Setting up a new smartphone usually means tapping “next” through a dozen screens and accepting whatever the manufacturer suggests. Most defaults are fine, but a handful are worth changing on the first day. None requires technical skills, and together they take less time than a cup of coffee.
Lock it down
The first is the screen lock. A four-digit code is easy to guess or to spot over someone’s shoulder on a bus. Switch to a six-digit code or a password, pair it with fingerprint or face unlock so you rarely have to type it, and set the screen to lock after 30 seconds of inactivity.
The second is two-step verification for the account your phone is tied to. That account holds your contacts, photos and backups, so a stolen password should not be enough to get in. Turn it on in the account settings and store the backup codes somewhere other than the phone itself.
Third, make sure the device-finding feature is switched on, and test it once from a computer. If the phone is lost, you will be able to see it on a map, make it ring or wipe it remotely.
Most of the phones we see stolen or lost had none of these protections enabled. It takes five minutes to fix.
Daria Kowalczyk, security consultant in Riverton
Save battery and data
Fourth, review app permissions. Many apps ask for access to your location, microphone or contacts that they do not need. Open the privacy section, check which apps can see where you are, and set most of them to “only while using the app” or “never”. A flashlight app has no business knowing where you live.
Fifth, tame notifications. Every alert lights up the screen and wakes the processor. Go through the list of installed apps and turn off notifications for games, shops and anything that does not need your attention right away. Your battery, and your concentration, will thank you.
One more thing
Before you hand in or sell your old phone, back it up, sign out of your accounts and reset it to factory settings. Then check that the backup has actually arrived on the new device. It is the step people skip most often, and the one they regret most.
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