Misplacing or losing your phone can be a nightmare, but there are actually things you can do ahead of time to protect yourself.
Sean McKee, an electronic repair technician suggests first to set a pin on your phone immediately. Whether it’s a passcode, finger print or face recognition, McKee says it’s the hardest thing to break if someone attempted to gain access into your device.
Next step is to accept those software updates. Keeping your devices up to date with the latest software can actually prevent viruses and hacking.
Another tip McKee has is a bit controversial.
“Having location services on is always smart,” says McKee, who says keeping it on is the only way to locate it when it goes missing.
How can you ensure your personal information is safe? McKee suggests downloarding the free app Bitedefender.
“There’s different things you can do, and it's very simple for you to use," McKee explains. "So, they have something called App Lock.”
The App Lock feature in Bitdefender sends a signal to your phone and puts additional pass codes on your banking and social media apps, just in case someone does break in.
For more serious measures, Bitdefender can go one step further.
“You can send out notifications to your phone that will basically wipe it, so it will clear all your data,” McKee says.
You can think of each one of these steps as free smartphone insurance.
