Settings that help improve the security of your Android device

1. Find My Device

Losing your phone is a terrifying experience. Google's Find My Device feature (formerly known as Android Device Manager) will help you locate your phone in these situations. Install this feature before anything goes wrong with your phone.

In Settings> Security> Find My Device , if this option is enabled, this feature has been installed on your computer. Go back to Settings> Location to see if the device used the location function.

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When you want to locate the device, go to Google's Find My Device page in a web browser with a Google account logged in. You can either install the Find My Device app on another Android device or simply search Google 'find my device'.

2. Google Play Protect

Play Protect is a built-in malware scanner for Android. It is on by default and scans apps every time you download them from the Play Store. While not perfect, it can also protect your device from minor intrusions.

To make sure Play Protect is enabled, go to Settings> Security> Google Play Protect . Click the tools icon in the right corner and turn on Scan apps with Play Protect to scan for dangerous apps outside the Play Store.

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3. Security options beyond the lock screen

Creating security beyond the lock screen is the very first step you should do for your phone.

In Settings> Security> Screen lock to select a new security or change the password on your computer. Depending on the model, you can either use face unlock or fingerprint unlock.

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Click the icon next to Screen lock to change the choice. Features Lock after screen timeout will manage time after lock screen image off. You should select Immediately or 5 seconds so your device cannot be accessed by others.

4. Manage application access

Applications always ask for permission to access personal information on the device, such as location and contacts. Take the time to read those notifications before deciding whether to give the app access or not, to avoid the sensitive data being leaked out.

In Settings> Privacy> Permission Manager to view permissions sorted by items and control applications have access to it. When selecting an app, select See all permissions to review everything.

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5. Activate Google privacy check

This is not quite an Android installation, but this one from Google can also help a lot in securing your phone.

In Settings> Google and select Manage your Google Account at the top. Scroll down to Security> Security issues found , select Secure account .

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Google will suggest ways to better secure your account, such as removing your old device, enabling two-factor authentication (2FA), and revoking third-party app access. In particular, using 2FA is a must if you haven't already.

To access the tool from the web, visit the Google Security Checkup page.

6. Use the Safe Browsing feature in Chrome

Chrome is the default browser on most Android devices. Safe Browsing mode blocks most dangerous websites for your device. This feature will be enabled automatically, but you should also check to see if it works on your device.

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Open Chrome, click the Menu button with the 3-dot icon in the right corner, select Settings . Click on Sync and Google services and make sure the Safe Browsing option is selected.

7. Unauthorized installation of unknown source or search and detect errors via USB

If you are an advanced Android user, you may have toggled two useful settings toggled out, but it could also pose a greater security risk.

The first is to install apps from unknown sources. Also known as sideloading, they allow you to install APK files from anywhere you like, not just from the Play Store. While handy, enabling this feature also opens the door for apps to abuse privileges. Hence, you should turn off permissions unless you are currently installing a new app in this way.

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Another way is USB debugging, which allows your phone to communicate with the Android SDK on your computer. You can use this method to push apps to your phone and even perform advanced commands like root.

Just like sideloading, however, you should disable USB debugging when you're not using it. If not, someone can run a command on their phone if they use it.

8. Information in an emergency

Android lets you add contacts in the event of an emergency, and you should definitely install them.

To set up, go to Settings> About phone> Emergency information to add emergency contacts, medical information, and more. You can put this information outside the lock screen, when in danger will help helpers more easily identified.

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9. Lockdown mode

Android 9 introduced a new feature called Lockdown. This feature allows you to quickly hide all lock screen notifications and disable fingerprint unlock, face or other smart unlock options.

In Settings> Display> Lock screen display , turn on the Show lockdown option . To activate this mode, hold down the power button for a few seconds and click on Lockdown. You will have to enter your PIN or password to unlock your device later.

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Micah Soto

Update 01 September 2020