A lot of people unwrap their new smartphone and jump right in to explore, skipping those important security settings. It feels easier in the moment, but honestly, it is risky. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) is raising the alarm—if you skip security, you leave your personal data wide open.
Why should you secure your new smartphone
1. Start with device tracking
- Before you do anything else, turn on device tracking. It is your best shot at finding your smartphone if it goes missing.
- If you are on Android OS, then switch on 'Find My Device' in the settings.
- For iPhones, you’ve got Apple’s tracking built in.
This lets you check where your phone is in real time, and you can ring, lock, or even erase it remotely if you need to. Most Android phones already come with this, so there’s really no excuse.
2. Do not skip remote lock and offline tracking
- Dig in to your smartphone security settings and enable the Remote Lock and Offline Device Tracking.
- With this feature, in case someone tries to steal your handset, then you could lock it from a distance and keep tabs on it – even if it is offline or turned off.
- This comes in handy if a thief tries to cut off its connection.
3. Keep Notifications Private
Our smartphone is our personal bank, and we recieve all the OTPs, banking alerts, private stuffs and important passwords. If you do not secure your password, anyone who has been has holding your smartphone could read to whatever pops up. So, we need to fix this setting first:
- Go to Notifications and turn off or hide lock screen previews.
- This blocks strangers from reading your sensitive info without unlocking your phone.
4. Set a Password for powering off
Some smartphones, like those from Realme, Oppo and OnePlus, have been offering a handy feature:
- You need a PIN or password to switch off the device.
- Turn this on.
- If someone snatches your phone, they cannot power it down and block tracking right away.
5. Lock your SIM
SIM fraud is on the rise in India. With a SIM lock:
- No one can pull out your SIM and use it somewhere else.
- You’re safe from common SIM swap scams.
- It takes just a minute but adds a strong layer of protection.
One last thing: Do this before anything else
Before you start loading apps or moving your data, set up these security features. You will have to keep your private information safe, make your phone easier to recover if it’s lost or stolen and steer clear of scams and identity theft down the line. It’s worth those extra few steps.