Cell phone theft: the security setting that should be activated to prevent a thief from accessing your data

The cell phone theft It doesn’t just mean losing a device that can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The phone also concentrates emails, social networks, photographs, passwords and financial applications that may be exposed if another person gains access to the equipment.

Therefore, so much iPhone as Android include settings that allow you to limit what can be done with the locked phone and add barriers to an access attempt. Some of these functions are activated at the factory, while others must be configured manually.

In it iPhoneone of the simplest changes is to prevent access to Control Center from the locked screen. To do so you have to enter Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode on supported models)write the phone code and, within “Allow access while locked”deactivate Control Center.

Apple allows you to decide from that same section what other functions will be available with the phone locked, including the Notification Center, Siri, Walletthe ability to reply to messages or return missed calls.

The logic is simple: the fewer functions that can be managed from the locked screen, the the smaller the margin of action from a person who physically has the equipment. On the other hand, the owner also loses the convenience of using those tools quickly without unlocking it.

There is a point where the instructions that were circulating a few years ago became outdated. Settings for wired accessories are no longer necessarily managed from “Face ID and code”as shown in tutorials made in previous versions of the system.

In current versions, Apple indicates entering Settings > Privacy and security > Wired accessories. On iPhones with USB-C Different alternatives appear: always ask before allowing a connection, only ask about new accessoriesautomatically allow them when the phone is unlocked, or always allow them.

The default setting automatically authorizes the accessory when the device is unlocked.

In models with Lightningthe options are narrower: you can automatically allow the connection when the device is unlocked or always allow it. Storage accessories, meanwhile, require the iPhone to be unlocked before using them.

However, current models also have a tool specifically designed for a theft scenario. Is called Device protection in case of theft and is available since iOS 17.3.

To activate it you have to enter Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Device theft protection.

The function adds additional requirements for certain sensitive operations. Outside of known locations, such as home or work, some actions require Face ID or Touch ID, without allowing the code to be used as an alternative. This includes, for example, access to saved passwords.

For even more delicate modifications, such as changing the Apple Account password, modifying the phone code, adding or removing Face ID or deactivating its own anti-theft protection, Apple can also apply a one hour security wait and require a second biometric authentication.

There is even the possibility of selecting “Always” so that these additional measures are also applied in known places.

In Android There is no single route identical to that of the iPhone for all cell phones, since certain configurations may vary depending on the manufacturer, model and version of the operating system. Googlehowever, incorporated a specific set of tools called Protection against theft.

On compatible devices it is located in Settings > Google > All services > Theft protection. There are different functions that should be reviewed.

One of them is the Theft detection lockwhich uses artificial intelligence, motion sensors and device connections to detect certain situations in which someone could have snatched the phone. If you identify that behavior, automatically locks the screen.

Another tool is the Offline device lock. It is designed precisely for one of the maneuvers that someone can perform after taking possession of a cell phone: disconnect it from the internet. If your phone was unlocked and you lose connection, Android may automatically lock the screen after a short period.

There is also the Block due to failed authenticationwhich locks your computer when it detects repeated failed authentication attempts, and Remote Lock. The latter allows you to enter android.com/lock from another device, enter the verified phone number and request that the screen be locked.

Compatible Android also adds Identity verificationa protection that requires biometric data to carry out certain sensitive operations outside of trusted places. These include changing the PIN or password, modifying biometric data, performing a factory reset, deactivating the Locator or turning off the theft protection functions themselves.

Google warns that the availability depends on the model and version of Androidand that some of these functions require Android 15 o posterior.

Los Samsung Galaxy They also offer a configuration called “Block network and security”designed to keep network and mobile data functions locked while the device remains locked. The goal is to make it harder for a person to modify those connections and easier for the owner to locate and protect a lost or stolen device.

There is, therefore, no single switch capable of making a cell phone immune to theft. But reviewing what can be done from the locked screen and activating the specific protections offered by iOS and Android can reduce the chances that losing your phone will also result in unauthorized access to the accounts and data stored in it.