As smartphone users, we’re all aware that our mobile devices hold a vast amount of personal information about us. However, it’s not just the data we intentionally input that’s at risk; our phones can also collect information without our knowledge. Therefore, it’s essential to prioritize the security of our smartphones and take steps to safeguard our privacy.
To help you protect your personal information, this article will discuss effective methods to make your phone untraceable and secure.
Why You Should Make Your Phone Untraceable?
Your smartphone is essentially a tracking device that follows you wherever you go. With each app you download and every website you visit, your phone collects more information about you. Do you know they do with your information?
Here are some reasons why you should make your phone untraceable:
- Protect Your Privacy: By making your phone untraceable, you can keep your personal information and online activity private. This helps to prevent tech companies, hackers, and governments from monitoring your every move and accessing your data.
- Prevent Identity Theft: When your phone is untraceable, it becomes much more difficult for cybercriminals to steal your identity. This can help to prevent them from accessing your financial accounts, social media profiles, and other sensitive information.
- Avoid Targeted Advertising: Many companies track your online activity and use it to deliver targeted ads. By making your phone untraceable, you can avoid this type of advertising and keep your browsing history private.
- Protect Against Cyberattacks: Hackers often use tracking data to launch targeted cyberattacks. By making your phone untraceable, you can help to prevent these attacks and keep your data safe.
- Prevent Data Selling: Tech companies often sell user data to third-party advertisers, which can compromise your privacy. Making your phone untraceable can help to prevent your data from being sold and keep it in your control.
How to Make Your Phone Impossible to Track
Here are some effective methods to make your phone impossible to track:
1. Disable Location Services
One of the easiest ways to prevent tracking of your phone is to turn off location services. This will prevent apps from accessing your location and using it for tracking purposes.
- On an iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services, and toggle the switch off.
- On an Android device: head over to Settings > Location and turn off the Location switch.
2. Utilize a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a reliable method to make your phone untraceable. When you connect to a VPN, it establishes an encrypted connection between your phone and a remote server in a different location. This process routes all of your online activity through the VPN server, making it nearly impossible for anyone to track your online movements.
However, it’s important to select a trustworthy VPN service that upholds a no-logs policy, meaning they don’t store records of your online activity. This guarantees that even if the VPN server gets breached, your data remains confidential.
Some popular VPN services that are known for their user privacy and security is:
#NordVPN
NordVPN is an advanced VPN service that prioritizes user privacy and security. With NordVPN, you can choose from over 5000 servers located in more than 59 countries, making it easy to stay untraceable. It also offers advanced features such as double VPN, which routes your connection through two VPN servers for added security, and CyberSec, which blocks malicious content.
#ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a reliable VPN service known for its fast speeds and advanced privacy features. With a network of over 3000 servers in 94 countries, you can easily connect to a server in a different location to keep your online activity private. ExpressVPN also offers features such as split tunneling, which allows you to choose which apps or websites use the VPN connection, and a kill switch to disconnect your internet if the VPN connection is lost.
#Surfshark
Surfshark is a budget-friendly VPN service that offers robust privacy and security features. With Surfshark, you can connect to over 3200 servers in more than 100 countries, making it easy to stay untraceable. It offers features such as CleanWeb, which blocks ads, trackers, and malware, and MultiHop, which allows you to connect to multiple VPN servers for added security.
3. Use a Private Browser
Are you aware that your most trusted internet browsers, such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, may be constantly tracking and retaining your personal information, including your location? These browsers utilize your geolocation to execute various functions, ranging from customized search results to targeted advertisements. Although this feature can be convenient in searching for nearby restaurants or local attractions, it also poses a significant threat to your privacy.
To safeguard your sensitive information, it is advisable to deactivate location tracking in your browser’s privacy settings or switch to a private browser. Private browser enable you to browse the web without leaving a trace of your IP address, search history, or location, thereby reducing the chances of hackers accessing your online activities.
4. Use a Secure Password Manager
Using a secure password manager is another crucial step in making your phone untraceable. Password managers store your passwords securely and generate strong and unique passwords for each of your accounts. So it’s much more difficult for hackers to access your accounts even if they manage to get hold of your password.
There are several popular password managers that you can consider, such as NordPass, 1Password, and Dashlane.
Here are three great options:
#NordPass
NordPass is a password manager that offers easy-to-use features and advanced security options. With NordPass, you can create strong and unique passwords for each of your accounts and securely store them across all your devices. It also provides a password health check to identify weak or reused passwords and a secure password sharing option.
#1Password
1Password is a well-known password manager that offers a user-friendly interface and robust security features. You can easily manage your passwords, credit card information, and other sensitive data and access it from all your devices. It also features travel mode, which removes sensitive data from your device when traveling, and Watchtower, which alerts you to any compromised accounts or weak passwords.
#Dashlane
Dashlane is the number one password manager according to Reddit. It offers a range of features to help keep your online activity secure. With Dashlane, you can securely store and manage your passwords, payment information, and personal data across all your devices. It also provides Dark Web Monitoring, which alerts you if your personal information is found on the dark web, and a built-in VPN to protect your online activity.
5. Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi Networks
If you want to keep your phone untraceable, it’s important to avoid using public Wi-Fi networks whenever possible. These networks can be risky because they’re often unsecured and this way your personal data can be intercepted and monitored by unknown third-party entities. To protect your privacy, it’s better to use your mobile data plan to access the internet when you’re on the go. This way, you’ll have a secure and private connection that’s less likely to be monitored or compromised. If you must need to use public WiFi then make sure you use a VPN service.
6. Activating Airplane Mode
If you’re worried that someone is tracking your online activity, a quick solution is to turn on airplane mode on your mobile device. This will disconnect your phone from cellular networks, making it harder for some online services to track your location. However, keep in mind that this is only a temporary solution and you won’t be able to use essential functions like calling or texting while in airplane mode.
7. Remove Suspicious Apps
If you notice unfamiliar apps or downloads on your phone that you didn’t install, it could be a sign of a hacker attempting to infect your device with spyware. Spyware is malicious software designed to steal sensitive information such as login credentials, online activities, and even GPS data. To protect yourself from these types of attacks, it’s crucial to find and remove any unfamiliar apps from your phone immediately.
8. Scan and Remove Spyware
Keeping your phone free from spyware and malware is critical for ensuring that your online activities remain untraceable. Spyware is a type of malicious software that can track your online activity and steal your personal data, leaving your privacy and security at risk. That’s why it’s important to use reliable anti-spyware software to scan your device regularly and remove any spyware that’s detected.
If your anti-malware software finds spyware on your phone, it’s essential to remove it as soon as possible to prevent any further damage to your device and personal information. Most anti-malware software can easily remove spyware, but you may also need to take additional steps, such as resetting your device or changing your passwords, to ensure your security.
To avoid spyware and malware in the first place, it’s crucial to only download apps from trusted sources like the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Be cautious of any app that asks for access to your sensitive data, such as your contacts or location, and always read the app’s privacy policy before downloading.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it’s not possible to completely make your phone untraceable. However, by taking steps such as turning off location services, using a VPN, and enabling two-factor authentication, you can significantly increase the privacy and security of your device.
A VPN, or virtual private network, is a service that encrypts your internet connection and routes it through a server in a different location. This makes it much harder for anyone to track your online activity and protects your privacy and security.
To turn off location services on an iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy & Settings > Location Services and toggle the switch to off. On an Android device, go to Settings > Location and turn off the Location switch.
A password manager helps to keep your passwords secure by storing them securely and generating strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts. This helps to prevent hackers from accessing your accounts even if they have your password, and saves you the hassle of remembering multiple complex passwords.