Hide apps
There are plenty of apps available on the
Play store that can help password protect the apps stored on your phone. One of
the best is NQ Mobile Vault, which adds an individual PIN number to each app, enabling
you to keep them safe from prying eyes. This is particularly useful if you use
your phone for mobile banking.
NQ
Mobile Vault
Remain hidden online
All of the main Android web browsers
contain a private browsing feature of some kind that enables you to browse the
internet without leaving any virtual track of what you've been searching for,
or the websites you've been visiting. Perfect if you've been doing some present
shopping.
Stop intruders
Some applications come with a brilliant
feature that will take a snapshot of anyone who tries to get into your phone
when you're not near your device. This is a great feature to add if you want to
keep messages, emails and other files private.
Manage Google apps
There’s no denying that Google collects a
lot of data about you through its range of apps, but it’s easy enough to remove
and stop any collected data getting to the internet giant. Go on to the Chrome
Browser and find the Apps section from which you’ll be able to manage each
individual Google app and control the data it has collected.
GMail
Facebook posts
Depending on how open you’re on Facebook,
it’s possible to keep your posts private from everyone on your friends’ list
and instead specifically select the people you want to share that post with. A
great way of keeping on top of privacy.
Location sharing
Another key privacy issue to consider is
geo-tagging, especially when you create posts on various social media sites. If
your GPS isn’t turned off you’ll find that most sites include a location
sharing feature that lets people know exactly where your current location is
when you post.
Geo-tagging
Checking app permissions
When you download an app, make sure that
you check out the various app permissions that come as standard. With many of
the bigger applications, especially social media ones, you’ll find that
permissions can be pretty intrusive on your device. Have a close look at them.
Check
App permissions
Online storage (making files private)
Apps like Google Drive and Dropbox are
great solutions for those needing some cloud storage, but one of the features
that is usually forgotten about is that each file you upload can be made
privately available to a handful of users.
Removing search history
Every time you conduct a Google search, the
app automatically saves the history of the search. Google in turn will then
target adverts at you based on your history. Go to the Setting in Google Search
to remove your history and to keep your searches private.
What has been reported?
One app you should definitely download is
Clueful, a clever piece of software that shows you how your installed apps use
your data. The software then scans the applications on your device in great
detail to provide fixes from them and make them safe to use without your data
being distributed around.
Clueful
