7 Simple Things I Always Do on Android to Protect My Privacy - And Why You Should Too

Android is the most-used operating system on the planet, making Google's mobile OS a prime target for security attacks. Without taking a few measures of your own, your Android phone could be vulnerable, and your privacy could be the first thing to go. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are steps you can take to protect your privacy on your Android phone, and they're simple enough that anyone can take care of them.

Some of the default apps on Android are good, but they aren't exactly bastions of privacy and security. For instance, Chrome is one of the least secure browsers available. Although Gmail has fairly decent security, it doesn't allow for encryption (such as PGP). If you want to protect your online identity, here's a short list of apps you should use and what they replace:

• Replace Chrome with Firefox or another secure browser • Replace Gmail with ProtonMail or another encrypted email service

You can manage the permissions of these apps in Settings > Security & Privacy > "Privacy controls" > "Permission manager." Within that settings page, you can revoke unnecessary access to location, microphone, camera, contacts, body sensors, nearby devices, SMS, and more. This is a good way to keep your phone's camera from being used by unwanted apps.

Android also has a Privacy Dashboard that informs you what apps have used specific services over the past 24 hours. You can find this dashboard in Settings > "Security & privacy" > Privacy Dashboard. It's a good idea to check this dashboard regularly to see which apps are accessing your location, camera, microphone, body sensors, calendar, call logs, contacts, and more.

For every account you use via your phone (or your desktop, for that matter), you should consider two very important things: two-factor authentication and strong/unique passwords. Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your accounts, and strong/unique passwords make those accounts considerably harder to hack.

If your accounts are easily hacked, not only is your privacy at risk, but so is your identity. Another thing to consider (which you might think is reserved for fiction) is that if you're very serious about your privacy, you might avoid using biometric logins. This could be fast asleep when someone grabs your phone, holds it in front of your face, or presses your finger against the sensor — and your phone is unlocked.

Ad tracking was added to Android some time ago so Google could employ targeted ads. I disable this feature on my phones because I don't want Google creating any sort of profile of me to be used for ad targeting or sold to the highest bidder. To do this, go to Settings > "Security & privacy" > "Privacy controls" > Ads > "Ad privacy." On that page, you can opt out of ad topics, app-suggested ads, and ad measurement.

Google has also added some pretty solid security features to Android over the past couple of releases. One feature you should be using is the new Private Space feature, which can isolate sensitive apps with separate encryption. Once you've enabled Private Space, you can install apps in the isolated space and trust that they can only be accessed by way of a PIN.

Another security feature you should enable is Find My Device. With this feature enabled, you can play a sound (to help locate the device), secure the device, and even factory reset it. This is all done via the Find My Device website, but your phone has to have the feature enabled.

If you want to take your privacy protection to the next level, consider installing apps that are geared specifically for privacy, such as a VPN (like Proton), a password manager (like Bitwarden), and encryption tools (like OpenKeyChain). These apps can help mask your location/IP address, help you use very strong passwords, and encrypt data.

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