- 5 hours ago
How to know if someone's monitoring your phone? What should you do if your phone falls on train tracks? Here's how to keep your device safe and some other awesome little-known features to get the most out of your smartphone!
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00:00One of the main signs someone is tracking your phone is the gadget running out of battery in no time.
00:06Batteries do age along with your phone, but if you've just got it recently, that's not normal.
00:11Some malware might be using the energy to scan your device and send the data to third parties.
00:17Does your phone freeze or take forever to load webpages?
00:21Some malware might be running in the background, preventing the gadget from operating normally.
00:26In this case, you may also have trouble quitting apps.
00:29Sometimes, it's even necessary to restart your phone.
00:33If you open a website you often use and it has a different design,
00:37or if one tab looks different from the rest on the same page, that's another warning sign.
00:42It can be the work of proxying programs.
00:45It means they're sitting between you and the Internet, giving you their own fake instructions.
00:51Even your dial pad can change its shape and color when someone's got control over your phone.
00:56There are some apps your phone's manufacturer or service provider pre-install on your gadget.
01:02Google them to make sure they're legit.
01:04If they aren't on the safe list and you don't remember installing them, someone's after your data.
01:09Those apps can record your calls, read your texts, get access to your social media and online banking apps.
01:16Scammers can mess with your phone's camera remotely.
01:19You can find pictures and videos on your gadget that you don't remember taking.
01:24The same is when your phone's flash goes on and off by itself.
01:28In this case, the camera app will eat up a lot of battery and heat your phone up even when
01:33you aren't using it.
01:34When someone gets access to your gadget, they can also log into all your accounts, from email to fitness apps.
01:42You'll know it's happened when you suddenly have new passwords, get signed up for new things, or see the emails
01:48you haven't opened marked as read.
01:50Someone might be using your data to start new accounts or get lines of credit in your name.
01:57Some cybercriminals can use your phone to make expensive calls or send texts abroad and to premium rate numbers.
02:04They often sell this service to their clients to make a profit.
02:08The unwanted apps they install on your phone to send data are also super hungry for traffic.
02:14You'll notice if they've been active at the end of the month when you see a crazy data bill.
02:20If you find bookmarks to suspicious websites in your browser or start seeing pop-ups way too often, that's likely
02:27another form of malware.
02:29People who spread adware get money every time you click on those pop-ups.
02:33Plus, they can lead to harmful downloads or steal your personal data.
02:38When your friends or colleagues tell you all of your emails now go to the spam folder, it must be
02:44the work of cybercriminals.
02:45They can change your email configurations to make your emails go through an unauthorized server.
02:51This way, they'll be able to read them all.
02:54Strange noises or an echo during calls, dropped calls, not being able to phone someone when you have good reception.
03:01All of this is another warning sign.
03:04It might be a technical problem, of course, but if it comes along with other symptoms, someone most definitely has
03:11control over your phone.
03:13Some scammers get access to your phone through the apps you download from the App Store or Play Store.
03:19When you download them, some applications can send data to foreign servers.
03:24This data can include IP addresses and even your location.
03:28Other cybercriminals create phishing screens to get access to users' browsers and open certain webpages.
03:35If their attempts succeed, they install even more malicious programs.
03:39Some apps aren't harmful per se, they just aren't protected well enough.
03:45Cybercriminals find a way to get inside those apps and use them as a backdoor for their business.
03:51Employers or people who don't trust their significant others sometimes manage to install tracking apps on their phones.
03:58These apps let them know exactly where the gadget owner is at all times.
04:03You can leave your device alone for only a couple of minutes.
04:06It'll be enough to install that sort of software.
04:10Every time you're using a public Wi-Fi network, you risk running into a man in the middle that can
04:15steal your passwords.
04:17Scammers often name their network after a nearby cafe, hoping you'll connect to the fake one by mistake.
04:24They're also after the browser cookies for your Facebook or Skype sessions.
04:28This data can be used to get full access to your accounts.
04:32When you plug your phone into a public charging station at an airport or a hotel, it's not only about
04:39refilling its battery.
04:40A standard USB cable can give away your device's name and type, its serial number, the manufacturer, operating and file
04:48system information, and electronic chip ID.
04:52Some older Android models automatically send out all the data kept on their hard drive once you connect them to
04:58a computer.
04:58So when you charge your phone at someone's home or office, you expose your data to them.
05:05You can get a text or an email with a link to your friend's photo they want you to see
05:09ASAP.
05:10Or it might be some important document on how to get your tax return.
05:14As soon as you click the link in that phishing message, you'll either be asked to provide your personal data
05:20or download an app that'll steal it from you.
05:23Sometimes online criminals get access to your phone data through iCloud or your Google account.
05:29They might offer you to pay to get your photos, phone books, and messages back.
05:34They can also do it to get their hands on your saved passwords.
05:38Then they'll be able to log into all your accounts in a domino fashion.
05:43If they're fast enough, data thieves can make use of any bug in the operating system to do their business
05:49before the issue is solved.
05:51Even a hardware problem can lead to data leaks.
05:54To protect your gadget and personal data, download apps only from official app stores.
06:00Google the apps you want to install but haven't heard much about.
06:04Read reviews from other users to stay on the safe side.
06:09Regularly check your phone for the applications you don't use or don't remember installing.
06:14Once you find such apps, delete them.
06:17Always read all the permissions and app requests before you run it.
06:21If it asks for too much, double check whether it's worth it.
06:25A step calculator doesn't really have to know your banking details or share your data with partner fitness companies.
06:32Get yourself mobile security apps with call blockers and firewalls.
06:37It'll protect you from any suspicious downloads.
06:40Messengers that use end-to-end encryption will help you keep your communication personal.
06:46Get a VPN application if you have to use public Wi-Fi networks.
06:50Don't ever connect to suspicious networks like free Wi-Fi 123 or Wi-Fi for everyone.
06:57Always keep your operating system up to date.
07:00This way, you'll get all bug fixes and security patches before criminals use them as a backdoor to your data.
07:08Don't click on any suspicious links you receive through texts or emails.
07:13Ask your friends if they've indeed sent you the message.
07:16Double check it with the company that has offered you some perks.
07:20Never share your passwords or important data, like banking details, over the phone.
07:25Don't activate your personal hotspot in public.
07:28Keep your mobile data and Wi-Fi off when you aren't using them.
07:33This can stop malware from updating and working in the background.
07:37Carry a power bank or a wall charger with you to avoid public charging stations or someone else's computer.
07:44Once you realize someone's got control over your phone, install and run anti-malware software.
07:50It'll scan your phone for any mean applications and suspicious processes running without your notice.
07:56Delete all those bad apps immediately.
07:59To be safe, also get rid of all the apps you'd installed just before the problems started.
08:05Change all your passwords ASAP.
08:08Your phone can generate a good one for you.
08:10Tap on the password field and choose Use Strong Password to keep the one your gadget suggests.
08:17In iOS, it'll have 19 characters in three batches of six letters and numbers separated by the minus symbol.
08:25Activate two-factor authentication for all your cloud storage services.
08:30If the problem doesn't go away, factory reset your phone.
08:34Before you do it, make sure you have all the important data backed up.
08:38For iPhone, activate iCloud Backup in Settings, Storage and Backup.
08:44For Android, go to Settings, tap Accounts, select your Google account, and make sure all the apps and services have
08:52been synced recently.
08:53You can also transfer important photos, videos, and other files to a computer or flash drive.
08:59And don't forget to save your contacts and calendars to the cloud.
09:06Wow, your phone falls right on the train tracks as you were trying to slip it into your pocket.
09:11You're jammed up at the entrance of the train.
09:14You look down below you and see that it's within arm's reach.
09:18But as soon as everyone's in, the door will shut and the train will be on the move.
09:22You only have a fraction of a second to decide if you want to keep your phone or pay hundreds
09:27of dollars for a new one.
09:29There are still more people flowing in, so you get out of the train to fetch your phone.
09:34From where you were standing, it looked a lot closer than now.
09:38You can't reach down with your arm, so you have no choice but to hop down the tracks.
09:43You see your phone beneath the rails.
09:45You notice all the years of accumulated trash chilling by your phone.
09:49As you reach down, a rat scurries past you and brushes itself on your finger before hiding in a dark
09:55corner.
09:56You freak out, but hear the sound of the door closing.
09:59Some people notice you.
10:01You grab your phone and climb up to the pavement, but you can't reach up.
10:05The train is fired up and begins moving.
10:07Luckily, some people pull you up in time before the train speeds away through the tunnels.
10:12Woohoo!
10:13Now, in reality, doing something like this should be the last thing on your mind.
10:19A better solution would be to inform someone in charge, or if possible, the train conductor.
10:25Dropping down on some train tracks should be an immediate red flag.
10:29The safest thing to do would be to let it go and buy a new phone.
10:34You arrive at your destination after catching a new train and are walking down the sidewalk.
10:38While you're texting, someone bumps into you, and your phone falls in a deep puddle of water right on the
10:44street.
10:45Every second counts when it comes to water on electronics, so without hesitating, you dip your hand in the murky
10:52street water and pull out your phone.
10:54When inspecting it, you realize that it's still on.
10:58But don't be celebrating just yet.
11:00It doesn't mean it'll last.
11:02You need to turn off your phone immediately after it drops in the water.
11:06You move to an uncrowded spot and try to disassemble it to dry each part on its own.
11:11Depending on your phone, you can either remove the back cover and battery, or, if that's not possible, take out
11:17the cover and screen protector if you have them.
11:19You grab a towel and immediately start drying it.
11:22You brush along anything that water could wash its way in, like the charging port, the headphone jack, SIM, and
11:29SD card tray.
11:31Never, ever use a hairdryer to heat it till it dries up manually.
11:35Your phone won't love this, and it will continue to break your gadget faster.
11:39You could also try out the old trick of placing your phone in uncooked rice.
11:43First, you have to go through the same process of drying it up, and only then dunk it in rice,
11:49covering it from all sides.
11:51Even though the rice absorbs the water, it won't be able to get all the moisture in the tiny nooks
11:56and crannies of your phone.
11:57Plus, you might be walking out with a rice-covered phone.
12:01That's why silica gel is a better option if you happen to have some from the pockets of new clothes
12:07or shoes.
12:07It does a better job at absorbing moisture and keeping things dry.
12:12After drying it up, you turn on your phone again, and it works as if nothing happened.
12:18You continue walking, but this time your phone is safe in your pocket.
12:22You arrive home and check your phone for notifications,
12:25but notice that your emails are piling up from unusual accounts that look fishy.
12:31As you try to open them, your phone crashes and freezes multiple times before many pop-up ads flash on
12:37the screen.
12:38You try to get rid of them, but there are just too many, and some social media apps open up
12:43randomly without you clicking on them.
12:45You check your call and message logs, and notice some weird history that you don't remember.
12:52Your battery jumps from 60% to 30% in a matter of minutes just when you take it out
12:58of the charger.
12:58One of the first things you gotta do is download some software to get rid of the malware.
13:04Because of it, anyone can quickly get into your phone and look through your banking details and social media accounts.
13:10Never download any apps that don't seem trustworthy.
13:14Checking out reviews and ratings can usually indicate if the app is safe.
13:18Having a complex password is always a good idea for phones and laptops.
13:23Adding capital letters and symbol characters always decreases the risk of having malware.
13:29Basic numbers like 1234 or your dog's birthday are guessable and leave your phone vulnerable.
13:35It also helps to have different passwords for different accounts.
13:39Clearing your internet history in cash is a simple way to protect your phone,
13:43since it doesn't leave any traces for anyone to get in through browsers and searches.
13:49You freak out and take your phone to get it repaired.
13:52Then, once it is, you feel like you just bought a new device fresh from the box.
13:57But as you head home and climb up the stairs to your apartment,
14:00your phone slips out of your pocket and falls four flights of stairs,
14:05cracking the screen and chipping little tiny pieces.
14:08You are now officially a Butterfingers.
14:11You quickly head down and see something resembling what used to be your phone.
14:15The phone may seem unresponsive at first, but you don't know if its hardware or software was damaged.
14:22If the touchscreen doesn't work, you can plug in a mouse where the charging port is
14:26and click on some apps to see if it works.
14:28At least all your data didn't go to waste.
14:31If the screen is completely broken and you can see the insides of your phone,
14:35try plugging it into a laptop and see if it reads the phone.
14:39That's if your charging ports are still working.
14:42You find out that the software wasn't damaged, so you take it back to the repair shop
14:47where the store owner, who you now know on a first-name basis, goes to work again.
14:52And after a couple of days, you finally get it back good as new.
14:56You get a cab and head to work.
14:58You're running late and quickly get to the office.
15:01But as you check your pockets, you realize you left your phone in the cab.
15:06Are we surprised?
15:08You try calling it with your colleague's phone, but no one answers it.
15:12Any iOS and Android device has its own security system for locking your phone remotely.
15:18As soon as you access it through another device linked to all of your accounts,
15:22you can delete everything.
15:24Make sure to have the app on before losing it.
15:27After that, call your cellular provider and report and have them deactivate your line.
15:33You don't want anyone else using all your credit, which will be eaten up from your bank account.
15:38Call your bank and ask if any purchases have been made under your name.
15:42It's also best to cancel and freeze your accounts at this point.
15:46A phone's serial number is key to knowing where your phone is in case it's gone missing.
15:52If you ever find it halfway across the world on some remote island,
15:56identifying the serial number would be the first step to getting it back.
16:01As soon as you download the security apps, leave them on.
16:04They consume more battery in the background,
16:06but safety should always be a priority if you're moving around a lot.
16:11Back up your info as often as you can or turn on automatic backups.
16:16You don't want to see all the data you've been collecting over the years vanish.
16:21Suddenly, you get a call from you.
16:23You pick up and find out that the cab driver finished work and went to clean his car
16:29and discovered your phone on the floor of his vehicle.
16:32You're relieved and he says he'll bring it right over to you.
16:36As soon as you get your phone back, you put it in a safe place
16:39where nobody would ever guess where it was.
16:43Even you.
16:45Lucky iPhone users, beware!
16:48Your favorite gadget sometimes gets viruses too.
16:51One day, you may see an ad notification from your calendar.
16:55And no matter how much time you spend on deleting those events,
16:59they just won't disappear.
17:01To put an end to this misadventure,
17:03go to Settings, Calendar, Accounts,
17:06and delete all of them except for iCloud and Gmail ones.
17:09There may be really few viruses for iPhone,
17:13but you're never protected from juice jacking.
17:16If you don't want to be the one whose data accidentally leaked,
17:19public chargers are a no-go.
17:22Airport, cafe, public transport, you name it.
17:25It only concerns the USB chargers.
17:28A good old adapter won't let you down.
17:30Be scrupulous about various permissions too.
17:33Make sure the apps you download are from a protected source and aren't fake.
17:38There are many shortcuts available on the internet,
17:41but most of them aren't safe.
17:43Read the app reviews before downloading.
17:46Yeah, sounds obvious,
17:47but it does help save both your time and phone.
17:51Going stealthy is vital for your privacy.
17:54If you don't have a special screen protector,
17:56just adjust the brightness level.
17:58It's harder for anyone to see your past this way.
18:02Airplane mode isn't only great for keeping your charge,
18:05but also at keeping your data safe.
18:07The logic is simple.
18:09If the phone is offline,
18:10how can anyone get your data?
18:12The iPhone runs out of charge really fast when it's cold
18:16because of the aluminum case.
18:18Aluminum gets cold way faster than plastic.
18:21By the way,
18:22an Android runs out of charge slower
18:25just because most Android phones have plastic cases.
18:28And nope, there's no remedy or piece of advice.
18:32Sorry, guys.
18:33It happens to anyone at least.
18:35If you accidentally dropped your phone in the snow
18:38or just left it outside and it got frozen,
18:41don't charge it the very same moment you bring it back.
18:44Leave it for 20 to 30 minutes to get a bit warmer.
18:47Then you might want to get a water eject shortcut.
18:51It's not set by default,
18:52but you can easily get one by just Googling it.
18:55There are also a lot of free apps
18:57that eject the water from the dynamics
18:59with the power of sound.
19:01If you can't delete a certain app for some reason,
19:04check your settings.
19:06Go to Settings, Screen Time,
19:08Content, and Privacy Restrictions.
19:10In iTunes and App Store purchases,
19:12there should be a tick on Don't Allow.
19:15Change it for Allow,
19:17and now you can delete any app.
19:20One of the most bugging problems for all iPhone users
19:23is when you run out of memory.
19:25Even if you delete the photos,
19:27there's still not enough space.
19:29Go to Settings, iPhone Storage,
19:31and make sure that recently deleted photos
19:34are actually deleted.
19:36If not, delete them in the Storage section.
19:40Keyboards have their secrets, too.
19:42To end a sentence with a period
19:43and start a new sentence,
19:45just tap the Space button twice.
19:47Also, if you prefer typing
19:49holding the phone with one hand only,
19:51choose the right keyboard.
19:53Whenever you change the language,
19:55there are three keyboard icons below.
19:58The left one is for the left hand only,
20:00the central is for both hands,
20:02and the right one is...
20:03Ta-da!
20:04For the right hand only!
20:05What a surprise!
20:07If you tap the uppercase button,
20:09twice, you'll get caps locked.
20:11Many letters also have hidden symbols.
20:14If you hold your finger on a button,
20:16you'll see them.
20:17Now you can type en français,
20:19respecting all the characters.
20:21Okay, and if you accidentally deleted
20:24that long message you've been trying to write,
20:26just shake your phone.
20:27It'll activate the Undo Typing function.
20:30Hold the Space button in the notes,
20:32or whatever text you're dealing with.
20:34This way, you can easily slide across the keyboard
20:38to get to any part of the text.
20:40The note drawings can be nice and smooth,
20:43even if you don't have a stylus.
20:45When you finish your drawing,
20:46hold it for a second with your finger.
20:48iPhone will automatically make it look better.
20:51No more curved lines.
20:53Slow Wi-Fi can be really annoying,
20:56but your gadget knows how to handle it.
20:59Go to your Wi-Fi settings
21:01and see if the Data Saver mode is on.
21:04If not, just tap the slider,
21:06and voila!
21:07Now you're surfing the net
21:08at a completely different speed.
21:11Sooner or later,
21:12any phone gets slower,
21:13even if it used to be
21:14a brand new 256 GB iPhone.
21:17In this case,
21:19you just need to clear the RAM.
21:21Turn on the Assistive Touch.
21:23It'll be of great help.
21:24Then squeeze the Power button,
21:26and before sliding the Turn Off menu,
21:29press the Home button on the Assistive Touch.
21:31Your RAM is as good as new now.
21:35Assistive Touch can also help you
21:37set new functions to simple tabs.
21:39Go to Settings,
21:40General,
21:41Accessibility,
21:42and in the Assistive Touch section,
21:44you can change any commands
21:46in the Custom Actions menu.
21:48For a double tap,
21:49I chose the Screenshot,
21:51since a combination of Home
21:52plus Power button
21:53seems a bit inconvenient.
21:55To make a screenshot,
21:57tap the Accessibility menu circle twice.
22:00To change the Battery Icon color,
22:02go to Accessibility,
22:04choose Display and Text Size,
22:06and slide the Smart Invert button.
22:09The Battery Icon color turns blue now.
22:12If you increase the contrast,
22:13it will get a lighter blue shade.
22:16When your phone is on charge,
22:17the indicator will turn purple.
22:19Ooh, magic!
22:21To make your iPhone louder,
22:23go to Settings, Music,
22:24and find the Equalizer.
22:26It's called EQ in the menu.
22:29Late night option will make your phone
22:30somewhat 20% louder than it used to be.
22:34Louder?
22:34At night?
22:35Really?
22:36To record a video without being noticed,
22:39go to the Camera.
22:40Start video recording.
22:42Go back to the Notification Center.
22:44The video will be recorded,
22:46but it won't be seen on the screen.
22:48Hey, why do you even want to do that?
22:50Just because you can?
22:52Hmm.
22:52You can also set a unique vibration for any of your contacts.
22:57Go to Settings, Sounds, and open the Ringtone settings.
23:01You usually have the default vibration,
23:04but if you scroll down a bit,
23:06you're going to see the Customs section.
23:08Tap any rhythm that you like and save it.
23:10You can set it for any of your contacts.
23:13I know, you must have dozens of tabs in your browser.
23:16Or probably a hundred.
23:18At least I do.
23:19To close them all in one touch,
23:21hold the Done button in the lower left corner
23:23and choose the Close All X tabs.
23:26I closed 336 last time.
23:29Eh, that's insane.
23:30If you accidentally closed all the tabs
23:33and need to go back to some of the recent ones,
23:35hold the Plus button in the middle.
23:37It'll open the list of recently closed tabs,
23:40so all you gotta do is scroll down,
23:43hoping to find the one you didn't want to close.
23:46iPhones may not have the most endurable batteries,
23:49but they beat everyone when it comes to photo quality.
23:53Turn on the grid in the Camera settings,
23:55go to General, choose Camera, to enable the grid.
23:59It can help you make better compositions in the photo.
24:02By the way, people with iPhones
24:04don't need a separate app for QR readers,
24:07since all the iPhones have them built in.
24:10Turn on the camera and point the camera to the code.
24:13You'll see the pop-up window on the top of the screen.
24:16Tap the window,
24:17and you'll go straight to the browser
24:18to whatever link the QR code had.
24:21If it doesn't work,
24:22enable the Scan QR Codes function
24:24in the Camera settings.
24:26If you need to find some special word combination
24:29when you're reading an online article,
24:32go to the search bar
24:33and type the word you're interested in.
24:35You're gonna see three sections.
24:37Google Search,
24:38and don't need it.
24:39Bookmarks in History,
24:40don't need it.
24:42And on this page,
24:43tap here.
24:45The word you need's gonna be highlighted with yellow,
24:48plus there'll be a special navigation bar on the bottom
24:51with the arrows up and down
24:52to look for the keyword easily.
24:54If you like writing long, romantic letters in your notes,
24:58but don't want anyone to read them,
25:00then set a pass to any of your notes.
25:02There are two ways how to do that,
25:04depending on what iPhone model you have.
25:07For instance,
25:08for iPhone 6,
25:09you gotta slide from right to left,
25:11and you'll see three icons,
25:14lock, folder, and bin.
25:16Use the bin if the romantic letter is bad,
25:18and the lock to protect it from geeky eyes.
25:22Set the pass,
25:23but make sure you actually remember it.
25:25You can't delete the pass.
25:26If this one didn't work,
25:28just tap and hold the note itself,
25:30and you'll see the password bar in the dropping menu.
25:33Set the pass,
25:34and from now on,
25:35no one's gonna know about romantic letters to Juliet
25:38that you've been writing all night long.
25:41Good night, Romeo!