Many of us rely on our smartphones as our primary means of income. We use them for both domestic and professional reasons, including participating in video calls, browsing social media, managing our finances, and speaking with loved ones.

When certain security protocols are not implemented, it can occasionally be simple for hackers and other tech-related professionals to obtain access to our personal information. Here are simple steps you can use to secure your phone from hackers. See them below.

1. Strengthen your security settings.

Always use a passcode, a strong password, or, if available, biometric authentication methods such as Touch ID or Face ID to secure your phone and any applications that access confidential personal information. Additionally, you should activate two-factor authentication (2FA) on services that support it.

2. Enable auto-updates.

Enabling automatic updates for both your operating system and your applications is one of the simplest things you can do to safeguard your phone from hackers. Allowing updates to occur automatically guarantees you won't leave your device unprotected for an extended period. Updates help to fix several vulnerabilities that may occur.

3. Don't download random files or apps you don’t properly understand.

Even if the message appears to be from someone you know, don't download anything sent to your phone via SMS or email without carefully checking the source first. Don't respond or click any links if the contact is unknown or if the communication requests that you act immediately.

4. Don’t overshare on social media.

While it's acceptable to use your actual name on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, nonetheless, abstain from posting a lot of revealing details about yourself. Do not provide home towns, specific addresses, job locations, phone numbers, family names, or other information that could be used by hackers to track you.

5. Beware of spam and phishing emails.

Your email folder is one of the simplest places for hackers to get into your phone and access your data. Scams involving phishing are intended to deceive you into providing access to your accounts. Avoid launching app updates that are triggered by email, opening suspicious attachments, or clicking links in promotional emails. Do not attempt to access financial accounts via arbitrary emails; rather, go straight to the website of the financial institution and sign in using the correct username and password.

6. Manage app permissions.

Check to see if any of the applications on your phone have more rights than they require. You have the option of granting or denying access to your location, contacts, microphone, camera, and other features. Observe the permissions you granted to your applications and revoke any that are no longer required.