Ugh, the paranoia is real. And for good reason! The price some of these security apps charge is just ridiculous, like you have to pay a subscription just to feel safe using your own phone.
Honestly, the best ways to protect yourself are free. The biggest culprit for this kind of spying is a sketchy app you get tricked into installing.
- Stick to Official App Stores: Don’t download apps from random websites. Google and Apple do a decent (not perfect, but decent) job of screening for junk.
- Check App Permissions! This is the big one. When you install an app, it asks for permission to access things. Does that simple puzzle game really need permission to use your camera or view your screen? No way. Go into your settings and revoke permissions for any app that seems too nosy.
- Keep Your Phone Updated: Those annoying software updates often have security patches that block these kinds of exploits.
Before paying for anything, just get into the habit of checking permissions. It’s the cheapest and most effective thing you can do.
Anyone know of any good actually free security apps that don’t constantly nag you to upgrade? I’m always on the lookout for a good deal.