# How to secure your personal devices: iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac settings > Secure your phone and laptop with a strong screen lock, theft protection, encryption, automatic updates, tight app permissions, passkeys and a carrier lock. - URL: https://computese.com/secure-your-personal-devices-from-cyber-attacks/ - Author: Duong Quan Nguyen, CEO, Computese - Published: 2024-09-19 - Updated: 2026-09-25 - Topics: Security, IT support ## In short - Securing a personal device comes down to six things: a strong screen lock, theft protection, encrypted storage, automatic updates, apps limited to the access they need, and passkeys or MFA on the accounts the device opens. - Theft features help only if they are on before the phone goes missing: Stolen Device Protection and Find My on iPhone, Theft protection and Find Hub on Android. - On a laptop, confirm the disk is encrypted (Device encryption or BitLocker on Windows 11, FileVault on a Mac), keep the recovery key somewhere safe, and use a standard account day to day. - Your phone number is part of your security. A November 2023 FCC order requires US carriers to offer a free lock against SIM swaps and port-outs; turn it on and move important accounts off SMS codes. - Replace a device once it stops getting security updates. Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025; Pixel 8 and later phones get seven years of updates. To secure your personal devices, set a strong screen lock, turn on the theft protection your phone offers, confirm the storage is encrypted, let updates install automatically, remove app permissions you did not mean to grant, and protect the accounts the device opens with passkeys or multi-factor authentication. Then lock your phone number at your carrier. This guide walks through the exact settings on an iPhone, an Android phone, a Windows 11 laptop and a Mac, as Apple, Google and Microsoft document them in September 2026. It then covers what sits outside the device: your accounts, your phone number, Bluetooth and public chargers, and when to retire a device. The threats themselves, phishing, backups and where to report fraud are covered in our [guide to staying safe online](https://computese.com/cyber-it-security/), and installing updates step by step has its own [guide to updating a computer or phone](https://computese.com/how-to-update-your-computer-or-phone/). ## What to set on every phone and laptop Most harm to a personal device follows a few routes: someone uses it while it is unlocked, a thief takes it after watching you type the code, its storage is read on another machine, a flaw that an update would have fixed is exploited, an app collects more than it should, or an account it signs in to is taken over. Six settings close most of them, in this order: 1. **Lock the screen** with a code that is hard to guess, and add face or fingerprint unlock on top. 2. **Turn on theft protection** while the phone is still in your hand. 3. **Encrypt the storage**, so a stolen drive or phone gives up nothing without your sign-in. 4. **Let updates install automatically**, on a device that still receives them. 5. **Limit apps**: install from official sources, keep the built-in app checks on and take back permissions you did not mean to grant. 6. **Protect the accounts and the phone number** the device depends on, with passkeys or multi-factor authentication (MFA) and a lock at your carrier. The device settings sit in different places on each platform. As of September 2026: | Setting | iPhone (Settings) | Android (Settings) | Windows 11 | Mac (System Settings) | | ----------- | --------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | | Screen lock | Face ID & Passcode | Security > Screen lock | Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options | Lock Screen, with your login password | | Encryption | On once a passcode is set | Required on phones launched with Android 10+ | Settings > Privacy & security > Device encryption | Privacy & Security > FileVault | | Updates | General > Software Update > Automatic Updates | System > Software updates | Settings > Windows Update | General > Software Update | | App checks | Privacy & Security | Play Store > Play Protect | Windows Security > App & browser control | Privacy & Security > Security | Theft protection works differently on each platform, so it is covered in the sections below. ## Secure your iPhone The paths below come from Apple's current iPhone User Guide and support articles. iOS 27, released on September 14, 2026, runs on iPhone 11 and later, according to [Apple's security releases page](https://support.apple.com/en-us/100100). ### Passcode and Face ID 1. Go to **Settings > Face ID & Passcode** (Touch ID & Passcode on a model with a Home button) and tap **Turn Passcode On** or **Change Passcode**. Under **Passcode Options**, Apple names a Custom Alphanumeric Code or a Custom Numeric Code as [the most secure choices](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/set-a-passcode-iph14a867ae/ios). Setting a passcode also turns on data protection, which encrypts the iPhone's data with 256-bit AES. 2. In the same screen, tap **Set up Face ID**. Apple says [Face ID data is encrypted and does not leave your iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/set-up-face-id-iph6d162927a/ios). The passcode is still required after a restart, after 48 hours without an unlock and after five failed Face ID or Touch ID attempts, which is why its length matters. 3. Set **Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock** to a short time. If you are about to lose control of the phone, press and hold the side button and either volume button for two seconds, then press the side button: the next unlock needs the passcode, not your face. ### Stolen Device Protection A thief who has watched you type your passcode can otherwise use it to open saved passwords and change your Apple Account settings. [Stolen Device Protection](https://support.apple.com/en-us/120340) changes that when the iPhone is away from familiar locations such as home or work. Using saved passwords, passkeys and payment methods saved in Safari, turning off Lost Mode or erasing the phone then requires Face ID or Touch ID, with no passcode fallback. Critical changes add a Security Delay: to change your Apple Account password or your passcode, add or remove Face ID, or turn the feature off, you authenticate, wait an hour, then authenticate again. ![A phone far from a house keeps its settings behind a padlock. A passcode card is turned away; the padlock opens only after a fingerprint check and an orange hourglass runs out.](https://computese.com/images/blog/secure-your-personal-devices-from-cyber-attacks/theft.dfd9a06466-1536.webp) *Away from familiar places, a watched passcode is not enough: sensitive changes need Face ID or Touch ID and an hour's wait.* It needs iOS 17.3 or later, two-factor authentication on your Apple Account, a passcode, Face ID or Touch ID, Significant Locations and Find My, and it may already be on. To check, go to **Settings > Face ID & Passcode**, enter your passcode and tap **Stolen Device Protection**. To have the protection apply everywhere, including at home, choose **Always** under **Require Security Delay**. > [!IMPORTANT] > Theft features cannot be switched on after the phone is gone. Apple says Stolen Device Protection must be on before the iPhone is lost or stolen, and if Find My was off, the phone [cannot be marked as lost or erased remotely](https://support.apple.com/en-us/101593). Check both today. The same page notes that Apple never contacts you to say a lost iPhone has been found, so treat such a message as a scam. ### Automatic updates Go to **Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates** and turn on **Automatically Install**. The iPhone then installs updates overnight while it is charging and on Wi-Fi, and tells you before it does. Apple calls keeping software up to date [one of the most important things you can do](https://support.apple.com/en-us/118575) for the security of its products. ### App permissions, App Privacy Report and Safety Check - **Permissions:** in **Settings > Privacy & Security**, tap a category such as Calendars or Motion & Fitness and [switch off apps that do not need it](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/control-access-to-information-in-apps-iph251e92810/ios). - **App Privacy Report** (iOS 15.2 or later): turn it on in **Settings > Privacy & Security > App Privacy Report**. It shows how often each app used your location, photos, camera, microphone and contacts over the past seven days, and which web domains apps contacted. The [report is stored only on the device](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102188) and collects nothing until you turn it on, so check it again after a week. - **Safety Check** (iOS 16 or later), in **Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check**, is Apple's [quick way to review and stop sharing](https://support.apple.com/guide/personal-safety/safety-check-iphone-ios-16-ips2aad835e1/web) your information with people and apps. It can reset system privacy permissions for apps, or stop all sharing at once with Emergency Reset. Permissions control what an app can reach on the phone. Tracking across apps and websites, and what advertisers and data brokers do with it, is covered in our guide to [protecting your privacy online](https://computese.com/how-to-protect-your-privacy-online/). ### Lockdown Mode, for people at high risk [Lockdown Mode](https://support.apple.com/en-us/105120) is an optional, extreme protection that Apple designed for the very few people who may be personally targeted by sophisticated attacks such as mercenary spyware, because of who they are or what they do. Most people are never targeted that way, and the phone works differently with it on: most message attachment types and link previews are blocked, some web technologies are switched off, 2G and 3G are turned off, and the iPhone must be unlocked to connect to an accessory or computer. If that describes your risk, go to **Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode**, tap **Turn On Lockdown Mode**, then **Turn On & Restart**. ## Secure your Android phone Android settings differ between manufacturers. Google's help pages describe Pixel and standard Android and warn that some steps vary by device; if a setting is missing, the manufacturer's support site has the local name. ### Screen lock and encryption Go to **Settings > Security > Screen lock** and choose a PIN, pattern or password. Google [recommends a PIN of at least six digits](https://support.google.com/android/answer/9079129?hl=en), notes that a strong password is the most secure option, and points out that Swipe and None give no protection. A PIN, pattern or password also encrypts your automatic and manual backups with your screen lock. Then add fingerprint or face unlock. Storage encryption is not a setting you need to find: [all devices launched with Android 10 or later must use file-based encryption](https://source.android.com/docs/security/features/encryption/file-based), and the default storage for your data becomes readable only after you unlock the phone. ### Theft protection and Find Hub Open **Settings > Google > All services** and, under Personal & device safety, tap **Theft protection**. The features need a screen lock, some work only on Android 10 or later, and [they are not available on Android Go devices or tablets](https://support.google.com/android/answer/15146908?hl=en): - **Theft Detection Lock** uses AI, the motion sensors, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to recognize someone grabbing the phone and running, cycling or driving off, and locks the screen. - **Offline Device Lock** locks the screen when an unlocked phone is kept offline, which is what a thief does to stop you finding it. - **Failed Authentication Lock** locks the phone after repeated failed attempts in apps and settings. - **Remote Lock** lets you lock the phone at android.com/lock with only your phone number. - **Identity Check**, on supported phones, requires your fingerprint or face, with no PIN fallback, outside trusted places before anyone can view saved passwords, change the screen lock, run a factory reset or turn off Find Hub. [Find Hub](https://support.google.com/android/answer/6160491?hl=en) turns on automatically when you add a Google Account. From another device or a browser, it can ring the phone, mark it as lost or factory reset it, as long as the phone is on, connected and signed in. ### Google Play Protect and updates [Google Play Protect](https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/2812853?hl=en) is on by default. It checks apps from Google Play before you download them, scans the phone for harmful apps from other sources, and can warn about, deactivate or remove them. To confirm it is on, open the Play Store, tap your profile icon, then **Play Protect > Settings**, and keep **Scan apps with Play Protect** turned on. For updates, Google says [most system updates and security patches install automatically](https://support.google.com/android/answer/7680439?hl=en). To check, open **Settings > System > Software updates**; **Settings > About phone > Android version** shows the date of the last Android security update and the Google Play system update. ### App permissions For each app, go to **Settings > Apps**, choose the app and tap **Permissions**. For location, camera and microphone, **Allow only while using the app** or **Ask every time** is usually enough. **Settings > Security & privacy > Privacy > Permission manager** shows every app that holds a given permission, and turning on **Pause app activity if unused** under an app's settings [removes permissions from apps you stop using](https://support.google.com/android/answer/9431959?hl=en). ### Advanced Protection, for people at high risk Android's equivalent of Lockdown Mode is [Advanced Protection](https://support.google.com/android/answer/16339980?hl=en): **Settings > Security & privacy**, then **Advanced Protection** under Other settings, and turn on **Device protection**. It keeps Play Protect on, blocks apps from unknown sources, blocks unauthorized USB access while the screen is locked, restarts a phone that has stayed locked for 72 hours so its data is unreadable until the next unlock, and blocks less secure 2G networks on supported phones. ## Secure your Windows 11 laptop Everything here is in **Settings** or the **Windows Security** app: 1. **Check Windows Security.** Search the Start menu for Windows Security. It brings together Microsoft Defender Antivirus, Windows Firewall and Smart App Control, and [protects the PC from its first start](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/windows-security/stay-protected-with-the-windows-security-app). Under **Virus & threat protection > Manage settings**, Real-time protection should be on. 2. **Confirm the disk is encrypted** in **Settings > Privacy & security > Device encryption**. [Device Encryption](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/encryption/device-encryption-in-windows) turns on BitLocker for the system and fixed drives, and is enabled automatically when you set up the PC with a Microsoft account or a work or school account, which also stores the recovery key. With a local account, it is not turned on automatically. Device Encryption works on Windows Home; the full BitLocker Drive Encryption is part of Pro, Enterprise and Education. If the page is missing, the PC does not meet its requirements (a usable TPM, Secure Boot and the Windows recovery environment), or you are signed in with a standard account. 3. **Use a standard account for everyday work.** Microsoft says it is [safer to have fewer administrators](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/identity-signin/manage-user-accounts-in-windows) and to use standard accounts day to day. Create a second account in **Settings > Accounts > Other users**, make it an administrator with **Change account type**, then sign in with it and change your everyday account to Standard User. Our guide to [protecting a computer from malware](https://computese.com/how-to-protect-your-computer-from-malware-in-2024/) explains what this stops. 4. **Sign in with Windows Hello** in **Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options**: facial recognition with an infrared camera, a fingerprint reader, or a PIN. The Hello PIN is [tied to that one device](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/configure-windows-hello), unlike your Microsoft account password. 5. **Turn on Smart App Control** if your PC offers it, in **Windows Security > App & browser control > Smart App Control settings**. It [blocks apps that are malicious or untrusted](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/windows-security/app-browser-control-in-the-windows-security-app) and is not available on Windows 10. That page still says it needs a new installation, but Microsoft's [Smart App Control FAQ](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-malware-protection/smart-app-control-frequently-asked-questions) says recent updates let you turn it on without one. There is no exception for a single app, so an unsigned tool you depend on means switching it off. 6. **Keep Windows Update running.** In **Settings > Windows Update**, check for updates, install what is offered and restart when asked; [setting active hours](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/updates-lifecycle/install-windows-updates) keeps restarts away from the times you work. 7. **Turn on Find My Device.** It needs a Microsoft account with administrator rights and location turned on, and then [locates and locks the laptop](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accounts-billing/security/find-and-lock-a-lost-windows-device) from account.microsoft.com/devices. > [!WARNING] > Know where your BitLocker recovery key is before you need it. The key is a 48-digit number; if it was backed up to your Microsoft account, you can read it at aka.ms/myrecoverykey from another device. [Microsoft Support cannot retrieve, provide or recreate a lost key](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/encryption/find-your-bitlocker-recovery-key), and without it the only way back into a locked drive is resetting the PC, which removes your files. ## Secure your Mac 1. **Turn on FileVault.** A Mac with Apple silicon or a T2 chip encrypts its data automatically; [FileVault adds the requirement](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/protect-data-on-your-mac-with-filevault-mh11785/mac) that nobody can decrypt it without your login password, and an older Mac needs FileVault to be encrypted at all. Go to **System Settings > Privacy & Security > FileVault** and turn it on. Choose whether your iCloud account or a recovery key can unlock the disk if you forget your password; lose both, and the files are gone for good. 2. **Turn on the firewall** in **System Settings > Network > Firewall**. **Options** lets you allow or block individual apps, and macOS [asks before letting an app you have not approved accept incoming connections](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/block-connections-to-your-mac-with-a-firewall-mh34041/mac). 3. **Automate updates.** In **System Settings > General > Software Update**, click the info button next to **Automatic Updates** and turn on **Install macOS updates** and **Install Security Responses and system files**. A laptop [must be plugged in to download updates automatically](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/keep-your-mac-up-to-date-mchlpx1065/mac). 4. **Leave Gatekeeper to do its job.** Under **Privacy & Security > Security**, keep **Allow apps downloaded from** set to the App Store, or the App Store and identified developers. [Gatekeeper checks](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102445) the developer's signature and, since macOS Catalina, that Apple has notarized the app. The **Open Anyway** button overrides it; use it only for software you are certain of, and be wary of any download page that explains how to get past this screen. 5. **Use a standard account day to day**, as on Windows. The [malware guide](https://computese.com/how-to-protect-your-computer-from-malware-in-2024/) covers it, along with the malware protection built into macOS. Lockdown Mode is available on a Mac too, under **System Settings > Privacy & Security**. ## Protect the accounts your devices open A locked, encrypted phone still signs in to your email, bank and cloud storage. The device settings stop someone holding it; the account settings stop someone who never touches it. **Passkeys** are the strongest option. A [passkey is a FIDO credential](https://fidoalliance.org/passkeys/) stored on your phone, computer or a hardware security key and unlocked the way you unlock the device, with a fingerprint, face, PIN or pattern. It is resistant to phishing because there is no shared secret to type into a fake page, and it can be synced across your devices or bound to one. On April 23, 2026, the UK's National Cyber Security Centre [made passkeys its first recommendation](https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/ncsc-leave-passwords-in-the-past-passkeys-are-the-future) for consumers wherever a service offers them. Where a service does not, its advice is a password manager to create stronger passwords, with two-step verification kept on. The one built into your phone (the Keychain on Apple devices, Google Password Manager on Android) is guarded by the screen lock and theft features above. Set these up in this order: 1. **Your email account**, because whoever controls it can reset most of your other passwords. 2. **Your Apple Account, Google Account or Microsoft account**, which controls Find My or Find Hub, backups and the recovery key for your disk. 3. **Your bank and your mobile carrier account.** 4. **Social media**, covered in our guide to [using social media safely](https://computese.com/how-to-use-social-media-safely/). Where MFA offers a choice, pick a passkey, a security key or an authenticator app over codes sent by text message. The FBI recommends [strong methods such as biometrics, physical security tokens or standalone authentication apps](https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2022/PSA220208), and the next section explains why SMS is the weak one. ## Stop a SIM swap from taking over your phone number In a SIM swap, a criminal convinces or pays someone at your mobile carrier to move your number to a SIM card they hold. The FBI describes three routes: impersonating you to the carrier, bribing an employee, or phishing carrier staff to get into its systems. From then on your calls and texts go to the criminal, who asks your email, bank and other accounts for a password reset and receives the one-time code. The FBI's IC3 received 1,611 SIM swap complaints in 2021 with adjusted losses of more than $68 million, up from 320 complaints over the three years 2018 to 2020. ![Your phone and its SIM send messages through a carrier's cell tower, while a dashed attempt to move the number to a second phone with a blank SIM faces an orange padlock on the carrier.](https://computese.com/images/blog/secure-your-personal-devices-from-cyber-attacks/simswap.cbd6a0190e-1536.webp) *A SIM swap happens at the carrier, not on your phone, so the lock that stops it belongs on your carrier account.* Port-out fraud reaches the same result another way: posing as you, the criminal opens an account at a different carrier and has your number transferred to it. In November 2023 the FCC [adopted rules against both](https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-23-95A1.pdf) that require US wireless providers to offer every customer, at no cost, a lock that stops SIM changes and one that stops port-outs, and to notify you of a SIM change request before carrying it out. Outside the US, ask your carrier whether it offers an account PIN or a lock on SIM changes and number transfers. 1. **Set an account PIN or passcode with your carrier** that differs from your phone's unlock code. Never read it to someone who calls you; the FBI advises hanging up and calling the carrier's customer service line yourself. 2. **Turn on the SIM change and port-out locks** in the carrier's app or website, or by calling it. 3. **Move important accounts off SMS codes**, as described above. 4. **Keep your number and your finances off public profiles.** The FBI warns against posting your phone number or advertising financial assets, including cryptocurrency. 5. **Act fast if your phone suddenly loses service** for no reason, or you get a SIM change notice you did not request: call the carrier from another phone, change your passwords, ask your bank to watch the accounts, and report it (in the US, to IC3). ## Bluetooth and public USB charging: myths and real risks Both come with advice that sounds absolute. The real risks are narrower, and the fixes are mostly habits you already have from the sections above. ### Bluetooth Switching Bluetooth off when you are not using it is sound advice, but the risk behind it is specific: flaws in Bluetooth software, and pairing. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security [describes the real attacks](https://www.cyber.gc.ca/en/guidance/using-bluetooth-technology-itsap00011): exploiting vulnerabilities in a device's Bluetooth software, impersonating a device you trust, and capturing what you type on a Bluetooth keyboard. Its advice: - Keep devices updated, since updates fix those vulnerabilities. - Pair only devices you know, in a private place, and refuse pairing requests you did not start. - Turn off discovery mode when you are not pairing, and remove old devices from the paired list. - Avoid pairing your phone with a rental car, which stores your call log, contacts and messages; delete stored data from your own car before selling it. - Turn Bluetooth off when you are not using it. On an iPhone, the Bluetooth button in Control Center only disconnects accessories: Bluetooth stays available for features such as AirDrop, and accessories can connect again from 5 a.m. or after a restart. To [switch it off completely](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102412), use **Settings > Bluetooth**. ### Public USB charging and juice jacking Juice jacking means using a malicious charger to reach a phone through the data connection that shares the charging cable. Phones answered it years ago with a prompt: an iPhone asks whether to [trust a computer](https://support.apple.com/en-us/109054) before it shares photos, contacts and other content, and an Android phone connects in charging mode until you [choose File Transfer](https://support.google.com/android/answer/9064445?hl=en). In 2025, researchers at Graz University of Technology presented [ChoiceJacking](https://www.usenix.org/conference/usenixsecurity25/presentation/draschbacher) at USENIX Security: a cheap malicious charger that fakes your input to approve its own data connection. It reached files on every device they tested from eight vendors, including the six largest, and on two vendors' phones it worked while the phone was locked. Google, Samsung, Xiaomi and Apple acknowledged the findings and were adding fixes. The research shows the attack is real with a purpose-built charger; it does not measure how often anyone uses it. ![Left, a phone on a public charging kiosk gets power while an orange dashed data line runs back into the kiosk. Right, the same phone on its own wall adapter receives power only.](https://computese.com/images/blog/secure-your-personal-devices-from-cyber-attacks/charging.41573f125d-1536.webp) *The danger is a charger someone else controls, not USB itself: bring your own adapter and use the wall socket.* What to do: 1. **Charge from your own adapter in a wall socket, or from your own power bank**, when you are away from home. 2. **Decline any prompt to trust or share data** when all you wanted was power. On an iPhone, **Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy** makes it forget every computer you trusted before. 3. **Keep the phone updated**, which is how vendors' fixes for attacks like this one reach it. 4. **At high risk**, Lockdown Mode and Android's Advanced Protection both block USB data connections while the phone is locked. Public Wi-Fi is the other travel worry; it is covered, with the evidence, in our [guide to staying safe online](https://computese.com/cyber-it-security/), and our [VPN guide](https://computese.com/how-to-set-up-a-vpn/) explains when a VPN adds something on a network you do not control. ## Retire devices that no longer get security updates Every setting above assumes the vendor still fixes the software. Microsoft's warning about Windows 10 applies to any device: without security updates, it is at [greater risk from viruses and malware](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/updates-lifecycle/windows-10-support-has-ended-on-october-14-2025). Where each platform stands in September 2026: | Platform | Support status | | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Windows 10 | Support ended on October 14, 2025. Consumer Extended Security Updates cover a Windows 10 PC until October 12, 2027; after that, upgrade to Windows 11 or replace the PC. | | iPhone and Mac | Apple lists each update and the devices it covers on its [security releases page](https://support.apple.com/en-us/100100). iOS 27 needs an iPhone 11 or later; iPhone XS and XR received iOS 18.7.10 in August 2026. No Intel-based Mac is on the list for macOS 27; those stay on macOS Tahoe 26, which received a security update on September 14, 2026. | | Google Pixel | [Pixel 8 and later get seven years](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/4457705?hl=en) of OS and security updates, Pixel 6, 7 and Fold models five, counted from US launch. Pixel 5a and earlier get none. | | Samsung Galaxy | Samsung [lists the models](https://security.samsungmobile.com/workScope.smsb) on monthly, quarterly and biannual security updates, and since January 2024 has extended support on Galaxy devices to up to seven years. | | Other Android | Ask the manufacturer, and watch the security update date in Settings > About phone. | When a device drops off those lists, replace it, or at least stop using it for email, banking and work. Before you sell, give away or recycle it, wipe it properly: - **iPhone:** turn off Stolen Device Protection first, since changes away from home may start a one-hour delay. Then [sign out of your Apple Account](https://support.apple.com/en-us/109511), choose **Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings**, and remove the phone from your list of trusted devices. - **Android:** make sure you know your Google Account password and have a backup, then [factory reset from Settings](https://support.google.com/android/answer/6088915?hl=en); your manufacturer's site has the exact steps. - **Windows:** back up, then open **Settings > System > Recovery** and use **Reset this PC** with the option to [remove everything](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/recovery-options-in-windows). - **Mac:** on a Mac with Apple silicon or a T2 chip running macOS Monterey or later, [Erase All Content and Settings](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102773) resets it to factory settings in one step. ## When the devices belong to a business Everything above is for one person's own devices. A company's laptops and phones need the same settings applied and checked on every device, which is a device management job: an inventory, enrolment in a management platform, a baseline, patch deadlines and a way to wipe a device when someone leaves. Our guide to [managing cybersecurity on your team's devices](https://computese.com/how-to-manage-cybersecurity-on-your-devices/) walks through it, and a home office's router has its own [home network checklist](https://computese.com/how-to-secure-your-home-network/). If you would rather hand that to someone, our [IT support service](https://computese.com/services/it-support/) covers device management: laptops and phones enrolled, configured and kept compliant from one console, with disk encryption and compliance policies, remote lock and wipe, and phishing-resistant sign-in where possible. The websites, servers and cloud accounts a business exposes to the internet need a different check, which our [security scanning](https://computese.com/services/security-testing/) service runs on a schedule. More guides like this one are under [security](https://computese.com/category/security/). ## Key terms - **Screen lock**: The passcode, PIN, pattern or password needed to use a device, with face or fingerprint unlock as a shortcut on top. On an iPhone, setting a passcode also turns on data encryption. - **Stolen Device Protection**: An iPhone feature (iOS 17.3 or later) that, away from familiar places, requires Face ID or Touch ID for sensitive actions and adds a one-hour delay before changes such as a new Apple Account password. - **Theft Detection Lock**: An Android theft protection feature that uses the phone's motion sensors, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to recognize a snatch-and-run theft and lock the screen automatically. - **Full-disk encryption**: Encrypting everything stored on a drive so it cannot be read without the owner's sign-in or recovery key. Windows calls it Device encryption or BitLocker; macOS calls it FileVault. - **Standard account**: A user account that cannot install system-wide software or change security settings without an administrator's approval, which limits what malware running in it can do. - **Passkey**: A sign-in credential based on FIDO standards, stored on a phone, computer or security key and unlocked with a fingerprint, face or PIN. It cannot be phished or reused the way a password can. - **SIM swap**: A fraud in which a criminal persuades or pays someone at a mobile carrier to move your phone number to a SIM card they control, so your calls and text-message codes go to them. - **Port-out fraud**: The same attack through another carrier: the criminal opens an account there in your name and has your number transferred, or ported out, to it. - **Juice jacking**: Compromising a phone through a malicious USB charger or charging port, which uses the data connection in the same cable to read files or take control. - **End of support**: The date after which a vendor stops publishing security fixes for a device or operating system. The device keeps working, but newly found flaws stay open. ## Common questions ### How do I know if my phone is secure? Check four things in Settings: a screen lock with at least a six-digit code, the theft features turned on, automatic updates on, and a recent security update. On Android, Settings > About phone > Android version shows the date of the last security update; on an iPhone, Settings > General > Software Update shows whether you are current. ### Should I turn off Bluetooth when I am not using it? It is a sensible habit, and Canada's Cyber Centre recommends it, but installing updates, which fix Bluetooth flaws, and refusing pairing requests you did not start matter more. On an iPhone, the Control Center button only disconnects accessories until the next morning; to switch Bluetooth off fully, use Settings > Bluetooth. ### Is it safe to charge my phone at a public USB port? The risk is a charger someone has tampered with. In 2025, researchers built a malicious charger that approved its own data connection and copied files from phones made by eight vendors, and the vendors began adding fixes. Use your own adapter in a wall socket or your own power bank, decline any prompt to trust a charger, and keep the phone updated. ### Do I need antivirus on my phone or laptop? Windows 11 already includes Microsoft Defender Antivirus in the Windows Security app, and Android phones with Google Play have Play Protect, which is on by default. Keep them on rather than adding a second scanner; our guide to choosing antivirus software explains when a paid suite adds something. ### Can someone hack my phone just by knowing my number? Knowing your number does not open your phone, but it is enough to attempt a SIM swap: persuading your carrier to move the number to a SIM the criminal holds, so your text-message codes go to them. A carrier account lock, plus sign-in methods that do not depend on SMS, such as passkeys or an authenticator app, closes that route. ### What should I do first if my phone is lost or stolen? Mark it as lost from another device: Find My at icloud.com/find for an iPhone, Find Hub or android.com/lock for an Android phone. Then change your main account password from a device you trust, call your carrier and erase the phone if you do not expect it back. None of this works unless Find My or Find Hub was on beforehand. ## Sources 1. [Set a passcode on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/set-a-passcode-iph14a867ae/ios), Apple Support 2. [Set up Face ID on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/set-up-face-id-iph6d162927a/ios), Apple Support 3. [About Stolen Device Protection for iPhone](https://support.apple.com/en-us/120340), Apple Support 4. [How to find your lost iPhone or iPad](https://support.apple.com/en-us/101593), Apple Support 5. [Update your iPhone or iPad](https://support.apple.com/en-us/118575), Apple Support 6. [Control access to information in apps on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/control-access-to-information-in-apps-iph251e92810/ios), Apple Support 7. [About App Privacy Report](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102188), Apple Support 8. [Safety Check for an iPhone with iOS 16 or later](https://support.apple.com/guide/personal-safety/safety-check-iphone-ios-16-ips2aad835e1/web), Apple Personal Safety User Guide 9. [About Lockdown Mode](https://support.apple.com/en-us/105120), Apple Support 10. [Set screen lock on an Android device](https://support.google.com/android/answer/9079129?hl=en), Android Help 11. [File-based encryption](https://source.android.com/docs/security/features/encryption/file-based), Android Open Source Project 12. [Protect your personal data against theft](https://support.google.com/android/answer/15146908?hl=en), Android Help 13. [Find, secure, or erase a lost Android device](https://support.google.com/android/answer/6160491?hl=en), Android Help 14. [Use Google Play Protect to help keep your apps safe and your data private](https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/2812853?hl=en), Google Play Help 15. [Check and update your Android version](https://support.google.com/android/answer/7680439?hl=en), Android Help 16. [Change app permissions on your Android phone](https://support.google.com/android/answer/9431959?hl=en), Android Help 17. [Improve device security with Advanced Protection for Android](https://support.google.com/android/answer/16339980?hl=en), Android Help 18. [Stay protected with the Windows Security app](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/windows-security/stay-protected-with-the-windows-security-app), Microsoft Support 19. [Device Encryption in Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/encryption/device-encryption-in-windows), Microsoft Support 20. [Find your BitLocker recovery key](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/encryption/find-your-bitlocker-recovery-key), Microsoft Support 21. [Manage user accounts in Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/identity-signin/manage-user-accounts-in-windows), Microsoft Support 22. [Configure Windows Hello](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/configure-windows-hello), Microsoft Support 23. [App and browser control in the Windows Security app](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/windows-security/app-browser-control-in-the-windows-security-app), Microsoft Support 24. [Smart App Control frequently asked questions](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-malware-protection/smart-app-control-frequently-asked-questions), Microsoft Support 25. [Install Windows updates](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/updates-lifecycle/install-windows-updates), Microsoft Support 26. [Find and lock a lost Windows device](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accounts-billing/security/find-and-lock-a-lost-windows-device), Microsoft Support 27. [Protect data on your Mac with FileVault](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/protect-data-on-your-mac-with-filevault-mh11785/mac), Apple Support 28. [Block connections to your Mac with a firewall](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/block-connections-to-your-mac-with-a-firewall-mh34041/mac), Apple Support 29. [Keep your Mac up to date](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/keep-your-mac-up-to-date-mchlpx1065/mac), Apple Support 30. [Safely open apps on your Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102445), Apple Support 31. [Passkeys](https://fidoalliance.org/passkeys/), FIDO Alliance 32. [Leave passwords in the past: passkeys are the future](https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/ncsc-leave-passwords-in-the-past-passkeys-are-the-future), National Cyber Security Centre (UK) 33. [Criminals Increasing SIM Swap Schemes to Steal Millions of Dollars from US Public (I-020822-PSA)](https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2022/PSA220208), FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center 34. [Protecting Consumers from SIM Swap and Port-Out Fraud, Report and Order (FCC 23-95)](https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-23-95A1.pdf), Federal Communications Commission 35. [Using Bluetooth technology (ITSAP.00.011)](https://www.cyber.gc.ca/en/guidance/using-bluetooth-technology-itsap00011), Canadian Centre for Cyber Security 36. [Use Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in Control Center](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102412), Apple Support 37. [About the 'Trust This Computer' alert message on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch](https://support.apple.com/en-us/109054), Apple Support 38. [Transfer files between your computer and Android device](https://support.google.com/android/answer/9064445?hl=en), Android Help 39. [ChoiceJacking: Compromising Mobile Devices through Malicious Chargers like a Decade ago](https://www.usenix.org/conference/usenixsecurity25/presentation/draschbacher), USENIX Security 2025 40. [Windows 10 support has ended on October 14, 2025](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/updates-lifecycle/windows-10-support-has-ended-on-october-14-2025), Microsoft Support 41. [Apple security releases](https://support.apple.com/en-us/100100), Apple Support 42. [Learn when you'll get software updates on Google Pixel phones](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/4457705?hl=en), Pixel Phone Help 43. [Security Updates: Scope](https://security.samsungmobile.com/workScope.smsb), Samsung Mobile Security 44. [What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone or iPad](https://support.apple.com/en-us/109511), Apple Support 45. [Reset your Android device to factory settings](https://support.google.com/android/answer/6088915?hl=en), Android Help 46. [Recovery options in Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/recovery-options-in-windows), Microsoft Support 47. [What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102773), Apple Support