it’s lost or stolen. This is one of the best anti-theft features on your iPhone. Although it is enabled by default, you should check if it has been disabled by accident. Go to Settings and tap your name at the top. Then go to Find > Find My iPhone and enable everything on this page.

Opt out of iCloud Keychain

While iCloud Keychain is great for managing passwords, you should be aware that your iPhone’s password can be used to access all of the data on the service. This means that if someone gains access to your phone, they will also be able to access your email, bank account, and other sensitive accounts. Just in case, it’s better to switch to a dedicated password management app that will protect you in case your phone is stolen.

Use your Apple Watch to lock your iPhone

If someone rips your unlocked iPhone out of your hands, you can still lock the device with your Apple Watch. To do this, you need to set up automation using the Apple Shortcuts app. First go to Settings > Focus and press the + button to create a new focus. Name it something like “Lock Screen”.

There is no need to include any triggers for this automation. Open the Shortcuts app, go to the Automation tab and select Create Personal Automation . Scroll down to the “Focus” section and select “Lock Screen” , then tap “On Power On” and tap “Next” . Click Add Action and use the search bar to find and add the following actions:

  • Lock screen
  • Install WiFi
  • Set mobile data

Click “Next” again. Finally, disable “Ask before launch” and click “Finish” .

You can now open the Control Center on your Apple Watch and turn on the lock screen focus. This will automatically lock your iPhone and enable Wi-Fi and mobile data so you can use Apple’s own anti-theft features to your advantage. This is a good way to quickly lock your iPhone to make it harder for a thief to reset it.

If your phone is stolen, turn on Lost Mode

The moment your phone is stolen, use another device to go to iCloud.com/find, sign in with your Apple ID credentials, and mark the device as lost. This will protect your data and make it harder for thieves to erase and sell your device. Whatever happens, don’t remove the device from your Apple ID .

Restrict access to features from the lock screen

Your iPhone lets you access a lot of useful features from the lock screen. Thieves can use this feature to buy expensive items with your stolen credit card, among other things. You can prevent this by disabling a few features. Go to Settings > Notifications > Show Preview and select On unlock . Then go to Settings > Siri & Search and disable Allow Siri When Locked . Finally, you must go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode , enter your passcode, and go to the Allow Access When Locked section. Review all options here and disable everything that can be accessed when your phone is locked.

Set an advanced lock for apps with sensitive data

Assuming thieves don’t have access to your iPhone’s passcode, you can set up a Face ID lock in many apps. In the event that your unlocked iPhone is stolen, this will protect important information such as your banking details or your social media accounts. Thieves won’t be able to open these apps without knowing your password.

While many apps allow you to enable Face ID for authentication, you can also use a hack to add this lock to apps that don’t support it .

Use screen time limits to your advantage

Screen Time can save your data when your iPhone is stolen . This allows you to disable certain settings, as we described in the linked part. Use this to your advantage by going to Settings > Screen Time > Use Screen Time Passcode . Make sure you’re using a different Screen Time passcode than the one you use to unlock iPhone, then save that passcode in a password manager or other safe place. After that, go to “Content & Privacy Restrictions” in “Screen Time” and disable account changes .

Place the passcode on the SIM card

You can also lock your SIM card with a four-digit PIN. When thieves insert your SIM into another phone, they will need this PIN to unlock the SIM. Before you turn this on, be aware that it also prevents your SIM card from automatically connecting to mobile data after you restart your iPhone. This may affect security features such as Find My, which require an Internet connection to function. If this is not a problem, you can go to Settings > Mobile Data > SIM PIN and enable this feature. Be sure to keep this PIN in a safe place in case you forget it.

Activate lockdown mode when you are in insecure places

Finally, consider turning on lock mode on your iPhone if you’re going to insecure places or if you’re worried about losing access to sensitive data in the event of a theft. Here’s our complete guide to iPhone Lock Mode , covering what it does and how to turn it on.

[ Reddit ]

The best non-Apple iPhone accessories:

More…

0
Apple

Leave a Reply