Protect your phone
A guide to protecting your phone from digital and physical theft.
Your phone holds your money, your messages, and your identity.
Eight changes. Most take two minutes. Close the doors scammers use most.
Get a password manager
Stop keeping passwords in your notes app or your head. A password manager creates and stores a unique one for every account. Your phone has one built in. A standalone app works across everything you own.
Lock what matters most, not just your home screen
Your passcode protects your phone. It doesn't protect what's inside. Lock your banking, photos, and email apps individually.
iPhone: press and hold the app icon, then tap Require Face ID
Android: Settings > Security > App Lock
Delete what you don't use
An old app is an old door. If you haven't opened it in three months, delete it. Fewer apps, fewer places your data can leak.
Turn off the oversharing
- AirDrop or Nearby Share: set to Contacts Only, or off
- Location sharing: review who can see you and for how long
- Lock screen previews: turn off, so texts and codes don't show before you unlock
Save real numbers
Save your bank's official number in your contacts now, before you need it. Later, when something feels off, it's two taps instead of a panicked search.
Screen your calls before they screen you
Turn on unknown call screening, on iPhone or Android. It asks unknown callers why they're calling. Real people answer. Scammers hang up.
Lock your SIM
US: Add a PIN or passcode to your carrier account to block SIM-swap fraud.
UK: Ask your provider for a SIM PIN or account passcode.
Keep your biggest accounts off your phone
For savings, investments, or large balances, access them from a desktop or a spare device at home instead of your primary phone. Less exposure if your phone is ever lost or compromised.
Run it through Beacon's Safety Checker first.
