Series

Lock Down Your Phone

Written steps for each day of the series, in order. New days appear here after that day's post goes live.

This page matches the Lock Down Your Phone series on our social channels. Follow along on your phone: open the day you need, then tap the same Settings paths.

Day 1 of 7: Passcode plus Face ID or fingerprint

A longer passcode is harder to guess.

  1. iPhone: Settings > Face ID & Passcode (Touch ID & Passcode on iPhone SE and iPhone Duo) > Change Passcode > Passcode Options. A custom numeric or alphanumeric code is the strongest choice.
  2. Pixel: Settings > Security & privacy > Device unlock > Screen lock, then pick a PIN of 6 digits or more, or a password. On Samsung: Settings > Lock screen and AOD > Screen lock type.
  3. Then: Add Face ID (Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Set Up Face ID) or a fingerprint (Pixel: Settings > Security & privacy > Device unlock > Fingerprint; Samsung: Settings > Security and privacy > Biometrics > Fingerprints).

Share link for Day 1

Day 2 of 7: Stolen Device Protection and Theft protection

Make a stolen phone harder to take over.

  1. iPhone: Settings > Face ID & Passcode > enter your passcode > Stolen Device Protection > turn it on. Choose "Away from Familiar Locations" or "Always." Away from familiar places, changes like your Apple Account password need Face ID or Touch ID, a one-hour wait, then Face ID or Touch ID again.
  2. Android: Settings > Google > All services > Theft protection > Theft Detection Lock. On Samsung: Settings > Security and privacy > Lost device protection > Theft protection. You can also turn on Offline Device Lock and Remote Lock there. If the switch is grayed out, your phone doesn't support it.

Share link for Day 2

Days 3–7 will show here after each one posts.

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