You likely use your smartphone a lot each day, whether for business or personal reasons, or both. These devices tend to go with us wherever we are and whatever we’re doing, and they can provide us with a lot of aid in many areas.
However, it’s common for many of us to commit a few mistakes that can set us up for failure or other issues. Here are some of the top errors you want to avoid regarding this tech equipment.
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Not Keeping Software Up to Date
For starters, avoid the mistake of not updating your phone. Software developers release new versions of their programs when they have new features to debut. However, they also do so when they learn about and remedy security gaps that hackers might exploit. As a result, if you’re not running the latest editions of programs, you’re more at risk of a cybercriminal attack.
Updating browsers, operating systems, games, apps, security software, and more is essential. Many people like to set things up to update automatically whenever new versions become available so that there’s no need to remember to do this task manually.
Failing to Secure Devices
Another common mistake many of us make regarding smartphones is not securing them properly. Hackers are always looking for systems and networks to break into and crash, and they’re interested in smartphones, not just standard computers. As a result, it’s vital to secure your devices with a hard-to-crack password so that whenever they’re not in use, no one else can get into them if they’re stolen or lost.
Plus, it pays to install quality security software onto your mobile device, such as comprehensive antivirus for Android phones or specific products for Apple. Choose security that covers against a myriad of threats, including viruses, spyware, spam, ransomware, and other malware. Your protection should also send real-time threat alerts if anyone tries to break into your device remotely and protect your privacy when you browse or buy online on your smartphone.
Not Using Proper Passwords
Unfortunately, many people’s personal and business data gets compromised because they don’t secure their smartphones with decent passwords. You can avoid this mistake by choosing proper codes that thieves and hackers cannot guess. Steer clear of passwords like 123456, 0000, or the word “password” and instead opt for codes made up of at least eight characters and a mixture of numbers, letters, and symbols.
Your passwords shouldn’t relate to any details about yourself or your family that you post online, such as on your website or social media accounts, like pet or children’s names, phone numbers, addresses, birth dates, etc. Change codes occasionally to keep things more secure, too, and select different passwords for the various accounts you log into on your phone. This way, they won’t all be vulnerable if one gets compromised.
Forgetting to Back Up the Information on the Phone
While you can follow the steps listed above to secure your smartphone, you can’t 100 percent guarantee that a hacker will never break into it or that the device won’t get stolen. It’s therefore essential to back up all your data on the phone to the cloud or another type of external hard drive. This way, if you lose the phone or it’s locked via ransomware and you can’t access it, you can still utilize all your photographs, videos, notes, lists, contacts, and the like elsewhere.
Not Protecting Phones with Cases and Other Protection
While digital protection is important, so is physical protection. We’ve all probably dropped our smartphones at some point, often with disastrous consequences. To reduce the risk of having to replace your phone or pay for expensive repairs after a drop or other issue, it helps to protect it with a sturdy, well-designed, and properly fitting smartphone case. You should also consider adding screen protectors over the display surface.
Some other common smartphone mistakes to be wary of are enabling the apps on your phone to have any and all permissions, opening emails or games, etc., from untested, unknown sources, and doing tasks such as making purchases or logging into financial accounts when using open, public Wi-Fi. It’s much better to try and use secure, password-protected internet services for buying and connecting to your accounts.
All of these mistakes are ones you may have committed in the past, or you may know others who have made them. If you can avoid all of these things, you should have fewer headaches to deal with regarding your mobile device over time, and it should last for much longer, too.
