Five tricks you may not have known that improve iPhone privacy and security

28 Jan. (Portaltic/EP) –

Manzana boasts of periodically introducing new functions and features that increase security and privacy of iPhone phones, but not all users of the brand know what they are or how they are activated, nor how their use would benefit them.

This Saturday is celebrated ‘European Data Protection Day’a date that seeks to make users aware of the importance of having good practices both on the Internet and with the electronic device with which they navigate, to reduce the risks involved in the use of these technologies.

In the case of iPhone, Apple brings together a wide range of functions and features that allow you to manage permissions granted to applications and private browsing in Safari, but also others perhaps less well-known, such as access key login in password place.

To improve the security of this mobile device, you can start by making sure that the ‘smartphone’ always has the most recent updatesince in addition to introducing new features that improve use, they also incorporate corrections to identified problems and vulnerabilities.

Automatic update can be activated from the ‘General’ settings in the ‘Settings’ menu. The corrections are installed when they are available and in the background, so as not to interrupt the use of the mobile.

If keeping your iPhone up to date is important, check privacy settings it is no less. Apple has implemented a specific section in ‘Settings’ that allows you to see what data and what access the user has given to the applications on your phone. The list includes items such as contacts, calendar, location, camera, and microphone.

Secondly, in case of loss, the ‘Search’ application allows you to track and locate an iPhoneor an iPad tablet, as well as remote wipe device if it falls into the wrong hands. This function can also be activated from ‘Settings’, simply by clicking on the user’s name and then accessing the ‘Search’ section.

Another way to protect activity on the iPhone is by using private web browsing in safari browser. Some websites allow hundreds of data collection companies to monitor user activity, create a profile of you, and serve you ads as you browse the web.

The ‘Smart Tracking Prevention’ in Safari uses on-device machine learning to help block those trackers. It also shows a snapshot of all the cross-site trackers that Safari is blocking, which is available in the ‘Privacy Report’ in the browser’s toolbar.

FIVE LESSER KNOWN TRICKS

Apart from the more general recommendations to keep an iPhone secure and private, there are also five settings that allow you to increase these values, but that not everyone knows about.

One of these configurations refers to the location, since the user can control when and how the ‘apps’ can access your location. This option is available in the ‘Privacy and security’ settings, in ‘Location services’, where you can limit access to this data, either Never, Ask next time or when sharing, When used.

In the same way that companies can track users’ Internet activity, they can also learn about their activity through email, usually for advertising purposes. The Mail ‘Privacy Protection’ It allows you to hide the IP address as well as the exact location and prevents senders from seeing if an email has been opened.

Some applications track activity on other companies’ websites and apps. Apple also allows you to choose whether the user wants to allow it or not, or require them to ask for permission, for which they have to activate or deactivate the tracking of specific applications from the ‘Tracking’ section in the ‘Privacy and security’ settings.

If, in addition, the user needs stop sharing quickly your information or review and update what you share with specific people and apps, Apple’s new Safety Checkup can help.

This novelty, which is also found in the ‘Privacy and security’ settings, allows changes to be made discreetly, without people or applications receiving a notification.

Lastly, and to reinforce security when accessing a website or digital service, Apple allows login with an access key instead of with a password. It’s an easier and more secure login method, with a unique digital key created that only works from the site or app it was created for.

Access keys work with a biometric authentication system, either with Touch ID or Face ID, and are saved to both iPhone and iCloud Keychain when you create a new account. It is also possible to configure them for an existing one from the management of said account.