In the technology-driven world that we live in today, our entire life is summarized in our smartphones. Be it to the loo, or to any other less important place, they have become a loyal companion and are here to stay. Since the dependency on our smartphones is increasing, its security should too. There are people and elements that can cost you your hard-earned money and privacy.

There are also various ways to ensure that nobody gets your information. Here are 11 tips to strengthen the security of your smartphone.

1. Only connect to Public Wi-Fi networks that need a password

Sometimes, your phone might spot a new open Wi-Fi network. Don’t give in to the temptation. Public Wi-Fi networks can access your valuable information and even jam signals to your phone. You can download apps like Freedome that can secure your connection to any Wi-Fi network by making your data unreadable.

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2. Put Anti-Theft apps on your phone

There are various anti-theft apps available in the market which can help you in finding your lost phone. You can access your phone from a different system and track where it is. There are apps available like Avast Anti-Theft which can help you save your phone, and put that thief behind the bars.

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3. Make sure your smartphone has an Anti-Malware and Anti-Virus application

An anti-malware and anti-virus app is very important for your smartphone. They scan and remove threats and also remove data monitoring devices. CM Security Antivirus AppLock is a good choice for the same.

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4. Prepare a backup of your data

It’s always good to have duplicate copies of your most important data, in case something happens to the data on your phone. You can use apps like Helium to backup your data with a simple account which you can access on any device.

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5. Keep App permissions in check

Whenever you download an app, it asks for permissions. Some may collect valuable data from your phone and use it to sell you things directly. They may also force your phone to send premium-rate messages. Remember that not all apps in the market are safe for your phone. Apps like F-Secure App Permissions can tell you which app is seeing more than it should. You can learn how to deny permissions here .

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6. Only download apps from the official stores for your Android or iPhone

Although every app on the original store is not perfectly safe, but it is highly advised that you only download from the official App Store for your phone. Applications from unverified sources are more likely to steal your data and use it.

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7. Enable remote wipe option in your phone which can delete your data with a click

Smartphones do get lost and for such extreme cases, download remote wipe applications which can erase all your data from the lost phone. They can safeguard your private passwords once your phone is lost, which we hope, never happens.

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8. Turn off GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when not in use

Hackers can get through your phone very easily if your GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are on. Try to keep them off when not in use.

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9. Try not to save all your passwords

Saving all you passwords will mean that anybody who gets your phone can easily access your accounts. Avoid saving important passwords, especially the ones that have anything to do with your bank account.

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10. Log out after banking or shopping through your phone

It is not absolutely safe to shop via your phone. You should always log out properly after shopping or making transactions on your phone.

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11. Stay away from apps that have a lot of pop-up ads

Those annoying pop-up ads are a sign that your phone is vulnerable to attacks. They redirect you to unsafe websites. One should do away with apps which have a lot of pop-up ads.

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Be safe!