It’s terrifying how much we pour into our smartphones. It’s like our phones have become an extension of ourselves.
I store sensitive information on my phone, such as emails, passwords, and private details I don’t want anyone else to know.
The thought of ever losing my phone without theft protection gives me a lot of anxiety.
But sometimes it isn’t just about your worrying that a stranger has taken your phone. Your close friends and even family could be the ones doing the dangerous snooping.
That’s a thought that doesn’t sit well with me.
My Samsung Galaxy S25+ holds too many personal details that shouldn’t go left unprotected, even if I trust the people closest to me.
So here’s the safety precautions I’ve taken to keep my privacy on lockdown.
7 simple Android security checks I run monthly — and that you should too
Your phone holds your life, so why aren’t you protecting it?
Be aware of your lock screen’s security limitations
A passcode helps, but isn’t foolproof
I admit that I only have my fingerprint and PIN enabled for my lock screen. I thought that was enough.
Others, especially malicious actors, can bypass your lock screen security. That’s because PINs are too weak. They’re highly predictable, especially four-digit ones. Plenty of people will still use lazy ones like 1234 or 0000.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 1 in 10 people will use 1234 to unlock their smartphone.
I admittedly tried to cheese that combination recently when I wanted to set a temporary password on my computer. I didn’t want to think of another, but Microsoft wouldn’t accept it, so I had to come up with an original combination.
Others might choose to use their birthday, or, if not, a date that is important to them. It’s much easier to do than setting up an original PIN.
Then there are fingerprint vulnerabilities to worry about. You can leave a physical fingerprint on your screen — that’s a no-go if you use a pattern as your password.
Technically, a hardcore hacker or thief could use something like tape or Play-Doh to reproduce it, too, but that’s an extreme case.
Though you could consider other lock screen protection methods, like face recognition, to make it harder for a stranger to just get into your phone. It’s still not perfect.
The problem is that Android isn’t quite up to the same standards as Apple’s. For one, Android’s face recognition can still mess up under various lighting conditions. Reportedly, that’s where Google aims to address this issue with Project Toscana.
Project Toscana is Google’s push into secure, 3D-level, IR-based facial recognition for Android. It’s rumored to debut for future Pixel devices, possibly the Google Pixel 11.
Ideally, this should at least address the security vulnerabilities posed by the current tech and low-light conditions.
But even if you rely on biometrics to keep your device safe, there are still some cons.
For one, biometrics don’t necessarily help you against legal loopholes. PCMag reported that the FBI can still bypass your lock with facial recognition enabled.
For two, others can still scan your face without being aware of it. For example, while you’re sleeping, someone can use your face to unlock it unless you enable the “Require Eyes to be Open” option.
The second example is still niche. It’s more so, protecting yourself against unauthorized access by legal authorities you should be more worried about.
For the best protection against forced legal action, you really ought to use a passcode (a PIN or password). Bypassing biometrics can be forced, but passcode break-ins can’t be.
But in either case, for general security, your PIN or password and biometrics aren’t always enough. Plus, they can become too annoying to manage (I own six phones, and I find it a hassle to set up a new one each time).
That’s why, if you’re in a similar situation to mine, where you’re feeling overwhelmed and also have paranoia about phishing incidents, you might want to consider using passkeys. Passkeys are used to sign in to apps and websites.
They make signing in convenient but still secure, and can also keep your friends out if you carelessly left your phone unlocked for too long (they’d need to authenticate again to gain continued access).
Disable Smart Lock or Extend Unlock
Carelessly leaving this setting on is a massive trap
Another setting I keep disabled is Smart Lock. Smart Lock is the old name; on newer models, it is called Extend Unlock.
What Extend Unlock does is keep your phone unlocked for longer when you’re nearby, whether you’re holding it, near a trusted device, or at home.
That’s the setting that will actually enable snooping by your friends and family members. You leave your phone on a table, keep it completely unlocked, and you’re inviting trouble from the curious.
After you’ve unlocked your device, all it takes is for someone to pick it up when you’re not looking, and they can start checking through it while you’re in the bathroom (as long as you’re in range or at home).
It’s that easy. You could literally be making food in the kitchen, turning your back away from a sitting area, and your friends could open your phone, look through your messages, or even spy on your notifications.
So to give myself peace of mind, I disabled Extend Unlock on my phone. You can do this by going to your Android device’s Settings.
Since my primary driver is the Galaxy S25+ on One UI 8, Extend Unlock is found in Lock screen and AOD. Tapping the Extend Unlock prompts me to enter my PIN.
When you’re in, tap On-body detection, Trusted places, and Trusted devices.
Toggle off all those options. That should ensure you don’t have Extend Unlock enabled anywhere. Remember, your phone is your business.
Even if you are being diligent, your lock screen won’t fully protect your accounts; it adds a layer, but you will want to do more to make sure your phone’s contents remain inaccessible.
Passcodes are awesome, but if someone cracks the code to your main authentication method, a passcode can’t protect you from further access to your phone’s contents.
One feature I think is underrated is Private Space, which launched with the Android 15 update. Private Space acts like another profile on your phone, hiding all your apps, files, and photos.
I like it better than Samsung folders because Private Space doesn’t appear in the app drawer.
In my mind, people who visibly see that you have content locked away will become more curious about why you have it hidden in the first place, and might get even more aggressive about finding out.
