Tips to enhance your iPhone security and privacy

iPhones include a range of privacy and security features designed to help protect your personal information. While no device can eliminate all risks, taking a few simple steps can significantly improve your privacy, strengthen your Apple account security, and reduce the impact if the device is lost.

Automatic updates

Always run the most up-to-date version of your iOS operating system.
You can check this by navigating to the update settings page.

Ensure Automatic Updates are set to On. Keeping your iPhone up to date is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve the device security.

Safety Check

Safety Check helps to assess who you are sharing information with, what information applications can access, and what devices are connected to your Apple account. You can check this by navigating to the update settings page.
Review your important security and privacy settings and remove access you no longer need or trust.

Find My iPhone

Find My helps you locate a lost device, remotely lock it, and display contact information to anyone who finds it. Ensure all options are enabled to maintain an ability to see where your device is, even after it is turned off.

Lost Mode

If you have Find My set to “on” and you lose your iPhone (or it has been stolen), you can login to Find My iPhone from another iOS device or via the web and if it is turned on, see its last location, or enable Lost Mode.
Lost Mode is a handy feature and when enabled it will lock the device the moment it connects to the network, disables important features like Apple Pay, tracks the device, and has the option to display a contact phone number and message to whoever discovers it.

Passcodes and biometrics

Avoid using a 4-character passcode. Instead, use a 6-character code and enable Face-ID or Touch-ID wherever possible.
Using Face-ID or fingerprint enables further security when unlocking your phone, using Apple Pay, accessing passwords, and downloading applications.

Apple ID security

Your Apple Account is the key to many Apple services, including iCloud, Photos, Messages, device backups, location services and payment methods. Keeping your Apple Account secure is one of the most important steps you can take to protect this information.
Always turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for your Apple ID.
Add a trusted number and ensure there are no 2FA 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.

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

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