How Do You Practice Privacy with Mobile Plans and Phones?
Hi everyone,
I’m curious about how you all approach privacy when it comes to your mobile plans and phones. With everything being so connected these days, I’d love to hear:
- Do you take any specific steps to protect your personal data on your mobile device?
- Are there settings or apps you use to enhance privacy?
- How do you feel about sharing personal information with carriers, and do you take any precautions?
I’d appreciate any tips, advice, or best practices you can share. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Happy New Year! 😊
Comments
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Hi @Ciroxa
the best protection is to be out of the grid, but this cannot be applied to your question, therefore, we can only try to limit and try to protect ourself on mobile devices involves a combination of practices and utilizing available tools. For me some of the advice
- Secure Your Device:
- Use Strong Passwords: Implement complex passwords or biometric authentication (fingerprint or **** recognition) to prevent unauthorized access.
- Enable Auto-Lock: Set your device to lock automatically after a short period of inactivity, or block it yourself.
- Manage App Permissions:
- Review Permissions: Regularly check and adjust app permissions to ensure they have access only to necessary information.
- Limit Location Services: Disable location access for apps that don't require it, and consider turning off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when not in use to reduce exposure to potential threats.
- Be Cautious with App Downloads:
- Use Official App Stores: Download apps only from reputable sources like the Apple App Store or Google Play to minimize the risk of malware.
- Read Reviews and Updates: Before installing, check app reviews and ensure they are regularly updated.
- Keep Software Updated:
- Regular Updates: Keep your device's operating system and apps up to date to protect against vulnerabilities.
- Protect Personal Information:
- Be Mindful of Sharing: Avoid sharing sensitive personal information through unsecured channels or with untrusted apps.
- Understand Data Collection: Review the privacy policies of your mobile carrier and service providers to understand how your data is collected and used.
- Use Security Features:
- Remote Wipe: Enable features that allow you to remotely erase your device's data in case it's lost or stolen.
- Install Security Software: Consider using reputable mobile security apps to provide additional protection against threats.
I found this like
Regarding the 3 points, if you want the service you need to share that information, since sharing your real person to the provider can also protect the others.
Happy new year to you too
1 - Secure Your Device:
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Hi @Ciroxa
Happy New Year! 😊
Strong Passwords and Biometrics: Use strong, unique passwords and enable biometric authentication like fingerprint
Encryption: Ensure your device is encrypted to protect your data if it's lost or stolen
Regular Updates: Keep your device's operating system and apps up-to-date to ensure you have the latest security patches
Minimal Information Sharing: Provide the minimum amount of personal information necessary when signing up for services
Data Sharing Preferences: Review and adjust data sharing preferences with your carrier. Opt out of unnecessary data sharing or marketing communications.
Account Security: Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for your carrier account to add an extra layer of security
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Do you take any specific steps to protect your personal data on your mobile device?
No personnal data!
Are there settings or apps you use to enhance privacy?
Turn off GPS in most apps.
How do you feel about sharing personal information with carriers, and do you take any precautions?
I have nothing to hide!
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That is very nice post.
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If you want a privacy phone go to degoogle phone with /e /os
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Thank you for sharing! 😀
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This is very interesting, thanks for sharing.
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If you don't change the default settings on your phone, DNS resolution will be handled by your mobile carrier if you're using mobile data. If you're using WiFi, DNS resolution will be handled by the WiFi network your connected to.
DNS resolution is the process of translating the websites you type into the address bar of your web browser into IP addresses. Whoever handles your DNS resolution can track the sites you visit on your phone. So by default your mobile carrier or WiFi network provider can track the sites you visit when they resolve the websites you type into the address bar of your web browser.
To prevent this, you can change the settings on your phone to use a different DNS resolution provider (such as Control D, Cloudflare DNS, or Quad9) that won't track the sites you visit.
Another option would be to use a VPN (such as ProtonVPN or WindScribe) that will tunnel all traffic through the vpn; and handle dns resolution. In this case, the mobile carrier or wifi network provider would only see that you are connected to a vpn server.
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I use quad9 :)
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I protect my personal data by yelling 'Stay safe!' at my phone every morning. Pretty sure the hackers are terrified. 😎
I keep all settings default and only change the password, but I always make sure to set the password to something super secure, wild, and unpredictable like password1 🤭
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Solid strategy! Shouting "Stay safe!" is probably scaring hackers away more than "password1" ever will. Maybe mix in a "Don't hack me!" chant for extra protection?
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Aren't system updates also intended to make phones obsolete?
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Not really, The devices came out quickly and often they were full of problems. Updates are used to repair usage problems but also security problems as well as add functions. What is sad is the shutdown of the support making it vulnerable and it still working well.
But what you have to understand is that the company has to operate and pay these employees, so it plans to change mobile devices from time to time.
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You're right—rapid device turnover and limited support cycles are major privacy concerns. Companies often prioritize new models over long-term security updates, leaving functional devices vulnerable. To practice privacy, consider using devices with longer support (e.g., iPhones or Google Pixels), custom ROMs for Android, or privacy-focused brands. Regularly updating software and using strong encryption also help mitigate risks.
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