Owning an iPhone means constantly waging a silent war against potential hackers and threats to your data and privacy. But that battle needn’t be so aggressive or time-consuming, either. It can instead consist of taking preventative measures like making sure some of your settings are enabled or disabled in a way that helps shield you from hacking attempts. Tech Expert Maria Opre, the lead writer at Earth Web, shares four iPhone settings you need to change ASAP to keep your personal data safe.
Two-Factor Authentication
The first setting to alter is turning on two-factor authentication (2FA), according to Opre. “With 2FA enabled, even if someone gets your password, they’ll need a second form of verification — typically a code sent to your phone — to access your data,” Opre says. “To enable 2FA, go to Settings > [your name] > Password & Security > Two-Factor Authentication.”
Location Services
Next, disabling unnecessary location services can help protect your data. “While some apps need your location to function correctly, others use it for advertising or data mining,” Opre says. “To turn off non-essential location services, visit Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
Ad Tracking
Consider limiting ad tracking as a way of protecting your privacy. “Many apps collect data about your behavior and preferences, which they use to serve targeted advertisements,” Opre says. “This setting prevents apps from accessing your unique advertising identifier. To enable this, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Apple Advertising > Turn off Personalized Ads.”
Turn Off Wi-Fi
Lastly, Wi-Fi is one setting that is likely turned on right now, even though you may not need it at all times. “Turn off Wi-Fi auto-join for unknown networks,” Opre says. “This reduces the risk of your iPhone connecting to potentially malicious networks without your knowledge. To change this, go to Settings > Wi-Fi > Ask to Join Networks > select ‘Ask.’”
These four settings will take you just minutes to adjust, but can make a huge difference when it comes to protecting your privacy and data.
