Following up on last week's article about iPhone setting tweaks for increased privacy, here are some things that Android users can do to control and enhance your privacy on your Android devices.
Check your app permissions
When downloading apps, they typically bombard you with various permission requests that you can grant or deny. If you want to make sure those apps you downloaded a few years ago have the appropriate permissions granted, review their permissions in your Android settings.
- Open the Settings app → Privacy.
- Review what permissions are being used.
You can toggle the permissions per app. Newer devices give you four permissions options: allow all of the time, allow while using the app, always ask, don’t allow. Fancy!
Get rid of apps that are collecting virtual dust
When you have had your phone for a while, it is easy to collect a bunch of apps. Consider doing a phone “spring cleaning” to get rid of apps you no longer use. If you choose to hold onto them, be aware that they may continue to collect data in the background despite not being used.
Choose your go-to browser carefully
With Android devices, Chrome is the default browser used, and Chrome likes to make your life easier but a lot less private. Chrome creates a profile for you and will personalize search results based on this profile. While convenient, this isn’t the most private option. You have the option to change what search engine Chrome uses instead of Google, which is its standard setting.
- Open your Google Chrome settings → Search engine.
- Select any option you’d like. Duckduckgo is one of the more private options.
You also have the option to change your browser security, though this ironically collects more of your browsing data.
- Open your Google Chrome settings → Privacy and security → Safe browsing.
- Choose Enhanced protection.
Check your browser data collection settings
While fiddling with browser settings, why not take it a step further and review exactly what data you allow your browser to collect and store?
- Open your Google Chrome settings → Privacy and security → Clear browsing data.
- Select what you’d like cleared and from what time frame you’d prefer (this is automatically set to the last hour).
- If you want to get fancy, wander to the Advanced tab, and you can choose to clear even more detailed data.
Only eat cookies–block third party cookies from your browser
Cookies are delicious, but digital cookies can be a pest.
- Open your Google Chrome settings → Site settings → Cookies → Block third-party cookies.
You don’t NEED to use Chrome
Just because it is the default browser does not mean you are confined to only using Google Chrome. Consider downloading a different browser on your device and disabling Chrome.
- Go to your Device Settings app → Apps → Chrome → Disable.
- Confirm that you want to disable Chrome.
Check your notification viewing preferences
Do you want to see what messages you receive without unlocking your phone? Do you want anyone to see what messages you receive without unlocking your phone? While the first sounds convenient, the second isn’t ideal.
- Go to your Device Settings app → Notifications → Lock screen notifications.
- Turn on Hide content or Hide sensitive content OR set to Don't show notifications.
Reviewing your privacy settings can seem like a daunting task, but you won't need to replace too much scrolling time to get it done. If you want to enhance your privacy from one of your (likely) most used devices, this process will be worthwhile. Continue to enjoy your summer and enjoy your newfound digital privacy!