A 10-Minute Privacy Checkup for Your Phone

Phones collect more about us than any other device we own, and most apps ask for more access than they need. The good news: a short pass through your settings fixes most of it. Set a timer for ten minutes and work down this list.

1. Location (3 minutes)

On iPhone: Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services. On Android, look for Location → App location permissions in Settings.

• Set most apps to While Using or Never. Very few need "Always".
• Turn off Precise Location for apps that only need your city, like weather and shopping apps.
• Check your camera app. If it saves location, every photo carries the exact spot it was taken. Turn it off, or clean photos before sharing with the Hidden Info Remover.

2. Photos, contacts, microphone and camera (3 minutes)

• Give apps selected photos instead of your whole library when they offer the choice.
• Remove contacts access from apps that don't need your address book.
• Look at the microphone and camera lists and switch off anything that surprises you.

3. Ad tracking (1 minute)

• On iPhone, turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track under Privacy & Security → Tracking.
• On Android, find Ads under the privacy settings and delete your advertising ID.

4. Lock screen and accounts (2 minutes)

• Hide message previews on the lock screen so codes and private texts don't show to anyone holding your phone.
• Use a six-digit (or longer) passcode, not four digits.
• Turn on two-step sign-in for your phone's main account (Apple or Google).

5. Delete what you don't use (1 minute)

Every app you no longer use is one more company holding your data. Scroll through your apps and delete the ones you haven't opened in months.

Bonus: see what your phone's browser gives away

Open What Does My Browser Reveal? on your phone. It shows what any website can read from it, from your screen and battery to your rough location, and how to give away less.