Tap Inspect will back up all of your home inspection data, but we can’t prevent hackers from breaking into your phone or iPad. But there are steps you can take to make sure you’re the only one with access to your phone’s contact list, photos, and information. Here are three simple ways to beef up your device’s security.
1. Lengthen Your PIN
Four little digits isn’t a lot standing between you and a hacker. Luckily, you can lengthen the PIN number required to get into your phone. According to LifeHacker, jailbreaking your PIN is as simple as tapping on the “Settings” icon, then scrolling down to “General.” From there, touch “Password Lock,” enter your current PIN number, and turn off “Simple Passcode.” Once Simple Passcode is off, your lock screen will look like this:
and you can can change what used to be your PIN number into a combination of letters and numbers. While you’re in the business of changing your lock screen password, you may want to double check that your autolock and password locks are both turned on. You can check on both by tapping on the “Settings” icon, then tapping “General.”
2. Add Layers of Verification
A password standing between you and a hacker oftentimes just isn’t enough security. Two-step verification is a much better defense to protect your e-mail and social media accounts. Instead of just entering one password, two-step verification will require you to jump through a few more hoops to enter your accounts, but the added security protects your sensitive data exponentially more. Click here for a small tutorial on how to install two-step verification for Gmail and Google accounts on your iPhone or iPad, head here for a rundown of installing two-step verification for your Apple ID, or here to add extra protection to your Twitter account. You can also use a password management program like LastPass or OneSafe to keep your password both organized and protected.
3. Disable Your Wifi
If your wifi is turned on, your device will automatically connect to any public wifi network that’s available. Unfortunately, many of these networks don’t have any security precautions, making them prime ground for snooping eyes. Even if you’re not using your phone, it’s possible that your device is connecting to public wifi outlets without your knowledge. Fortunately, this is a super simple fix. To prevent your phone from connecting to wifi networks without your authorization, keep your wifi turned off when you’re not using your device. To disable your wifi, tap “Settings,” then “Wifi” and slide the bar to the right.