Find your phone

We want to stop ourselves from being monitored without consent, but some technologies can be beneficial for tracking down our own lost or stolen property.

Find my iPhone is a security feature for iOS devices that you can enable to allow you to track your device through iCloud. The system also includes a remote lock to prevent others from using your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch in the case of theft.

In order to enable Find my iPhone, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud. Scroll to the bottom to tap Find my iPhone, and slide to turn on.

Google's Find My Device can be used to ring a missing device, remotely secure your smartphone, and also wipe all content on your stolen property. The service is automatically made available by default once a Google account is connected to your device but it does require the device to be turned on, to have an active internet connection, and to have both location and the Find My Device feature enabled.

In order to do so, open Settings > Security & Location/Security > Find My Device.

Other privacy settings

For the iPhone

USB Restricted Mode: A handy security feature introduced in iOS 11.4.1, USB Restricted Mode prevents USB accessories from automatically being able to connect to an iPhone if an hour has elapsed since the last time it was unlocked. In order to enable, go to Settings > Touch ID/Face ID > USB Accessories.

Android

Disable the option to enable unknown developers/apps: If there have been apps you simply had to install outside of Google Play, make sure the "Unknown Sources" or "Install Unknown Apps" option is not left open afterward. Sideloading isn't necessarily a problem on occasion but leaving this avenue open could result in malicious .APKs making their way onto your smartphone.

To disable it, select Settings > Security > Unknown Sources. On the later Android models, the option is usually found in Settings > Apps > Top-right corner > Special access.

Encryption: Depending on your smartphone's model, you may have to enable device encryption, or some will be encrypted by default once a password, PIN, or lock screen option is in place. If you have such a device you can generally encrypt your smartphone through Settings > Security > Encrypt Device.

Some smartphone models do not have this option as encryption is enabled by default but you can choose to encrypt accompanying SD cards by going to Settings > Security > Encrypt SD card.

You can also choose to enable the Secure Folder option in the same settings area to protect individual folders and files.

Also: The 10 best ways to secure your Android phone