A Simple Setting to Keep Your iPhone Safe from Unauthorized Access

A Simple Setting to Keep Your iPhone Safe from Unauthorized Access

Recent news of a repair shop in Tenerife fraudulently stealing 5,000 euros from a customer's iPhone—after accessing it because the phone was not locked—raises important questions about the security of our devices. It's crucial to consider whether our iPhones are truly secure and how we can protect ourselves from similar threats.

One common issue is that many iPhones are left unlocked or have a lengthy auto-lock setting, which can expose your personal information if someone gains access to your device. If your phone is unlocked, anyone who picks it up could access your apps and sensitive information.

How to Protect Your Apps

While many crucial apps, like banking applications, require authentication to access, not all apps have this level of security. For instance, if your iPhone is unlocked, someone might be able to open apps without needing to re-enter your password. To avoid this, you can take advantage of a feature in the latest iOS versions that adds an extra layer of security to your apps.

How to Use Face ID for App Protection

The good news is that iOS has a built-in feature that allows you to require Face ID (or Touch ID) to access individual apps, even when your iPhone is unlocked. This added security layer is straightforward to set up and can help protect your apps from unauthorized access.

Here's how you can enable Face ID for specific apps:

  1. Find the App: Locate the app you want to secure. Press and hold the app icon until a menu appears, similar to when you want to delete an app.
  2. Select the Option: Among the menu options, look for "Require Face ID". This option ensures that the app will prompt for Face ID every time you try to open it.
  3. Confirm: After selecting this option, the app will now require Face ID verification to open, adding an extra layer of protection.

If you ever want to revert this setting, simply follow the same steps and choose "Deactivate Face ID code" to return to the previous state.

This feature is especially useful if you want to lend your phone to someone for a call but prevent them from accessing your photo gallery, messages, or other sensitive apps. It ensures that even if your phone is unlocked, unauthorized access to protected apps is blocked.

However, there is one limitation: if someone knows your iPhone's unlock code, they could potentially bypass this feature. So, it's crucial to use a strong passcode in addition to this app-specific security measure.

By using this Face ID feature, you can safeguard your iPhone's sensitive data and enjoy peace of mind, whether you're handing your phone over for a repair or simply sharing it with a friend.