\n
<\/p>\n
Android offers tons of options to keep your device secure and private; it’s well worth exploring them all.<\/p>\n
According to a 2025 study by the Pew Research Center, nearly 75% of Americans have experienced some form of online scam. These are becoming increasingly complex, as the spread of sophisticated AI tools have made online attacks more diverse, effective and harder to detect.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vishing, for instance, has seen crooks using AI-powered deepfakes to mimic the voices of a victim’s loved ones to scam them over the\u00a0phone. Meanwhile, malware attacks are more dangerous and adaptive than ever. And that’s not to mention the often-overlooked privacy risks that many popular apps pose.<\/p>\n
Luckily, on Android, you can address many of these security and privacy risks directly. From AI-powered scam detection tools to advanced theft protection measures, Android offers many features to keep you safe.<\/p>\n
One of the easiest ways to protect yourself is to update your Android phone, ensuring you receive the latest\u00a0bug fixes and security features. To\u00a0check what version you’re using, open your phone’s Settings<\/strong> app and tap About Phone<\/strong>,<\/em> where you’ll find a section titled\u00a0Android Version<\/strong>. This shows the status of your operating system, security settings, Google Play system status and build number.\u00a0<\/p>\n Android sends a notification when an OS update is available; tap it and follow the\u00a0prompts\u00a0to update right away. If you accidentally clear the notification or want to update later, go\u00a0to\u00a0Settings > System\u00a0>\u00a0Software Updates<\/strong>. Fully updated phones will display a\u00a0checkmark,\u00a0while a\u00a0yellow arrow indicates an update is available. Install any available ones by tapping\u00a0System<\/strong> Update<\/strong>.<\/p>\n To update apps, open Google Play<\/strong>\u00a0and tap your profile picture at the top-right. Then, go to\u00a0Settings > Network preferences >\u00a0Auto-update apps<\/strong>. Here, select from several options depending on whether you want to update apps\u00a0over Wi-Fi or mobile data; the best option\u00a0depends on your phone’s data plan.<\/p>\n To check for app updates on-demand, tap your profile picture in\u00a0Google Play and choose\u00a0Manage apps and device<\/strong>. Under\u00a0Updates available<\/strong>, hit\u00a0Update all<\/strong> to run all pending updates or\u00a0See details<\/strong> to review each app individually and install updates as desired.\u00a0Some app may require new privacy permissions for\u00a0updates, prompting\u00a0you to confirm these new settings.<\/p>\n Enabling two-factor authentication secures your Google account, which is the key to so much on your phone. To add this, visit your Google Account management page, select\u00a0Security & sign-in<\/strong>, and then under\u00a0How you sign in to<\/strong> Google<\/strong>, hit\u00a02-Step Verification<\/strong>.<\/em>\u00a0Walk through the steps to add a secondary step.<\/p>\n Another simple protection is to enable\u00a0your phone’s automatic backup feature: go to Settings<\/strong>, tap Google<\/strong>\u00a0and select Backup<\/strong>. If it is your first time doing so, follow the prompts to back up your phone. If not, navigate to Manage backup<\/strong>, where you can adjust your data settings and enable automatic backups. With a backup, you won’t lose crucial data if your device is stolen or lost.<\/p>\n One of Android’s most important security features is the Find Hub app,\u00a0which allows you to see your device’s last known location, ring it, erase your personal information, track lost luggage, and share your location with friends and family. Although Find Hub is automatically enabled, taking some steps ensures your device can be found using it.\u00a0<\/p>\n Make sure you’ve turned on location permissions by visiting Settings\u00a0>\u00a0Location\u00a0>\u00a0Use location<\/strong>. Next, go to Settings\u00a0>\u00a0Security >\u00a0Find Hub<\/strong>\u00a0and confirm Allow device to be located<\/strong> is enabled. You can find your Android\u00a0device by visiting\u00a0Google’s Find Hub website\u00a0in any browser. Google’s Find Hub support page has great advice on preparing your phone for recovery before it’s lost.<\/p>\n Android features multiple scam detection tools\u00a0to alert you about potentially malicious phone calls or texts. One, called Scam\u00a0Detection<\/strong>, uses Gemini’s AI models to detect the “subtle conversational patterns used in job offer scams or sophisticated romance baiting scams.”\u00a0If enabled, you’ll hear a series of beeps and receive a notification alerting you to a potential scam.\u00a0<\/p>\n Due to the sensitive nature of many calls, this feature is disabled by default. To turn it on, open the\u00a0Phone<\/strong> app, tap the M<\/strong>enu<\/strong> icon\u00a0at the top-left, and choose\u00a0Settings<\/strong>. Then, find\u00a0Scam Detection<\/strong> and toggle it to active. While this is currently only available for Google\u00a0Pixel phones,\u00a0Google has announced that it will bring the tool to other phones, starting with the Samsung Galaxy S26.\u00a0<\/p>\n Android offers a similar tool targeting texting schemes; you’ll get a warning about potential scams when on-device AI detects a suspicious\u00a0message. The alerts provide the option to dismiss them, report the scammer or block the number. Google assures\u00a0that the AI’s algorithm occurs entirely within your device, meaning none of the contents are uploaded to an outside database or cloud server.\u00a0<\/p>\n This feature is on by default and only applies to conversations\u00a0with people not in your contact list. If you don’t want your phone scanning conversations, disable\u00a0it by going to Messages<\/strong>, tapping your profile icon, then choosing\u00a0Protection & Safety<\/strong>. From there, you can enable or disable\u00a0Spam protection<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
Thx4stock\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n Part of securing Android is defining how applications can interact with your personal data. To adjust these options, open the\u00a0Settings<\/strong> app, tap\u00a0Apps<\/strong>, find your desired application and select Permissions<\/strong>, where you can customize privacy settings. For some (including camera, location and microphone), Android may offer more precise customization options.<\/p>\n Android’s permission manager also presents these based on permission type\u00a0instead of a per-app basis. To use this view, open the Security & Privacy<\/strong> section of the\u00a0Settings<\/strong> app, navigate to Privacy<\/strong>, and choose Permission manager<\/strong>.\u00a0Here, you’ll see a breakdown of permission types; choose one to review and adjust which apps have that permission.\u00a0<\/p>\n Permissions include your calendar, call logs, photo library, physical activity metrics, body sensors, text messages and other critical data. Which ones are appropriate depend on the app. For example, location access is essential for a navigation app to work correctly, while being completely unnecessary for a card game. Ultimately, permissions are a cocktail of your tolerance for data sharing and desired app functionalities.\u00a0<\/p>\n Another helpful setting is having Android pause access for unused apps,\u00a0preventing apps you haven’t touched in months from sucking up your data.\u00a0To enable this, tap Settings > Apps > See all apps<\/strong>. Next,\u00a0choose the one you want to pause, navigate to Unused app<\/strong> settings<\/strong>, and enable Pause app activity if unused<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n You may be surprised to learn that your phone usage is shared with advertising partners. Android allows you to opt out of this form of data sharing\u00a0by visiting\u00a0Settings > Google\u00a0>\u00a0All services> Privacy & security\u00a0<\/strong>> Ads >\u00a0<\/strong>Ads privacy<\/strong>. There, you’ll find several ad-related settings.<\/p>\n The first is called Ad topics<\/strong>, where Android shares topics (up to three at a time) you may be interested in with advertisers. Turn off the feature by navigating to\u00a0Ad topics<\/strong>\u00a0in the above menu. If you choose to leave this enabled, you can remove specific topics.\u00a0<\/p>\n Android also allows you to block apps from suggesting ads to other apps. On the same menu, select App suggested ads<\/strong>. You can also block specific apps from suggesting ads in this section.\u00a0<\/p>\n Finally, you can prevent Android from using your personal data to measure the effectiveness of these advertisements. Visit the Ad measurement<\/strong> section of Ads privacy<\/strong>\u00a0to enable or disable the feature. For a more drastic step, consider removing yourself from targeted advertising entirely\u00a0using Opt out of Ads Personalization<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Most of what’s on the Play Store is safe, but it’s still important to be aware of what you’re downloading. Criminals can hide malware within seemingly innocuous apps,\u00a0sometimes circumventing\u00a0Google’s security protections. This is why the Google Play Protect feature protects you from harmful apps.\u00a0<\/p>\n Enabled by default, Play Protect scans apps for malware or harmful data sharing as you download them. The system also periodically scans your device for harmful activity, as malicious apps can\u00a0lay dormant for months or years\u00a0before executing malware. If Android finds a problematic app, it will remove it, disable it or send you a notification.\u00a0<\/p>\n To verify your phone is protected, open the\u00a0Google Play Store,\u00a0<\/strong>tap your profile icon at the top-right and go to Play Protect\u00a0>\u00a0Settings\u00a0>\u00a0<\/strong>About<\/strong>. You’re able to\u00a0disable this functionality by tapping the Play Protect<\/strong>\u00a0entry in the Play Store’s profile menu, then choosing\u00a0Settings<\/strong>. Here, you’ll find the Scan apps with Play Protect<\/strong> slider. Google strongly suggests you “always keep Google Play Protect on,” as disabling it can expose you to dangerous apps.<\/p>\n App security concerns are much more acute if you sideload apps from outside Play Store, as they haven’t undergone the same security checks. Those who sideload can\u00a0do so more safely by enabling\u00a0Improve harmful app detection,\u00a0<\/strong>which automatically sends non-Play Store applications to Google for review. You might also consider an Android antivirus app\u00a0if you regularly sideload.<\/p>\n Having your phone stolen is awful, but it can be less panic-inducing than you’d expect with\u00a0Android’s suite of\u00a0threat protection features. To turn on theft protection, go to\u00a0Settings\u00a0>\u00a0Google\u00a0>\u00a0All services<\/strong>. From there, navigate to the P<\/strong>ersonal & device safety<\/strong> section and tap Theft protection<\/strong>, which holds several advanced security features.<\/p>\n The first is called Theft Detection Lock, which uses your phone’s Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and motion sensors to detect if someone forcefully takes your phone. To enable this, enable Theft Detection Lock<\/strong>\u00a0in the above\u00a0settings page<\/strong>. A similar security measure, dubbed Offline Device Lock<\/strong>, automatically locks your screen if someone takes your device offline to prevent you from tracking their movements in Find Hub.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Failed Authentication Lock<\/strong> feature in the same\u00a0menu protects from someone guessing your PIN. Identity Check<\/strong>\u00a0adds an additional layer of security, as it requires your biometric data to change critical security features like passwords or two-factor recovery.<\/p>\n Another useful theft protection tool is Android’s Remote Lock<\/strong> feature,\u00a0which has you lock your device from a verified phone number. To enable this, your phone must have an active SIM card, a verified phone number, and Find Hub activated. Once it’s on, you can remotely set your stolen phone’s screen to lock when it comes back online. To do so, visit\u00a0android.com\/lock,\u00a0enter your phone number, and follow the prompts. You also can add a security question to restrict the feature in the Remote Lock<\/strong>\u00a0menu.<\/p>\nEnable Android’s basic protections<\/h2>\n
Turn on anti-scam features<\/h2>\n
Manage your privacy settings<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\nCustomize your advertisement settings<\/h2>\n
Protect against harmful apps<\/h2>\n
Turn on theft protection<\/h2>\n