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Feature Security

How to Make Apple iPhone/iPad More Secure

Background

With the latest data breach news of the telco company lately, users are concerned about security. They do banking via phone and have a lot of questions about making their phone or tablet more secure from external malicious.

Apple’s closed system is designed to work only inside set parameters that can communicate to other approved devices or applications. This makes the phone bulletproof from unknown malicious applications or configurations.

We also have a lot of questions about how to protect the devices from malicious users i.e. somebody/friends who grab or steal your device.

[2022-11-06] Added more solutions: Activating My Find, Complex Passcodes, Disable Some Options while Locked, Require Attention for Face ID, and Touch ID.

Solution

Avoid Jailbreaking

If you jailbreak, which means you bypass Apple’s closed system and allow the iOS operating system to run unapproved apps and configurations, then you are exposed to scams and security issues.

To check whether your phone is jailbroken or not, on the home screen, search Cydia and if it’s showed up under the app list, it means you installed the app.

Keep an Eye on the Recently Added apps

This is also related to the jailbreaking above. Ensure to check the recently added app that you know.




To do this:

On Home Screen, keep swiping to the left until you see the “App Library”. There is a folder called Recently Added.

If you find an app such as Cydia, this app is not easy to remove. There is a step by step for doing this on the internet. But the best bet will be a fresh install of your phone meaning you will lose your documents, photos, and videos if you do not have a backup!

Automatic Updates

Keeping up-to-date with the operating system is a good practice.

To do this:

On Home Screen, search Settings.




Tap the Settings app.

Then tap the General option and select the Software Update option.

Ensure the Automatic Updates are On.

Users usually “set and forget” this functionality. It’s a good practice to check this regularly as sometime the iOS will not update automatically if your device is running out of space!

Activating Find My

This feature is to allow you to track your device and location in case your lost your device using another device. Then you can block or erase the device remotely.

To do this:




On Home Screen, search Settings.

Tap the Settings app.

Tap the name and Apple ID.

Look for Find My option and tap it.

Ensure the Find My option is turned On.




Complex Passcodes

When someone snoops around your phone, four and six digits codes are easy to remember. It is recommended to either set higher than six digits or more complex (alphanumeric). Personally, I used more than 6 digits of code as sometimes it is easier to operate with one hand.

To do this:

On Home Screen, search Settings.

Tap the Settings app.

Look for Face ID (Touch ID) & Passcodes option and tap it.




Tap in Change Passcode.

Enter the current passcode.

Select the Passcode Options.

Select Custom Code.

Enter the numeric and reenter the code to verify.




Disable some options when locked

You want to limit access to some features when the phone is locked.

To do this:

On Home Screen, search Settings.

Tap the Settings app.

Look for Face ID (Touch ID) & Passcodes option and tap it.




Under the Allow access when locked section, turn off everything except Reply with Message, Returned Missed Calls and Accessories.

The reason to turn on these options is that just in case your phone is lost and someone found your phone, these options would allow you at least to communicate. Also, it allows someone to put your phone into a charger to recharge it.

Face ID

The minimum security is to add a complex passcode and use Face ID for extra security.

To do to turn on this option:

On Home Screen, search Settings.

Tap the Settings app.




Then tap the Face ID & Passcodes (Finger & Passcodes).

If you are not setting up this option initially, please set up this option.

Under the Use Face ID for option, ensure to allow for iPhone/iPad Unlock, iTunes & App Store, Wallet & Apple Pay, and Password Autofill.

Apple has a new feature called Require Attention for Face ID (see below), it has some protection. However, if you have a member family that has a similar face and it becomes your concern then turn this Face ID off.

Require Attention for Face ID

This feature is allowing more extra security by verifying that you are looking at the device (eyes open) before authenticating.

To do this:




On Home Screen, search Settings.

Tap the Settings app.

Then tap the Face ID & Passcodes (Finger & Passcodes).

Look for Require Attention for Face ID and turn it on.

Touch ID

The minimum security is to add a complex passcode and use Touch ID for extra security. As this uses fingerprint, technically someone can use your fingerprint while you are sleeping or not aware.




If you are totally concerned, then turned it off. Otherwise, activate this option.

Adding Apple ID Two-Factor Authentication

Two-Factor Authentication will add another security layer to the phone or tablet.

To do this:

On Home Screen, search Settings.




Tap the Settings app.

At the top, tap your profile.

Then tap the Password & Security option.

Ensure the Two-Factor Authentication option is on by nominating the trusted phone number.

The End

Congratulation on reaching the end of this article. We hope we have shed some light on how to make Apple iPhone more secure.




Let’s Discuss – We would love to hear about how you deal with the situation and what problems you might be facing. Please feel free to comment below this article or jump into our Dewachat and let us know if you have any questions we can answer!

We write this so that this is not a fixed article. Like in this journey, we learn as we go and re-write some parts, so please keep pinging with this article.

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Valdy

About Author

Valdy founded Dewacorp.com, a helpdesk and IT Services provider that has taken care of nearly 40,000 customer service requests in the past 15 years - nearly 2,600 per year. He also created the growing Dewalist.com - a classified website that has close to 110,000 page views and 9,000+ user visits per month with 61,000+ yearly published ads and 47,000 active registered users. He blogs for the ever-growing Dewapost.com, a tech blog that gets around 20,000 impressions per month with 700 clicks and 10 average pages first impressions on Google Search. You can reach him on the Contact Us page, social media links below or Dewachat.com.

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