8 ways to lock up your private stuff on your iPhone

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With our cellphones holding extra of our private data than ever, it is vital to maintain all of it, together with your images and paperwork, away from prying eyes. Joseph from Fort Myers, Florida, reached out with a priority many people share. He’s asking how to maintain his images and paperwork hidden on his iPhone.

“I am looking for a secure way to store personal information on my iPhone, numbers, passwords, documents, pictures – like insurance cards and photos. Do I need an app? If so, what do you recommend?” — Joseph, Fort Myers, Florida

That is a vital query as retaining knowledge private is getting tougher and tougher to do properly, however happily your iPhone has some built-in options that may show you how to with this. Plus, there are some well-known and trusted options that you may additionally need to think about ensuring your private knowledge stays simply that – private.

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8 ways to lock up your private stuff on your iPhone

An individual typing on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Step 1: Set up a robust passcode and allow Face ID or Touch ID

Your iPhone’s passcode and Face ID are the gatekeepers of your knowledge. So you will need to set up these to be sure that others can’t entry your iPhone past the lock display screen. Here’s how to make them impenetrable.

Set a robust passcode

Go to Settings
Scroll down and faucet Face ID & Passcode
Tap ‘Turn Passcode On’
Choose a passcode that’s arduous to guess

Remember to change your passcode periodically to preserve safety.

Enable Face ID or Touch ID

Unlock your iPhone and go to the Settings app
Scroll down and faucet on Face ID & Passcode
If prompted, enter your system passcode to proceed
Tap Set Up Face ID

Steps to allow Face ID or Touch ID (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Tap Get Started
Then you’ll be requested to place your face throughout the body in order that your iPhone’s TrueDepth digicam can seize your facial options and create a novel Face ID profile.
Tap Done after your Face ID is about up
This profile will likely be used for safe authentication and unlocking your system utilizing facial recognition.

Steps to allow Face ID or Touch ID (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MORE: BEST ACCESSORIES FOR YOUR PHONE

Step 2: Use Find My iPhone

This function is not only for finding your system, but additionally for retaining it safe if it falls into the unsuitable arms. Here’s how to activate ‘Find My iPhone’.

Go to Settings
Tap your title
Click Find My
Next to Find My iPhone, toggle it on.

MORE: HOW TO FIND YOUR LOST IPHONE

Steps to set up Find My iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Step 3: Hide and safe private images

Prevent awkward moments when somebody browses your photograph album. Instead of deleting private images briefly, create a devoted album for hiding them. Your iPhone presents built-in options to safe and conceal images. Here’s how to do it.

Open your iPhone’s Photo App and discover a image you need to maintain private and faucet on it.
On the highest proper of your cellphone display screen, you will notice three dots in a circle.
Click on the dots and you will notice an possibility labeled Hide. Click on it.
Then faucet Hide Photo
Once you affirm this, the picture will likely be hidden from your cellphone’s digicam roll.

Steps to disguise images on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

If you need to unhide that photograph, all you want to do is return to those self same three dots in a circle and choose Unhide.
If you would like to view these pictures that you’ve got hidden, all you want to do is go to Albums and beneath Utilities and choose Hidden. This will permit you to use your passcode or Face ID to view the hidden pictures.

How to view Hidden images (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MORE: THE IPHONE PRIVACY SETTING YOU NEED TO TURN OFF

Step 4: Use iCloud Keychain to retailer Passwords

iCloud Keychain simplifies your digital life by synchronizing your passwords and securing knowledge throughout all your gadgets. It mechanically fills in important info – comparable to Safari and app usernames, passwords, bank card particulars and Wi-Fi passwords – on any system you authorize. No extra guide enter required.

By default, iCloud Keychain works solely with Safari, nevertheless it’s additionally out there on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge on a Mac or Windows PC by way of iCloud for Windows and the iCloud Passwords extension.

Before you flip on iCloud Keychain, replace your system to the newest iOS or iPadOS or the newest model of macOS and be sure that two-factor authentication is turned on for your Apple ID.

Turn on iCloud Keychain on your iPhone

Tap Settings
Click your title
Then select iCloud
Tap Passwords and Keychain
Turn on iCloud Keychain. You could be requested for your passcode or Apple ID password.

Find, change or delete passwords and passkeys on your Mac

Find, change or delete saved passwords and passkeys on your Mac and maintain them up to date throughout all of your gadgets. Here’s how to view saved passwords and passkeys in System Settings.

Choose Apple menu in the higher left of your laptop display screen.
Tap System Settings
Click Passwords
Sign in with Touch ID or enter your person account password.
Select a web site, then click on the Show Details button (which is the “i” with a circle round it).
To delete a password, click on Delete Password.
To replace a password, click on Edit, change it, then click on Save.

Find, change or delete passwords and passkeys on Mac (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MORE: BEST PORTABLE PHONE CHARGERS OF 2024

Invest in a password supervisor

To transcend iCloud’s keychain for elevated safety, you will need to spend money on a password supervisor. These are created particularly for the safety of passwords and embrace options for vital paperwork and images. This can also be useful when sharing private knowledge with relations.

Using 1Password for example, you’ll discover that the startup display screen presents storage for bank cards, identification playing cards, passwords and paperwork. We would suggest utilization of the paperwork folder for pictures, and additionally, you will see choices for medical information, software program licenses and even the password for your web’s wi-fi router. Get extra particulars about my finest expert-reviewed Password Managers of 2024 right here .

Password Manager app (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Step 5: Use your insurance coverage supplier’s official app to securely retailer your ID

Joseph additionally requested about storing private info on his iPhone, like insurance coverage playing cards. Well, if your insurance coverage supplier has an app that comprises digital ID playing cards, you possibly can often add your card to Apple Wallet.

Start by downloading your auto or medical insurance supplier’s app from the App Store. Not all insurance coverage suppliers assist Apple Wallet. You can discover out if yours does by in search of an “ID Cards” space of the app.

On the insurance coverage app, check in. If you don’t have an account, you will often find a way to create one from the app’s login display screen. You’ll in all probability want your coverage quantity to do that.
Go to the ID Cards space. The title of this space of the app varies by supplier, however you are in search of the place within the app the place you’d discover digital variations of the membership playing cards you retain in your bodily pockets.
Tap Add to Apple Wallet if out there. If the cardboard may be added, you will see this button someplace on or close to the playing cards. A preview of the digital card will seem.
Tap Add within the top-right nook. This saves your insurance coverage card to your Apple Wallet.

If you do not see the choice to save the cardboard to your pockets, you possibly can nonetheless use the digital model of your card within the supplier’s app once you want to – simply pull it up on the display screen when requested for your insurance coverage card.

Insurance app (Aetna) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Step 6: Remove apps from the house display screen

Keep your regularly used apps accessible however discreetly tucked away by eradicating them from your residence display screen. This ensures they continue to be private and aren’t publicly seen on your Home Screen.

Long-press the app from your Home Screen on your iPhone
Tap Remove App
Choose Remove from Home Screen
You can nonetheless discover the app within the App Library.

Steps to take away app from residence display screen on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

To discover the App Library on your iPhone, observe these steps

Swipe left from your Home Screen till you attain the final web page.
You’ll see the App Library, which organizes your apps into completely different classes, comparable to Social, Entertainment and Productivity & Finance.

To open an app from the App Library

Tap the search subject on the high of the display screen and enter the title of the app you’re in search of.
Alternatively, scroll up and down to browse the alphabetical checklist.
Once you discover the app, merely faucet it to open.

Step 7: Limit lock display screen notifications

If you need to forestall delicate info from showing on your lock display screen, you will need to carry out these steps.

Go to Settings
Tap Notifications
Select the app
Scroll down and beneath ALERTS Disable Show on Lock Screen or Show Previews in order that there isn’t a examine mark within the circle.

Steps to restrict lock display screen notifications (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Step 8: Lock your Notes with a password

If you utilize the Notes app, you will need to defend your private notes by setting a password. Here’s how to do it.

Tap on the Notes app
Open a Note
Tap the circle (with the three horizontal dots inside it) within the higher proper of the word.
Tap Lock

Steps to lock your word (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

You’ll know your word is locked as a result of subsequent to the word you will see an icon of a lock.
When you go to view the word, a message will seem that reads, “This note is locked.”
Tap View Note
It will use your passcode or Face ID to open the locked word.

Steps to unlock your word (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Kurt’s key takeaways

With these eight steps, you will be properly on your manner to retaining your iPhone knowledge safe. Remember, safety is all about layers. Using a robust passcode, enabling Face ID, Touch ID, Find My iPhone and hiding delicate images are all nice first steps. If you are in search of an additional layer of safety, that is the place password managers are available. These apps securely retailer your passwords, paperwork and even bank card info. They will also be actually useful for sharing logins with relations securely. Lastly, restrict lock display screen notifications and lock your Notes with a password to add one other barrier to anybody attempting to achieve entry to your system.

What knowledge do you retain on your cellphone that you just fear most about if your cellphone is misplaced or stolen? Do you will have correct backups of your knowledge? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For extra of my tech suggestions & safety alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

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