The Gentle January series shares one practical privacy tip a day from a Markup staffer who actually uses the advice in their own life. The Gentle January series The Gentle January series The Gentle January series shares one practical privacy tip a day from a Markup staffer who actually uses the advice in their own life. I lose track of my phone a lot more than I’d like to admit. Yes, it normally turns up between the couch cushions, in the pile of laundry I’m folding, or underneath my dog (I blame her), but I’ve had enough close calls to make sure I have precautions in place in case my phone falls into the wrong hands. If you’ve lost your iPhone, your first step would probably be to use Apple’s Find Devices feature to pinpoint its location. So, imagine the horror of trying to log in only to find that you’re locked out of your Apple ID—someone has changed your password—and that whoever has your phone has free rein over it, including access to your money through financial apps. Without your Apple ID, you can’t kick them off or remotely wipe sensitive data from your phone. And you may have permanently lost access to everything stored on iCloud, including your photos. This has been the reality of hundreds, if not thousands, of people, as detailed in recent reporting, which recounts stories of phone-theft victims observed entering passcodes or tricked into divulging it. The passcode is then used to compromise their Apple ID. recent reporting What can you do to prevent this? Apple will be releasing a Stolen Device Protection feature in a future software update to help prevent bad actors from changing users’ account passwords. In the meantime, and to add another layer of protection, I use Apple’s Screen Time feature to disable account changes. This requires that another passcode be entered—one a thief will likely not have gleaned by looking over your shoulder—in order to do things like change your Apple ID password. For this to work properly, make sure your iCloud account password is not saved in the Password’s keychain—otherwise, someone could reset your Screen Time passcode. releasing a Stolen Device Protection feature To disable account changes: Go to Settings
Click on “Screen Time”
Click on “Content & Privacy Restrictions”
Under “ALLOW CHANGES”, click on “Account Changes”
Select “Don’t allow” Go to Settings Click on “Screen Time” Click on “Content & Privacy Restrictions” Under “ALLOW CHANGES”, click on “Account Changes” Select “Don’t allow” Have your own practical privacy tip? Email it to tips@themarkup.org, along with how you’d like to be identified. We will highlight some reader tips near the end of Gentle January. tips@themarkup.org Credits Natasha Uzcátegui-Liggett, Statistical Journalist Natasha Uzcátegui-Liggett, Statistical Journalist Natasha Uzcátegui-Liggett Design and Graphics Gabriel Hongsdusit Gabriel Hongsdusit Gabriel Hongsdusit Editing Ryan Tate
Michael Reilly Ryan Tate Ryan Tate Michael Reilly Michael Reilly Engagement Maria Puertas Maria Puertas Maria Puertas Also published here here Photo by May Gauthier on Unsplash May Gauthier Unsplash

The Markup Series "Still Loading" Wins First Place in the Philip Meyer Journalism Award

Every dollar you donate helps support The Markup’s work.

Read My Stories

Too Long; Didn't Read

Boost your HackerNoon story @ $159.99! 🚀

You Can Use Screen Time To Protect Your iPhone From Thieves: Here's How

About Author

Comments

TOPICS

THIS ARTICLE WAS FEATURED IN

Related Stories

Untitled Story

A Conversation with Kashmir Hill: Envisioning a Chaotic Future

3 Easy Ways to Share Your Location on an iPhone

2017 in review: 8 most-talked about in tech

42 Best iPhone X, iPhone XS(Max) Mockups for Free Download[PSD+Sketch+PNG]

5 Best iOS 15 Features for Businesses

A Conversation with Kashmir Hill: Envisioning a Chaotic Future

3 Easy Ways to Share Your Location on an iPhone

2017 in review: 8 most-talked about in tech

42 Best iPhone X, iPhone XS(Max) Mockups for Free Download[PSD+Sketch+PNG]

5 Best iOS 15 Features for Businesses

Light-Mode

Classic

Newspaper

Dark-Mode

Neon Noir

Minty

HN StartUps