This can happen with any person and at any time. Some of you might have
already faced the same. We are discussing about your handset getting stolen or
snatched by some stranger from outside. All this can happen and there is no way
out. It’s not just the lost phone that can make you worried, but the sensitive
information and data stored inside, which can prove of great help to criminals,
if the same lands into wrong hands.
Thus, if you are an owner of a smartphone, which you bravely use while
travelling or moving around on the street, there are some steps, which you
should take to ensure data protection for your device and also to track and
manage the phone, once it’s lost or gone. The wireless industry, on the other
hand, is constantly working to confront phone theft episodes. So, here are few
security tips, if you own an Android phone that can help in securing the data
on your phone, if not the entire device!
Preventing data theft and hacking on
your Android phone
The ways in which you can prevent data theft and hacking on your Android
phone are:
·
Lock code which can entail any PIN from four to
17 digits in the form of a password can help. Make sure you use a combination
of numbers, letters and special characters to make it difficult for anyone to
track your password. But, this doesn’t end here as finger smudges on the
display can help hacker in deciphering the unlock pattern, so develop a habit
of wiping your phone’s screen often. The newer phones boast an improved
feature, like the fingerprint scanner on the HTC One Max.
·
The Lock screen features like freedom to access
missed calls and a preview of text messages you missed might seem great. But,
try disabling this by going to the Security page in the Settings menu.
·
The Device Manager on Android is similar to ‘Find
My iPhone app’ that gives you your phone’s access even after it’s stolen. You
must always keep this feature activated by going to the Settings Menu on Google
and choosing the option Android Device Manager there. You need to check boxes
reading ‘locking’, ‘remotely locating’ and ‘phone resetting’ here.
What if a device is lost?
For locating a device that has lost, first sign in to Android Device Manager
Website, which requires your Google ID and password. The list displaying all
devices on your account will appear, clicking on each device will help you find
its location on Google Maps. The device must be connected to a public Wi-Fi or
a cellular network for this feature to work and to help you locate it.
You can next lock your phone by changing the lock mode or can set the phone
to ring on its full volume nonstop for 5 minutes, or you can also choose to
erase everything on your handset. Android
however does not have versions of Activation Lock, but you can easily find such
features with third-party apps.
The final word
Like iOS, you cannot track a handset that is offline or switched off. Even
if you send commands during this time, they are carried only when the phone
reconnects. Also, when choosing to wipe off completely, tracking the device
gets impossible. However, if somebody tries to swap the SIM card, you can
detect your phone. Also, wiping microSD cards remotely is not possible; it’s
available only for the internal memory of your phone. So, just be careful on
what your phone’s memory card contains.
The good and bad
Android’s protection features are easy to use and attractive and the lock
code option is great and missing on its competitors. However, adding onscreen
messages and a mobile app, can make Android Device Manager pretty more equipped
and more useful as well. Google needs to do something similar to the Activation
Lock on Apple to make Android devices more protected and theft-protected and
dataloss-proof.
About Author: Herry Willson is a Tech support expert who works for SupportMart, leading technical support Company in the US. They Provide support for windows all brand's antivirus, computer, desktops, laptops and Printers. Support for Antivirus Products You can get in touch with them at 1800 793 7521 toll free.