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Technology ~ Personal Technology ~ Mobile Phone
How to make your phone (almost) untraceable – and keep your personal information safe
The more we use our phones, the more personal information we give up. So how to make your phone untraceable and keep your online data safe? We asked the technical experts for their top tips.
Let's face it: at best, most of us rely on our phones now. (In the worst case, we are completely addicted.) But have you ever considered what your smartphone knows about you?
You probably know how to tell if your computer has been hacked and what hackers can do with your mobile number, but do you understand common smartphone security threats and data tracking measures? Once you understand these risks, you may be wondering how to make your phone untraceable.
You see, even the most secure phones track users in many different ways, including via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS. You might think that if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about. But in today's data-driven economy, your information is worth a lot. You may have good reasons to want to avoid tracking. Maybe you don't want people to profit from your data, you're worried that it might fall into the wrong hands, or maybe you just don't like the idea of being spied on.
"Location technology in your phone may be helpful when looking for the nearest gas station, but it can also allow others to retrieve information about your whereabouts, legally or illegally," Stephanie Benoit Kurtz, principal professor in the School of Information Systems and Technology at the University of Phoenix, told The Digest. "Users rarely read the fine print related to tracked content, and sharing in the fine print can be some very disturbing trends – from always tracking your device's location to sharing your device's information such as everything from other apps installed, contacts, text messages, and emails."
If you're worried about this too, look for signs that someone is tracking your phone, brush up on online safety secrets and continue reading for some tips on how to make your phone untraceable.
(1) Smartphone tracking
You might think that the person tracking your smartphone is a shady figure who wants to steal your identity, your money, or both. But there are a lot of people and organizations tracking smartphones, not just hackers.
Smartphone tracking can be active or passive. No, those good passwords you use all the time won't make a difference. Active tracking using GSM, 3G, or 4G is sometimes referred to as a man-in-the-middle attack. This is illegal in most countries, but may be adopted by law enforcement and government security agencies investigating specific threats.
Passive tracking uses Bluetooth beacons, Wi-Fi, and GPS to estimate a user's location. Various apps on mobile phones employ these methods. For some, that's the point. Consider helping parents keep an eye on their kids' location tracking apps and services. Others collect your data for their own business development and marketing purposes, or sell it to the highest bidder.
Advertisers may use your data to show you targeted advertising. Even the government bought location data, a fact reported by the Wall Street Journal in 2020. The Department of Homeland Security purchased data extracted from smartphones, which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) used to track undocumented immigrants.
(2) How to make your phone untraceable
While governments and law enforcement may always be able to track your phone (if they really want to) (more on that below), there are ways to reduce mobile security threats, remove your digital footprint, avoid spyware, and make your phone untraceable through apps. Let's take a look.
(3) Shut down
Contrary to popular belief, there is such a thing as iPhone spy software even if you have the best iPhone security. The easiest and most complete way to stop your phone from being tracked is to turn it off completely.
Brandon Wilkes, marketing manager at The Big Phone Store, said: "If you're worried about your activity being tracked/recorded, just take out the way companies can do that and your device becomes its own isolated ecosystem. ”
Obviously, this brings a very inconvenience of not being able to use the phone at all, and for most people it may not be a practical solution. Do you still want to use this method? Back up your phone on your computer before venturing so you can still access your data.
(4) Turn on airplane mode
Airplane mode isn't just about flying in friendly skies. If you want to stop passive tracking of your phone, this is also a handy quick fix. Of course, turning on airplane mode means that you won't be able to make calls or use the internet through your device.
"The easiest way to prevent your phone from being tracked is to change some settings," says Baruch Labunski, CEO of digital marketing firm Rank Secure. "The quickest and best way is to turn on the airplane mode option. This turns off the phone and Wi-Fi radio installed inside the phone, so it can't connect to the network. ”
Want to give it a try? Navigate to Settings and turn on Airplane Mode to activate it on your iPhone or Android phone.
(5) Turn off location settings
Turning off your phone's location-based feature can block GPS tracking. Switching to airplane mode will do this for you, but you can also turn off GPS tracking as a standalone feature on many devices so you can still use your phone to make calls and access the internet.
"Google, Apple, and Samsung all store and record your movements through your phone's GPS function," said Nick Donarski, co-founder and chief technology officer of computer support services and blockchain company ORE System.
Turn off location settings on your iPhone or iPad:
- Go to Settings. ”
- Select Privacy.
- Click on "Location Services".
- Toggle Location Services to the Off position.
Turn off location settings on Android:
- Open the Application Drawer.
- Go to Settings. ”
- Select Location.
- Enter "Google Location Settings".
- Turn off Location Reporting and Location History.
- You can also select "Delete Location History" to delete all previous tracking data.
Turning off location settings removes some functionality from some apps and online services. For example, if you disable it, map apps won't be able to give you directions from here to there, and apps like Yelp won't be able to find restaurants near you. But if you really don't want to be tracked, you'll need to go back to old-school navigation methods like paper maps.
(6) Use a VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) is a great way to enhance your phone's security. "Connecting to a VPN changes your IP address [a string of characters that identifies each device browsing the internet] by establishing a private network, which prevents your location [and your browsing traffic] from being accurately identified and linked back to you," Rabensky said.
However, it's worth noting that VPNs and other security apps won't stop your phone from being tracked while offline, so if you're really worried about passive location tracking, you still have to use one of the methods mentioned above.
(7) Use a secure search engine
Have you considered what Google knows about you and what all these website cookies are used for? Some lesser-known browsers operate in a VPN-like manner, allowing anonymous searches without tracking.
Try downloading and using Onion for iOS and Tor for Android. "[These browsers] can increase user privacy and prevent tracking from outside parties by encrypting your information and relaying it from servers that mask your IP address," Wilkes said. "They also have plugins that prevent web pages from using Javascript that can track user activity."
If you're bent on getting rid of the radar, you might also want to remove yourself from Google Search.
(8) Pay close attention to app permissions
Every app you download onto your phone should ask for permission to track their activities from the start. If you don't want an app to track you, deny these permissions now.
If you have an iPhone, you can also view app permissions by accessing your privacy report. Go to Settings, Privacy, and (at the bottom) App Privacy Report. You need to click on "Open App Privacy Report" to see how your app uses your data.
The service allows users to "monitor when their location is being tracked and when apps can use body sensors or view your contacts, messages, phone and calendar," Wilkes said. "Users can decide for themselves whether an application is trustworthy to access this data."
Luckily, if you don't want a particular app (or any app) to track your data, you can stop it in a few simple steps.
To prevent apps from tracking on your iPhone:
- Go to Settings. ”
- Inquire about personal privacy. ”
- Click "Tracking".
- Turn off Allow application request tracing to prevent all applications from tracking you.
Note: You can also grant or revoke tracking access to a specific application by toggling the switch next to an application in the list below the Allow Application Request Tracking field.
To prevent apps from tracking on Android devices:
- Go to Settings. ”
- Select Location.
- Tap "App Location Permissions".
- Select the app individually and change the permissions to Always Allow, Only when using the app, Ask every time, or Don't allow.
Why bother? "Every app, software, and technology installed and integrated into your mobile device provides close access to our personal lives, our whereabouts, and even our personal activities through our images," says Donarski. "The real answer to protecting yourself is to wean yourself off your dependence on technology. But since this doesn't necessarily happen anytime soon, being vigilant, educating, and additional scrutiny of the apps, messages, and links we access on mobile devices is a key factor in protecting yourself and your data. ”
(9) Install updates
Always have the latest operating system for your phone and the latest versions of any apps you have. Updates are often accompanied by bug fixes and smartphone security improvements that can better protect your data, especially if you choose the right privacy option.
Pick on what you install
Just because the app is free doesn't mean it won't cost you. Free apps make money by showing you ads and/or selling your data to third parties like data brokers. Use the web version instead of the mobile version whenever possible, and always check the fine print carefully before installing something on your phone.
"Before installing an application, you should understand exactly what the application is doing, what information the application is collecting, and what information is being shared with the organization or third parties," says Benoit Kurtz. "Acceptable Use Agreements or End User Agreements are important. This small print covers things like location data collection information, how it is collected, and what to do with it. ”
Disable ad tracking and personalization
Ad tracking enables companies to deliver personalized ads that are more appealing to you and are more likely to bring sales to the company. But this requires the company to collect data about you, such as your browsing and shopping habits and your physical location. Disabling cross-site tracking in your browser will minimize this intrusion.
If you have an iPhone, go to Settings and scroll down to find the web browser of your choice. Click on the browser name and scroll down to the "Prevent cross-site tracking" field. Toggle it to the On position to stop cross-site tracking on that browser.
On Android devices, you can stop Chrome from collecting or tracking your data in a few steps: In the app, tap the three dots to the right of the address bar, and then tap Settings. Select Privacy & Security, and then select Do Not Track. Turn off this feature to stop ad tracking.
To further limit tracking, adjust your Apple or Android ad settings.
On your iPhone, go to Settings, Privacy, and Apple Advertising, and turn off Personalized Ads. If this feature is enabled on your Android device, go to Settings, Privacy, and Remove Advertising ID.
Avoid using public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi networks such as cafes and airports are not very secure and are more vulnerable to malware attacks, snooping, and rogue network interception. They also collect your personal data, such as your name, date of birth, and email address, before you use the service. The more personal information you provide, the more your data will be.
Campaigns for better protection
As you can see, there are various ways to make your phone untraceable, but all at the expense of some kind of functionality. The people who really hold power here are those who run telecommunications companies.
Grant Gibson, executive vice president of CIBR Ready, said we should all actively push these companies to provide better consumer protection. "They're really key to helping solve this challenge," he said. "We should all participate and actively protect ourselves by using all possible channels to solve these challenges."
It may seem like you have little influence here, but you can let lawmakers know that data privacy is a top concern, and you can vote for officials who support legislation to protect consumer data.
Frequently asked questions
Long story short; Doctor? Here are some quick reference points for the most frequently asked questions about smartphone security.
How do I know if my phone is being tracked?
There are many signs that can tell you that someone is tracking your phone or that your phone has been hacked. These include:
- Your phone is hot. A phone that overheats when not in use may run spyware in the background. Spyware makes your phone work harder, which generates more heat.
- Your battery will drain quickly. You can blame spyware again. Keep in mind that these programs will make your phone work harder, which is why the battery life of the phone being tracked may have been very low.
- Spikes in your data usage. Tracked phones are constantly sending data to hackers, so you may see your monthly usage skyrocket for no reason.
- Your phone restarts unexpectedly. Malware can interfere with your phone's normal functioning, causing it to malfunction and randomly restart.
- Your phone takes longer to shut down. If your phone is taking longer to shut down than usual, it may be because it is trying to turn off the tracking app running in the background.
Can I still be tracked after my phone is turned off?
Phones that aren't connected to the internet can still be tracked through their GPS system, but phones that are completely turned off are harder to track. However, you can track your phone that was turned off to where it was last powered on through features like Apple's Find My feature or by calling your service provider.
Law enforcement can also track a powered off phone through its International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, a unique 15-digit code that identifies a device on the mobile network. With this number and with the help of your mobile operator, the police can track the exact location of your phone even when the phone is turned off.
Your phone can also be effectively disabled because carriers can refuse to service a phone whose IMEI is listed as stolen, even if it has a new SIM card. There really is no way to hide or change your IMEI number – it's engraved in the metal SIM tray of every phone.
Is it possible to track a phone with location services turned off?
In short, yes. While turning off location services will make it harder for people to track your phone, they can still collect the approximate location of your phone through your IP address, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth signals. Turning off your phone completely is the only way to prevent all tracking – unless, of course, someone knows your IMEI!
Bottom line: You can try to learn how to make your phone untraceable, but all phones can be tracked to some extent. The good news is that the above steps make it more difficult.
Source:
- Stephanie Benoit Kurtz is a principal professor in the School of Information Systems and Technology at the University of Phoenix
- Baruch Labunski, CEO of Rank Secure
- Nick Donarski, co-founder and CTO of ORE System
- Brandon Wilkes, Marketing Manager at The Big Phone Store
- Grant Gibson, Executive Vice President of CIBR Ready
- Wall Street Journal: "Federal Agency Uses Cell Phone Location Data for Immigration Enforcement"
- Apple: "Control app tracking permissions on iPhone"
- Google: "Turn 'Do Not Track' on or off"
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