Keeping your iPhone secure is vital. Apple offers several iPhone security options to help you with that.
These are Apple’s iPhone security options
Security on your iPhone is important. Even if you think you have nothing to hide, a lot of nasty things can happen if someone gains free access to your device. It is also important to secure your smartphone in other ways. Consider, for example, the freedom that apps get to address sensors on your device, two-step authentication and of course also passwords.
For good security of your iPhone, you have enough of the options that Apple itself has incorporated in iOS. But then you have to know how to deal with it. That is why we have listed these options for you.
1. The first step is locking
Locking your iPhone is the most basic form of security and also the most important. If you have a good lock, no one can just enter your device. There are three types of locking available on the iPhone, but not every form works on every device.
The basic lock that works on any iPhone is a passcode. This is a four or six digit code that you enter to unlock your device. We recommend choosing six digits. This is the default in the latest versions of iOS. Six digits are less likely to crack and more difficult to guess or hide.
With Touch ID, only your fingerprint and with Face ID only your face is needed to unlock your iPhone. These are also safe options. Only the latest iPhones support Face ID. With Face ID, it is in theory easier for others, for example the police, to force you to unlock your device by holding the smartphone in front of your face.
Everything for setting up your iPhone lock can be found in the iOS settings menu under the heading ‘Touch ID and passcode’ or ‘Face ID and passcode’.
2. Delete data after ten incorrect access codes
To provide extra protection for your data, it is possible to lay down a kind of trap. As soon as someone enters an incorrect access code ten times, all your data will be deleted. This option is automatically disabled because it is quite dangerous.
Would you still like this? Then go to ‘Face ID and access code’ or ‘Touch ID and access code’ in the settings menu and move the slider at the bottom to ‘Delete data’. This slider does not mean that your data will be deleted immediately, but only after an incorrect access code has been entered ten times.
Find my iPhone
With the above options, your iPhone is locked, so that no one can get in. Even if you lose your iPhone. But how do you find the device again? That’s where ‘Find My iPhone’ comes in. This function must be enabled. To do this, go to the settings menu and then to your Apple ID. Under ‘iCloud’ is the option ‘Find my iPhone’.
If you then lost your device, you go to the iCloud website and log in with your Apple ID. Your iPhone is at ‘All devices’ and you tap it. You will then see the location of your smartphone on a map.
Also read: 4 tips to find your device
4. Two-step verification
With the above tips, your iPhone is safe as a physical device, but what about the content? Apple also provides some important resources for keeping your apps, Apple ID and accounts safe. Let’s start with your Apple ID.
Apple has the option to set up two-step verification. This means that as soon as you log in to your Apple ID, you not only enter a password, but you receive a code via text message to further confirm your identity.
To do this, go to your Apple ID in the settings menu and select ‘Password and security’. There you choose ‘Two-factor authentication’.
5. Passwords
Since iOS 12, Apple also offers useful options for managing the passwords of your various accounts. This way they are not only automatically filled in for you, but new strong passwords are also created.
Also read: This is how iOS 12 automatically fills in passwords with AutoFill
In fact, Apple makes it really easy to keep your accounts safe, with strong passwords that you don’t have to remember yourself. However, it is advisable to set up two-factor authentication for the various accounts, such as Facebook.
Also read: How to automatically use strong passwords in iOS 12
6. App Permissions
Finally, it is important to limit the apps on your iPhone. In the settings menu of iOS you will find under ‘Privacy’ the heading ‘Location services’. Here you can indicate for each app whether they can see where you are at the moment. There are three degrees in that: apps may never know your location, always know or only when you use the app.
You will also find other important headings in this Privacy menu. For example, you can use sliders to indicate who has access to, for example, your contacts, photos and also your microphone or camera.
Secure your Mac
Want to secure your other Apple devices in addition to your iPhone? Then we also have a series of tips for you. Read the eight most important basic tips for securing your Mac.
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