Android devices include a range of privacy and security features designed to help protect your personal information. Taking a few minutes to review these settings can help improve your privacy, strengthen the security of your Google account, and help maintain the security of your device.

Tips to enhance your Android security and privacy

Automatic updates

Always run the most up-to-date version of Android available for your device.
You can check this by navigating to the update settings page.
Ensure Automatic Updates are set to On. Keeping your Android device up to date is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve the device security.

Security check-up

Android includes a Security Check-up that helps you assess what information applications can access, what devices are signed into your Google account, and your recent security history. You can check this by searching in settings for Security Check-up.
Review your important security and privacy settings and remove access you no longer need or trust.

Find My Mobile

Find My Mobile helps you locate a lost device, remotely lock it, and display contact information to anyone who finds it. Ensure it is enabled and turn on the option to locate your device offline, so you can still see its last known location if it is switched off or has no signal.

Remote lock and lost mode

If you have Find My Mobile set to "on" and you lose your Android (or it has been stolen), you can sign in to Find My Mobile from another device or via the web and see its last location, enable Lost Mode, or erase it.
Lost Mode is a handy feature and when enabled it will lock the device, sign it out of your Google account, disable payment methods like Google Wallet, and has the option to display a contact phone number and message to whoever discovers it.

Screen locks and biometrics

Avoid using a 4-digit PIN or a swipe pattern, as patterns can be guessed by watching you unlock the device. Instead, use a 6-digit PIN or longer and enable fingerprint or face unlock wherever possible.
Using fingerprint or face unlock enables further security when unlocking your phone, using Google Wallet, accessing passwords, and downloading applications.

Google account security

Your Google account is the key to many services, including Gmail, Google Drive, Photos, contacts, device backups, location services and payment methods. Keeping your Google Account secure is one of the most important steps you can take to protect this information.

Always turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google Account.
Add a trusted verification method and ensure there are no verification options available to use that you do not control.
Ensure you use a strong password. IDCARE recommends using a password manager to generate a truly random password. Alternatively, you can use multiple long words separated by numbers and special characters.

Google Play Protect

Play Protect automatically checks the applications on your device and any new ones you download for known issues. It runs in the background and will warn you if an application behaves in a way it shouldn't. Make sure Play Protect is switched on, along with the option to improve harmful app detection, which sends unrecognised apps to Google for checking.
Play Protect can be found within the Google Play Store under your profile. You can also run a manual malware scan of your device from this screen at any time.

Installing applications

Only install applications from the Google Play Store or your device manufacturer's official store. Android allows applications to be installed from other sources, but this setting should remain turned off unless you have a specific reason to change it or you are certain the source is safe.
Review the list of applications allowed to install unknown apps and turn off any that you do not recognise or no longer use.

For additional support or information, contact IDCARE by submitting a Get Help Form or call 1800 595 160 (Aus) or 0800 121 068 (NZ).

If you would like to provide feedback please use our Feedback Form.