8 Common-Sense Tips to Keep Your Smartphone Secure

That text message that looks to be from your bank may not be. If you get requests via email or text for account information from any business, contact the business directly to confirm the request. The same advice goes for tapping links in unsolicited emails or texts.

Setting this up is easy. For most Android devices, go to your Location & Security Settings for instructions. iOS users can find these functions in the General  options of their settings.

If you’re browsing for a new game or something more productive, use places such as Google Play™. Make sure you check ratings and reviews if they are available, and read the app’s privacy policy to see exactly what phone features it will have access to if you download.

This is more about protecting and restoring your information should disaster strike. With Verizon Cloud, you can save your contacts, music, pictures, videos and documents to the cloud.

There are typically periodic updates to both of these that not only add new features, but also offer tightened security.

If you bank or shop from your smartphone, log out of those sites once your transactions are complete. Other tips include not storing your usernames and passwords on your phone and avoiding transactions while you are on public Wi-Fi.

You think of them as ways to connect to something, but thieves can use them to connect to your device and access files.

Losing your smartphone can be pretty stressful. Each day, 200,000 devices are lost, stolen or damaged. You might be surprised by the high out-of-contract price of replacing a lost smartphone with an equivalent make and model.

To prevent this from happening, consider Verizon Mobile Protect. You’ll get a replacement device—as soon as the next day—if yours is lost, stolen, damaged, or has a mechanical or electrical defect after the manufacturer’s warranty expires.

Looking for more information about lost, stolen or broken devices? Visit Verizon's Insurance and Repair page to learn more.

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