Michael Grothaus writes:
If one object you own encapsulates who you are, how you think, and what you do, it’s your smartphone. Our phones not only contain our contacts and messages, but capture and store countless other metrics about our lives, from financial records to health data to myriad communications with everyone we know.
Smartphones also contain data about the places we go (and the routes we took to get there) as well as the searches we make and websites we browse (revealing what’s on our minds). Thanks to journaling and to-do apps, they even document our goals, hopes, and dreams. And smartphones aren’t just data-retention devices; the apps and services we use on them broadcast data about us to third parties.
That’s why it’s so important to understand what privacy and security protections the smartphone you use offers—and to make sure you have such protections enabled. I’ve written before that Apple is unique among modern tech giants in that it builds its products with privacy at the forefront. But many of those protections and tools available on every iPhone only make a difference if you’re aware of them—and judging from my conversations with friends, many people aren’t.
If you’re an iPhone user, these are the security and privacy features you need to know about—and should be using.
Read more on FastCompany. Put aside some time to read and follow along with this article so you can actually check and adjust your settings as you go.