Use a private DNS like NextDNS, not a generic VPN for ad and tracker blocking.
The Smart Doorman vs. The Armored Car
Imagine your phone is an exclusive apartment building. Using a private DNS for ad blocking is like giving the doorman a specific list of known troublemakers. When they try to enter, the doorman simply says, “You’re not on the list,” and turns them away at the entrance. It’s fast, efficient, and doesn’t disrupt the residents. A generic VPN is like hiring a full-time bodyguard who insists on putting every resident and their groceries into an armored car just to get from the curb to the lobby. It’s secure, but it’s also slow, cumbersome, and totally overkill.
Stop using your Google account to sign into third-party apps. Do use a unique email and password instead.
The Master Key vs. The Keychain
Using your Google account to sign into every app and service is like having a single master key for your house, your car, your office, and your safety deposit box. It’s incredibly convenient, but if a thief steals that one key, you lose absolutely everything in a single stroke. Creating a unique login for each app is like having a separate, specific key for each door on a keychain. If a shady app steals your “gym locker” key, they can’t use it to get into your house. It keeps a single point of failure from becoming a total disaster.
Stop just using a screen lock. Do set up a SIM card lock as well to prevent SIM-swap attacks.
Locking Your House vs. Locking Your Mailbox
Your screen lock is like the front door lock to your house; it protects the physical stuff inside. But your SIM card is your mailbox out on the street. It’s where your most sensitive identity documents arrive—like bank reset codes and two-factor authentication texts. A thief can steal your phone, ignore the house, and just pry open the mailbox to hijack your entire identity. Setting a SIM PIN lock is like putting a heavy-duty padlock on that mailbox, ensuring that even if someone has your phone, they can’t access your identity.
The #1 secret for protecting your data is using the “Secure Folder” for sensitive apps and files, not just hiding them.
A Hidden Drawer vs. a Bank Vault
Hiding an app on your phone is like putting your valuables in a hidden drawer in your bedroom. Anyone who gets into your house and searches around for a while is eventually going to find it. Using your phone’s “Secure Folder” is like building a military-grade bank vault in your basement that has its own separate key and security system. Even if a burglar gets into your house (your phone), they have no way of knowing the vault exists, let alone getting past its separate, hardened security.
I’m just going to say it: Your phone’s built-in “antivirus” is mostly security theater; good browsing habits are more effective.
A Lucky Charm vs. Situational Awareness
Relying on a built-in phone antivirus is like carrying a lucky charm in your pocket to prevent you from getting into a car accident. It might make you feel a little better, but it does nothing to actually protect you. Good browsing habits—like not speeding in bad weather and looking both ways before you cross the street—are what actually keep you safe. Being a smart, defensive driver (or browser) will prevent far more accidents than any lucky charm ever could.
The reason you’re getting spam calls is because your number is exposed in app permission data, not because of random dialing.
Your Number on a Nightclub’s VIP List
When you give an app your phone number, you’re not just giving it to them. You’re giving it to every business partner and data broker they sell it to. It’s like giving your number to a nightclub promoter who then sells his VIP list to a hundred other companies. Soon, you’re getting calls from everyone. The spam isn’t from someone guessing your number; it’s from companies who specifically bought a list that has your name, number, and interests on it, all because one app sold you out.
If you’re still granting “Contacts” and “Call Logs” permissions to games, you’re giving away your social graph.
Letting a Stranger Photocopy Your Address Book
When a simple game asks for access to your contacts, it’s like a stranger at a party asking to borrow your personal address book. They say it’s just to “find friends,” but what they’re really doing is taking it into a back room and photocopying every single page. Now they have the names and numbers of all your friends and family. They know who you talk to and how often. You didn’t just give away your information; you gave away the private information of everyone you know.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about Android security is that you can’t get viruses if you only use the Play Store.
A Shopping Mall with Some Shady Kiosks
Believing the Google Play Store is 100% safe is like thinking that everything sold inside a giant shopping mall is guaranteed to be high-quality and safe. While the mall has security guards (Google’s scanners), there are still dozens of small, shady kiosks run by dishonest people who can sneak in dangerous or defective products. The guards catch the obvious threats, but they can’t inspect every single item. It’s still possible to get a “virus” from the official mall if you buy from the wrong kiosk.
I wish I knew about the App-Ops or Permission Manager to revoke granular permissions that Android doesn’t show you.
The Hidden Clauses in a Contract
When you grant permissions to an app, it’s like signing a contract. The standard Android settings show you the big, bold print: “Can I use your camera?” But a hidden permission manager is like a magnifying glass that lets you see all the sneaky, fine-print clauses. With it, you can take a pen and physically cross out the lines you don’t agree with, like “Can I use your camera even when I’m closed?” It gives you the power to enforce the contract on your terms, not just the app’s.
99% of users make this one mistake with permissions: granting “Allow only while in use” when “Ask every time” is safer.
An Open Invitation vs. Ringing the Doorbell
Granting “Allow only while in use” is like giving an app an open invitation to your house. They can let themselves in and look around whenever they’re “visiting” (i.e., the app is open). But choosing “Ask every time” is like telling them they have to ring the doorbell. Each time they want access, you get to look through the peephole and decide if you want to let them in right now for that specific reason. It puts you in control of every single entry, making it impossible for them to snoop around unnoticed.
This one small action of disabling “Nearby device scanning” will change how much passive data your phone leaks to your surroundings forever.
The Town Crier Who Won’t Be Quiet
Leaving “Nearby device scanning” on is like having a personal town crier who follows you around all day, constantly shouting, “I’m here! My name is Dave’s Phone! Is anyone else here?” This broadcasts your presence to every store, every Bluetooth beacon, and every listening device around you, allowing them to track your movements. Turning it off is like telling the crier to be quiet. Your phone stops constantly advertising itself to the world, making you a digital ghost to the trackers that fill our public spaces.
Use Shelter to create an isolated work profile for intrusive apps, not just accepting their privacy policy.
The Hazmat Suit for Dangerous Apps
Installing a privacy-invasive app like Facebook is like having to handle a strange, glowing meteorite. You don’t want to touch it with your bare hands. Using an app like Shelter is like putting on a full-body hazmat suit. You can pick up the meteorite, study it, and use it inside a sealed-off environment (the work profile). It can’t see you, it can’t infect you, and when you’re done, you can take off the suit and walk away clean, leaving the dangerous object completely isolated from your personal life.
Stop using SMS for two-factor authentication. Do use an app like Aegis Authenticator instead.
A Postcard vs. a Secret Decoder Ring
Using SMS for two-factor authentication is like having your secret code sent to you on a postcard. It’s not sealed, it passes through many hands, and anyone along the delivery route can easily read it. A thief can even trick the post office into redirecting your mail. Using an authenticator app is like having a secret decoder ring that’s physically on your person. The code is generated right there on your device and never travels over an open network, making it impossible for a remote mail thief to intercept.
Stop using your phone’s default keyboard. Do use a privacy-focused one like OpenBoard instead.
The Eavesdropping Stenographer
Your keyboard sees everything you type—every password, every private message, every embarrassing search. Using the default keyboard from a major tech company is like having a stenographer in the room who is typing everything you say, but is also secretly sending a copy of the transcript back to their corporate headquarters for analysis. Using a privacy-focused, open-source keyboard is like hiring a stenographer who works only for you. They record your words and show them only to you, with no hidden agenda and no one listening in.
The #1 hack for preventing tracking is to periodically reset your advertising ID in Google settings.
Changing Your License Plate
Your phone’s advertising ID is like a license plate that advertisers use to follow your car from website to website, building a detailed map of all your travels. They know you visited the hardware store, then the pizza place, then the bookstore. Resetting your advertising ID is like going to the DMV and getting a brand new, random license plate. The trackers see a new car they don’t recognize. All the previous history attached to your old plate is now disconnected from you, forcing them to start from scratch.
I’m just going to say it: Facial recognition unlock is convenient, but far less secure than a strong PIN or password.
A Photo ID vs. a Safe Combination
Using your face to unlock your phone is like using a photo of yourself as the key to a safe. It’s quick and easy, but a clever thief could potentially use a high-quality picture or a mask to fool the lock. A strong, unique PIN is like a complex safe combination. An attacker can’t just find a picture of the combination; they have to sit there and manually try thousands of different possibilities, which is a much, much harder task. One is a picture; the other is a secret.
The reason you see ads for things you talk about is because of cross-device tracking, not because your phone is listening to you.
The Detective Connecting the Dots
Your phone isn’t a secret microphone. It’s a detective. Imagine you and a friend are in a room. Your friend uses their phone to search for “cat food.” Later, your phone and your friend’s phone are in the same place (your house). The detective sees that both your phones are on the same Wi-Fi network. It concludes you and your friend are connected. Since your friend likes cats, the detective infers that you might like cats too, and shows you an ad for cat food. It connected the dots without ever listening.
If you’re still using public Wi-Fi without a VPN, you’re exposing all your unencrypted traffic.
Whispering in a Crowded Coffee Shop
Using public Wi-Fi is like having a conversation in a crowded coffee shop where everyone is a world-class lip reader. Any information you send that isn’t properly secured (encrypted) is like talking out loud. Anyone else in the coffee shop can easily watch your lips and learn your secrets. A VPN is like a portable, soundproof privacy cone. You and the person you’re talking to are inside the cone, and even though you’re still in the crowded room, no one else can see or hear your conversation.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that “Incognito Mode” makes you anonymous online.
Wearing a Disguise in Your Own House
Using Incognito Mode is like putting on a fake mustache and glasses. To the people you meet on the street (websites), you’re a stranger. But you are still walking out of your own front door. Your Internet Service Provider (the neighborhood watch) still sees you leaving your house, and Google (the company that owns the disguise shop) still knows you’re using their product. It only hides your activity from people who use your computer later, not from the networks you’re connected to.
I wish I knew how to read an app’s “Data Safety” section in the Play Store before installing it.
Reading the Food’s Ingredient List
Installing an app without checking its Data Safety section is like buying food from a grocery store without looking at the ingredients. It might look good on the outside, but you have no idea if it’s full of allergens, chemicals, or other things you don’t want in your body. The Data Safety section is the nutrition and ingredient label. It forces the manufacturer (the app developer) to tell you exactly what they are putting inside their product and what they plan to do with it, letting you make an informed choice.
99% of users never check which apps have “Usage data access,” allowing them to monitor your app habits.
The Overly Nosy Roommate
Granting an app “Usage data access” is like having a roommate who keeps a detailed diary of your every move. They write down what time you woke up, how long you spent in the kitchen, what TV shows you watched, and what time you went to bed. They know all of your habits and routines. This permission allows an app to do the digital equivalent—monitoring which apps you use and for how long—to build a scarily accurate profile of your daily life.
This one small habit of reviewing your Google Account’s “Security Checkup” will change your digital security posture forever.
The Annual Home Security Audit
Your Google Account is the master key to your digital life. Doing the Security Checkup is like hiring a professional security consultant to do an annual audit of your house. They’ll walk through with you and point out the weak spots: “This window lock is broken. You gave a spare key to a contractor two years ago and never got it back. Your front door key is a simple one that’s easy to copy.” It’s a guided tour of your own vulnerabilities that helps you fix them before a burglar does.
Use RethinkDNS to block app access to the internet, not just relying on Android’s built-in firewall.
A Bouncer at Every Door
Android’s built-in controls are like a main gate at the front of a building. But once an app is inside, it can do what it wants. An app like RethinkDNS is like stationing a dedicated bouncer at the door of every single room inside the building. You can tell the bouncer for the “Flashlight App Room,” “You are not allowed to talk to the outside world, ever.” It gives you incredibly granular control, ensuring that even if an app wants to phone home, there’s a guard at its door specifically told not to let it.
Stop letting apps access your precise location. Do give them “approximate location” instead.
Giving Your City vs. Your Street Address
Giving an app your “precise location” is like giving a stranger your exact street address, down to your apartment number. They can pinpoint you on a map. Giving them “approximate location” is like telling them you live in a certain neighborhood or city. A weather app doesn’t need to know your exact house to tell you it’s raining; it just needs to know your general area. It provides the app with the information it needs to function without letting it know exactly where you are sleeping.
Stop just deleting photos. Do ensure they are also removed from the “Trash” folder in your gallery and Google Photos.
Tearing Up a Letter vs. Taking Out the Trash
Deleting a photo from your gallery is like tearing up a sensitive letter and throwing it into the wastebasket in your office. You’ve gotten rid of it, but anyone who walks into your office can still easily tape it back together. Remembering to empty the “Trash” folder is the crucial second step: putting that wastebasket’s contents into a bag, taking it out to the curb, and watching the garbage truck haul it away for good. Until you take out the trash, the letter isn’t truly gone.
The #1 secret for secure messaging is using Signal with disappearing messages, not just WhatsApp.
A Conversation That Vanishes vs. One That’s Recorded
Using WhatsApp is like having a private conversation in a room where a stenographer is writing down every word. The conversation is secure from outsiders, but a permanent record is still being created. Using Signal with disappearing messages is like having a true, whispered conversation. The moment the words are spoken and heard, they vanish into thin air forever. There is no record, no transcript, and nothing for anyone to find later. It’s the digital equivalent of a secret that was never written down.
I’m just going to say it: The privacy of your data is inversely proportional to the number of free apps you install.
The “Free” Samples at the Supermarket
Every “free” app you install is like a person offering you a free food sample at the supermarket. The snack is the bait. Their real job is to watch you, take notes on what you like, and add your name to a marketing list. The more free samples you take, the more salespeople are following you around the store, building a detailed profile of your shopping habits. Your privacy doesn’t get taken by one big thief; it gets given away, piece by piece, for every “free” snack you accept.
The reason your data is breached is because you reuse passwords, not because of sophisticated hacking.
One Key for Every Lock in the City
Reusing the same password everywhere is like using the exact same physical key for your house, your car, your office, and your gym locker. A hacker doesn’t need to be a master locksmith to break into your life. They just need to steal the cheap, easy-to-pick lock on your gym locker. Once they have that one key, they don’t have to do any more work. They can just walk right up to your house and your car and let themselves in.
If you’re still storing sensitive information in a notes app, you’re losing it in a potential data breach.
Writing Secrets on a Napkin
Storing passwords or your social security number in a regular notes app is like writing your deepest secrets on a paper napkin and leaving it on a restaurant table. The napkin has no security. Anyone who walks by can read it, take a picture of it, or steal it. It’s a temporary, insecure place for information. A secure, encrypted location like a password manager is the equivalent of a locked safe, designed specifically to protect the valuable information you put inside it.
The biggest lie is that a factory reset erases all your data; it can still be recovered by determined actors.
Demolishing a House vs. Burning the Blueprints
A factory reset is like demolishing a house. To the average person, it looks like it’s completely gone. But the foundation is still there, and a determined investigator with the right tools can still dig through the rubble and piece together the original floor plan. For data to be truly unrecoverable, it needs to be overwritten with new data, which is like pouring new concrete over the entire foundation, completely obliterating any trace of the house that was once there.
I wish I knew about setting up a separate, “burner” Google account for sketchy apps and services.
The P.O. Box for Your Junk Mail
Using your main, personal Google account for everything is like giving your home address to every single person and company you ever interact with. Soon, your personal mailbox is overflowing with junk mail and potential scams. Setting up a separate “burner” account is like renting a P.O. Box at the post office. You can give this address to sketchy websites and apps you don’t fully trust. All the junk mail goes there, keeping your real, personal mailbox clean and secure.
99% of users click “Agree” on permissions without reading what they are actually giving away.
Signing a Contract Without Reading It
Clicking “Agree” on app permissions without reading them is the digital equivalent of a stranger handing you a 20-page contract on the street, and you just sign the last page without looking at it. You have no idea if you just agreed to give them a key to your house, access to your bank account, or the right to follow you around town. Taking a few seconds to read the permissions is like actually reading the major clauses of the contract before you agree to be bound by them.
This one small action of turning on “Lockdown mode” before you go to sleep will disable biometrics and notifications on your lock screen forever.
Activating the Bank Vault’s Night Mode
During the day, a bank might use a simple key card (your fingerprint or face) for easy access to certain areas. But when the bank closes for the night, they engage the real security. They retract the key card readers and demand a complex, multi-turn combination code for the main vault. Activating Lockdown Mode is like engaging that “night mode.” It disables the easy-access biometrics and hides all information, demanding the high-security PIN or password before it will open for anyone.
Use a password manager like Bitwarden, not just letting Chrome save your passwords.
A Master Locksmith vs. a Key Under the Doormat
Letting Chrome save your passwords is like writing down all your keys’ combinations and hiding the list under your front door doormat. It’s convenient, but anyone who knows where to look can get it. A dedicated password manager is like hiring a master locksmith to build a custom, impenetrable safe in your house. The locksmith doesn’t even know the combination. It’s a purpose-built security tool designed with the single goal of protecting your most valuable keys, not just a convenient hiding spot.
Stop using your phone number for account recovery. Do use a hardware security key like a YubiKey instead.
A Secret Handshake vs. a Physical Key
Using your phone number for account recovery is like using a secret question like “What’s your mother’s maiden name?” A determined person can research the answer. A hardware security key is a physical, un-copyable key. It’s not something an attacker can guess or find online. They would need to physically steal the key from you and also know your password. It’s the digital equivalent of needing both the secret handshake and the physical key to enter the clubhouse.
Stop ignoring security patch updates. Do install them immediately instead as they fix known vulnerabilities.
Patching a Hole in Your Castle Wall
A known security vulnerability is like a scout discovering a small, crumbling hole in the foundation of your castle wall. Ignoring the security update is like knowing about the hole but leaving it open. You’re just hoping no invaders find it. Installing the update immediately is like dispatching a team of masons to patch that hole the moment it’s discovered. You’re fixing the known weakness before an enemy army has a chance to exploit it and storm your castle.
The #1 hack for preventing phishing is to enable “Enhanced Safe Browsing” in Chrome.
The Expert Guide in a Foreign Market
Navigating the internet is like walking through a crowded, foreign market. There are many legitimate vendors, but also many convincing-looking scammers who want to trick you. Enabling “Enhanced Safe Browsing” is like hiring an expert local guide. This guide has a constantly updated list of known scammers and dangerous alleys. As you walk, if you start to turn down a street that leads to a known pickpocket, your guide will physically stop you and say, “No, that place is not safe. Let’s not go there.”
I’m just going to say it: Any “free” VPN service is selling your data.
The “Free” Limo Service with a Hidden Camera
A “free” VPN service is like a company that offers you a free, luxurious limousine ride to anywhere you want to go. The catch is that the limo is lined with hidden cameras and microphones. They are recording where you go, who you talk to, and what you do, and then selling that information to advertisers and data brokers. The ride is free because you are not the customer; you are the product being sold.
The reason you’re a target for scams is that you overshare personal information on social media apps.
Giving Burglars a Tour of Your Home
Oversharing on social media is like posting a public video where you give a full tour of your home. You say, “This is my expensive new TV, this is where we keep the jewelry, my date of birth is on the calendar, and here are the keys to my car. By the way, we’re going on vacation for the next two weeks.” You are publicly announcing what you have, where it is, how to get it, and when you won’t be home. Scammers don’t need to be geniuses; they just need to watch the tour.
If you’re still using a simple 4-digit PIN, you’re making it incredibly easy for someone to access your phone.
A Bike Lock vs. a Bank Vault Door
Using a 4-digit PIN is like securing a bank vault with a simple bicycle chain lock. There are only 10,000 possible combinations, and a determined thief with the right tools can break it in a matter of minutes. A strong 6-digit PIN or an alphanumeric password is like the thick, steel, multi-ton door of the bank vault. It has millions of possible combinations and is designed to withstand a dedicated, prolonged assault. One is a minor inconvenience; the other is real security.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need to be a celebrity to be a target for hackers.
Burglars Target Neighborhoods, Not Just Mansions
Believing you’re not a target for hackers is like thinking that burglars only rob celebrity mansions. In reality, most burglars just drive through entire neighborhoods, checking for unlocked doors and open windows. They don’t care who you are; they just care that you are an easy target. Hackers do the same thing. They send out millions of automated attacks, looking for anyone with a weak password or an outdated device. Your data is valuable to them, even if you’re not famous.
I wish I knew that every photo I take contains EXIF data with my location unless I disable it.
The Secret GPS Tracker Taped to Your Photos
Every digital photo you take has a secret, invisible label on the back called EXIF data. By default, this label includes the exact GPS coordinates of where the photo was taken, along with the date, time, and camera settings. Sharing that photo online is like handing someone a picture of your new dog, but with a hidden GPS tracker taped to the back that leads directly to your home. Disabling this feature is like peeling that tracker off before you share the picture.
99% of people make this one mistake when selling their old phone: not properly wiping the data first.
Selling a House and Leaving Your Diary on the Nightstand
Selling your phone after a simple factory reset is like selling your house but forgetting to pack up your personal diary, photo albums, and filing cabinet. The new owner can easily move in and, with a little effort, find all of your most private information just lying around. Properly encrypting and then factory resetting your phone is the equivalent of shredding every single personal document in the house before you even put it on the market, ensuring the new owners move into a truly empty home.
This one small action of disabling notification content on the lock screen will change your privacy in public places forever.
Whispering Your Secrets in a Crowded Elevator
Allowing notification content on your lock screen is like having a personal assistant who follows you around and loudly announces all your private messages. You could be standing in a crowded elevator, and your assistant will suddenly shout, “Your bank transfer is complete!” or “Here is the two-factor authentication code you requested!” Hiding that content is like telling your assistant to simply give you a quiet tap on the shoulder to let you know there’s a message, which you can then read in private.
Use NetGuard to selectively block internet access for offline apps, not just turning on airplane mode.
Turning Off the Water for the Whole House vs. Fixing One Leaky Faucet
An app that doesn’t need the internet but is still connecting is a leaky faucet. Turning on airplane mode to stop it is like shutting off the main water valve to your entire house. It solves the leak, but now you can’t use the shower or the kitchen sink. Using an app like NetGuard is like being a plumber who can walk right up to that one specific leaky faucet and turn its individual valve off. The leak is fixed, but the rest of your house still has perfectly functioning water.
Stop connecting to unknown Bluetooth devices. Do verify the device name and pairing code instead.
Accepting a Drink from a Stranger
Connecting to an unknown Bluetooth device is like accepting a drink from a complete stranger at a bar without question. You have no idea who they are, what’s in the drink, or what their intentions are. It could be perfectly fine, or it could be a huge mistake. Verifying the device name and ensuring the pairing code matches is like asking the bartender to pour you a fresh drink right in front of you. You are confirming what you’re getting and who it’s from before you accept it.
Stop sideloading apps from untrusted websites. Do use a trusted source like F-Droid or the developer’s official GitHub instead.
Buying Food from a Street Vendor vs. a Reputable Grocery Store
Downloading an app from a random website is like buying a hot dog from a sketchy, unlabeled food cart in a dark alley. You have no idea what the ingredients are, how it was made, or if it will make you sick. Using a trusted source like F-Droid or a developer’s official page is like buying food from a clean, well-lit grocery store. You can see the brand name, read the ingredients, and trust that it has been vetted for quality and safety.
The #1 secret for privacy is using a browser like Bromite with built-in ad/tracker blocking, not just Chrome.
Driving a Car with Tinted Windows vs. a Glass Bubble
Using a standard browser like Chrome is like driving a car made entirely of clear glass. Everyone on the street—advertisers, data brokers, trackers—can see exactly who you are, where you’re going, and what you’re doing inside the car. Using a privacy-focused browser is like driving that same car but with factory-installed, military-grade tinted windows and a device that scrambles your license plate. You can still get to your destination, but you travel in a bubble of privacy, invisible to all the spies on the roadside.
I’m just going to say it: Smart home and “assistant” apps are the biggest privacy invaders on your phone.
The Butler Who Reports Everything You Do
Using smart home and assistant apps is like hiring a butler who is incredibly helpful but also a spy for a massive corporation. He’ll turn on your lights and play your music, but he also keeps a detailed log of when you come home, what you watch, what you talk about, and who visits you. He then sends a full report back to his headquarters every single night. The convenience he provides comes at the cost of having a corporate informant living in your home.
The reason you got a virus was likely from an ad on a website, not a malicious app.
A Trap on the Sidewalk, Not a Monster in the Store
People worry about downloading a “monster” app from the app store, but the real danger is often much more subtle. A malicious ad (malvertising) is like a hidden trapdoor on a public sidewalk. You’re not trying to do anything dangerous; you’re just walking to the store. But you step on the wrong part of the sidewalk, and you fall into a hole. You didn’t invite the monster in; you just stumbled into a trap that was placed on an otherwise safe-looking street.
If you’re still using your device’s default MAC address on Wi-Fi, you’re allowing networks to track you.
Wearing the Same Nametag at Every Party
Your phone’s MAC address is like a permanent, unchangeable nametag it wears at all times. When you use the same MAC address on every Wi-Fi network, it’s like wearing the same “Hello, My Name Is…” tag to every party, every coffee shop, and every airport. The owners of these places can easily log your visits and share that information, creating a detailed map of your movements. Using a randomized MAC address is like putting on a different, random nametag for every single party you attend, making you a new, unrecognizable guest each time.
The biggest lie is that you are “anonymous” when using a cellular data connection.
A Masked Man with a Credit Card
Using your cellular data connection might feel anonymous because you’re not on a specific Wi-Fi network. This is like walking into a store wearing a mask. You feel anonymous, but then you pay for your items with a credit card that has your full name, address, and billing history attached to it. Your cell connection is directly tied to your account with your carrier. They know exactly who you are, where you are, and what you’re connecting to. The mask doesn’t hide your identity from the bank.
I wish I knew that apps can use the accelerometer to guess my PIN based on phone movements.
The Safecracker Who Listens to the Clicks
An app with access to your phone’s motion sensors (the accelerometer) can be like a safecracker. A classic safecracker doesn’t need to know the combination; they just put their ear to the safe and listen to the subtle clicks as the tumblers fall into place. Similarly, an app can “listen” to the tiny, distinct movements of your phone as your fingers tap the screen. The tilt and vibration from tapping a ‘1’ is different from a ‘9’, allowing the app to guess your PIN without ever seeing the screen.
99% of users never check the “Apps with access to your account” section in their Google settings.
The Old Friends Who Still Have Your House Key
Checking the apps with access to your Google account is like reviewing a list of every single person you have ever given a spare key to your house. You’ll likely find keys you gave out years ago to services you no longer use—that “free photo editor” from 2018 or that silly game you played once. Each one of those old, forgotten keys is a potential security risk. It’s crucial to periodically review the list and revoke the keys from anyone who no longer needs access.
This one small habit of using “guest mode” when handing your phone to someone will protect your data forever.
The Guest Bathroom
When you have guests over, you don’t let them wander through your master bedroom and rifle through your filing cabinet. You show them to the guest bathroom, which has everything they need but none of your personal stuff. Handing your unlocked phone to someone is like letting them wander your whole house. Using “guest mode” is like instantly creating a clean, sparse guest bathroom for them to use. They can make a call or look something up, but all your private rooms are securely locked.
Use Scrambled Exif to remove metadata from photos before sharing, not just sending the original file.
Mailing a Letter Without a Return Address
Sharing a photo with its original metadata is like mailing a letter that not only has your return address on it, but also has the GPS coordinates of the mailbox you sent it from stamped on the back. You’re revealing far more than you intend. Using an app to scramble or remove that data is like sending the same letter in a completely blank envelope. The recipient gets the message you intended to send, but they have no extra information about who you are or where you came from.
Stop giving apps access to your entire file system. Do use the built-in “scoped storage” file picker instead.
The Valet Who Only Parks Your Car
Granting an app broad file access is like giving a parking valet the keys to your car, which also happen to be the keys to your house and your office. You just want them to park the car, but you’ve given them the ability to go anywhere. Using the modern file picker is like having a special valet key that can only start the car and lock the doors. The app can access the one single file it needs, but it has no ability to go snooping around in your other, unrelated personal spaces.
Stop keeping sensitive documents in your downloads folder. Do move them to your Secure Folder or encrypted storage instead.
Leaving Your Mail on the Front Porch
Your “Downloads” folder is the digital equivalent of your front porch. It’s a temporary, unsecured space where packages are left. Keeping sensitive documents there—like bank statements or tax forms—is like leaving that important mail sitting on your doormat for days on end. Anyone who walks by can see it and pick it up. Moving those files to a secure, encrypted folder is like immediately taking that sensitive mail inside and locking it away in a safe.
The #1 secret to avoiding malware is to only install apps with a high number of downloads and positive recent reviews.
Eating at a Busy, Well-Reviewed Restaurant
Choosing which app to install is like choosing a restaurant for dinner in a new city. You could go to the empty, run-down place with no reviews, but it’s a huge risk. The smart and safe choice is to go to the restaurant that is busy, has been around for a while, and has thousands of recent, positive reviews. The collective experience of the community is a powerful filter. A popular, well-regarded app is far less likely to give you food poisoning (malware).
I’m just going to say it: Your carrier is selling your location data to third parties.
The Chauffeur Who Sells Your Itinerary
Your mobile carrier is like a personal chauffeur. They know every single address you visit, what time you arrive, and how long you stay. You are paying them for the ride, but what you don’t realize is that they are also selling a detailed copy of your daily itinerary to marketing companies, data brokers, and anyone else who will pay for it. The service they provide you is just one part of their business; the other part is selling the data they collect from you.
The reason your passwords are stolen is from database breaches on sites you use, not from your phone being hacked.
Your Favorite Restaurant Lost Its Customer List
When you hear your password was stolen, it’s almost never because a thief broke into your house. It’s because the restaurant where you’re a regular customer got robbed, and the thieves stole their entire customer list, which included your name, address, and the “secret password” you use to get a reservation. The weakness wasn’t in your personal security; it was in the restaurant’s security. This is why using a unique password for every restaurant is so critical.
If you’re still using a pattern lock, you’re leaving a smudge trail on your screen that can be easily copied.
The Footprints in the Snow
Using a pattern lock on your phone is like walking the same secret path through a snowy field every day. Eventually, you’re going to leave a clear set of footprints that anyone can see. The oily smudges from your finger on the glass screen create a visible map of your secret pattern. A thief just has to hold your phone at the right angle to the light to see the path you took. A PIN or password is like being magically teleported; it leaves no trail to follow.
The biggest lie is that “Find My Device” can’t be spoofed or disabled by a sophisticated thief.
The LoJack on a Car That Can Be Disconnected
“Find My Device” is like a LoJack or GPS tracker hidden in your car. It’s fantastic for locating your car if an amateur joyrider steals it. But a professional, sophisticated car thief knows exactly where to look for the tracker. One of the first things they will do is find that device and disconnect its battery, rendering it useless. While it’s a great feature to have, relying on it as your only line of defense against a professional is a mistake.
I wish I knew about the “Privacy Dashboard” in Android settings to see which sensors apps are using.
The Security Logbook in Your Apartment Building
The Privacy Dashboard is like a central security logbook at the front desk of your apartment building. Every time a service worker (an app) needs to access a part of your building—like the plumbing (your microphone) or the electrical room (your camera)—they have to sign in. The logbook shows you exactly who accessed what, and at what time. It lets you look at the records and ask, “Wait, why did the ‘Calculator’ app need access to my microphone at 3 AM?”
99% of users make this mistake: logging into their bank app on a public, unsecured Wi-Fi network.
Discussing Your Finances in a Crowded Room
Logging into your bank account on public Wi-Fi is like sitting down in the middle of a crowded town square and shouting your username, password, and account balance to your banker who is standing across the square. The airwaves of an unsecured network are open, and anyone with a simple listening device can “overhear” all the unencrypted data that you are sending. You are conducting your most private business in the most public of settings.
This one small action of disabling personalized ads in Google settings will reduce (but not eliminate) tracking.
Asking the Salesman to Stop Following You
Disabling personalized ads is like turning to the salesman who has been following you around the store and saying, “Please stop suggesting items to me based on what I’m looking at.” The salesman might stop talking to you directly, but he is still quietly following you, taking notes on which aisles you walk down. It reduces the most obvious and annoying part of the tracking, but it doesn’t stop the underlying data collection about your behavior.
Use AppWarden to get notified when apps add new trackers, not just installing and forgetting.
The Watchdog for Your Apps
After you install an app, it can update itself in the background, sometimes adding new, unwanted features. AppWarden is like a loyal watchdog who lives with your apps. You install a new app, and the watchdog sniffs it and confirms it’s okay. But if that app tries to secretly add a new tracker or a dangerous permission in an update, the watchdog will immediately start barking, letting you know that something has changed and the app you thought you could trust might now be dangerous.
Stop using QR codes from unknown sources. Do inspect the URL before opening it instead.
The Doorway to Anywhere
A QR code is like a mysterious, unmarked door that suddenly appears in front of you. The person who put it there says, “This leads to a great restaurant!” But it could just as easily lead to a dark, dangerous alley. Scanning it is like blindly walking through the door. A smart person would first look through the peephole (by inspecting the URL the QR code points to) to see where the door actually leads before deciding to step through it.
Stop letting your browser save payment information. Do use a dedicated secure app like Google Pay or a password manager.
The Cash in Your Glove Compartment vs. a Safe
Letting your browser save your credit card number is like keeping cash in the glove compartment of your unlocked car. It’s convenient if you need it, but it’s the first place a thief is going to look. Using a dedicated, secure payment app or a password manager is like putting that cash in a heavy, bolted-down safe. It’s designed from the ground up with one purpose: to protect the valuable things you put inside it, not just to be a convenient storage spot.
The #1 hack for identifying phishing emails is checking the sender’s full email address, not just the display name.
Checking the Sender’s ID Badge
A phishing email is like a person showing up at your door wearing a fake delivery company uniform. The name on the uniform (the display name) might say “FedEx,” but the real giveaway is their ID badge (the actual email address). A quick glance at the badge might reveal that their name is “TotallyNotAScammer” and they work for “FakeDelivery.biz.” The uniform is easy to fake, but the official ID badge rarely lies. Always check the badge.
I’m just going to say it: App permissions are a broken system designed to make you give up data.
The Contract Written in Legal Jargon
The app permission system is like a contract written entirely in complicated legal jargon that you’re forced to sign before you can enter a building. The contract might have a clause that says you agree to let the building owner make a copy of your house keys. It’s technically disclosed, but the system is designed to be so confusing and create so much friction if you say “no” that most people just sign it without understanding, which is exactly what the building owner wants.
The reason your identity was stolen is likely from a data breach, not from malware on your phone.
A Thief Broke Into Your Bank, Not Your House
Worrying about malware on your phone is like being obsessed with locking your front door. But identity theft usually happens when a thief breaks into a much bigger target, like your bank. They don’t need to get into your house if they can just steal the bank’s entire customer records database, which contains your name, address, and social security number. The vulnerability wasn’t your personal security; it was the security of a large corporation that you trusted with your data.
If you’re still using an old version of Android that no longer gets security updates, you’re a walking target.
A House with No Locks in a Bad Neighborhood
Using an old, unsupported version of Android is like living in a house where the manufacturer has announced they will no longer make locks for your doors or windows. Meanwhile, all the burglars in the neighborhood are constantly discovering new ways to break into that specific model of house. You are living with publicly known vulnerabilities that will never be fixed. You’re not just a potential target; you’re an open invitation.
The biggest lie is that Google is primarily concerned with your privacy over their ad revenue.
The Fox Guarding the Henhouse
Believing Google prioritizes your privacy over their ad business is like believing a fox’s primary concern is the well-being and safety of the chickens in the henhouse. While the fox might do things to ensure the henhouse is protected from other predators (for its own benefit), its fundamental nature and business model revolves around the chickens. Google’s fundamental business model revolves around collecting and using your data to sell ads.
I wish I knew that apps can communicate with each other in the background to build a more complete profile of me.
The Gossiping Neighbors
The apps on your phone are like neighbors in a small town. You might tell your “Shopping App” neighbor that you’re interested in buying a new pair of shoes. Later that day, the “Social Media App” neighbor, who you’ve never spoken to about shoes, suddenly starts talking to you about them. This is because your apps are gossiping about you behind your back, sharing the little bits of information you give them to piece together a much more complete and detailed picture of your life.
99% of users never enable the “Developer options” setting to “Don’t keep activities,” which enhances privacy.
The Self-Cleaning Room
Normally, when you leave an app, it’s like leaving a room in your house. You leave behind traces of what you were doing—a book left open, a cup on the table. The “Don’t keep activities” setting is like having a magic, self-cleaning house. The moment you walk out of a room, it instantly resets to a pristine, empty state. It prevents apps from lingering in the background and potentially snooping on what you’re doing next, enhancing your privacy by erasing your tracks as you go.
This one small habit of covering your phone’s camera when not in use will give you peace of mind forever.
Closing the Blinds in Your Window
Your phone’s camera is a window into your world. Leaving it uncovered is like leaving the blinds open on your street-facing window, 24/7. You probably trust that no one is looking in, but you can’t be 100% sure. Putting a tiny sticker or a sliding cover over the lens is the digital equivalent of closing the blinds. It’s a simple, physical action that provides an absolute guarantee that no one can look through that window without your knowledge, offering complete peace of mind.
Use a physical security key for your Google account, not just app-based 2FA.
A Skeleton Key vs. a Bank Vault Key
App-based 2FA is like a complex skeleton key. It’s a very good key, but it’s still just a piece of information that could potentially be copied or phished. A physical security key is like a modern bank vault key. It requires two things to work: the unique, physical key itself, and a secret PIN that you know. A thief can’t just copy the key; they would have to physically steal it from you and somehow find out your PIN. It’s a far more robust and physically secure system.
Stop assuming HTTPS means a website is safe. Do check the domain name carefully for typos instead.
A Secure Envelope with a Fake Address
Seeing “HTTPS” on a website is like receiving a perfectly sealed, tamper-proof security envelope. This guarantees that no one has read the mail in transit. However, it tells you nothing about the person who sent it. You still need to look at the return address. A phishing site can use a secure envelope, but the address might be “G00gle.com” instead of “Google.com.” The connection is secure, but you’re securely connecting to a criminal. Always check the address, not just the envelope.
Stop using your real name and photo in every app profile. Do use an avatar and a pseudonym instead.
Your Public Persona vs. Your Private Identity
Using your real name and photo everywhere online is like walking around with your passport stapled to your forehead. You’re constantly broadcasting your official identity to every stranger you meet. Using a pseudonym and an avatar is like creating a specific persona for a specific place. When you go to a sci-fi convention, you might go in costume. It allows you to participate in the community without connecting your every action to your government-issued identity, protecting your private life.
The #1 secret for online privacy is compartmentalization: using different apps and accounts for different purposes.
The Different Toolboxes of a Master Craftsman
A master craftsman doesn’t have one giant, messy bucket with all their tools thrown in together. They have a separate, organized toolbox for plumbing, another for electrical work, and another for woodworking. This is compartmentalization. For your digital life, this means using one browser for personal banking, a different one for social media, and a separate “burner” email for signing up for newsletters. It prevents a problem in one area (a leaky social media app) from affecting your critical tools (your bank account).
I’m just going to say it: The convenience of “smart replies” comes at the cost of Google scanning your conversations.
The Butler Who Suggests Your Next Sentence
“Smart replies” are like having a very efficient butler who listens to all your private conversations. After your friend speaks, the butler leans in and whispers in your ear, “You should probably say, ‘Sounds good!’ or ‘I’ll be there soon!'” He’s incredibly helpful and convenient, but for him to know what to suggest, he has to be analyzing every single word of your most private discussions. The convenience is a direct trade-off for letting a third party into your conversation.
The reason you can’t get rid of a virus is because it has gained device administrator privileges.
The Squatter Who Becomes the Landlord
A normal malicious app is like a squatter in your house; they are a nuisance, but you can eventually call the police and have them removed. But if that malware tricks you into giving it “device administrator” privileges, it’s like the squatter has legally changed the locks and now holds the deed to your house. They have become the landlord. You can no longer just kick them out; they have foundational control over the entire system, making removal almost impossible without tearing the house down (a factory reset).
If you’re still allowing “install from unknown sources” for your web browser, you’re asking for trouble.
Leaving Your Front Door Wide Open
Your phone’s operating system is like a house with a locked front door. To get a new app inside, you usually have to go through the secure main entrance (the Play Store). Allowing your web browser to install apps is like leaving your front door wide open and telling it, “Hey, if any packages get delivered to the porch, just bring them inside and open them up for me.” You’re trusting a program designed for browsing the web to act as your home’s security guard, which is a disaster waiting to happen.
The biggest lie is that you have nothing to hide. Your data is valuable even if you’re not a criminal.
Your House is Valuable, Even if it’s Not Full of Gold
Saying you don’t care about privacy because you have “nothing to hide” is like saying you don’t care about locking your front door because you don’t have gold bars stacked in your living room. Your personal conversations, your location history, your habits, and your identity are all valuable. They can be sold, manipulated, and used against you in ways you can’t even imagine. Your data doesn’t have to be criminal to be valuable; it just has to be yours.
I wish I knew about privacy-respecting app stores like F-Droid from the beginning.
The Farmer’s Market vs. the Giant Supercenter
The Google Play Store is like a giant, corporate supercenter. It has everything, but it’s also filled with trackers, ads, and products made with questionable ingredients. F-Droid is like a local, organic farmer’s market. The selection is smaller, but you know every single vendor. Everything is open-source (you can see the recipe), there are no hidden trackers (pesticides), and the entire focus is on providing healthy, trustworthy products to the community, not on maximizing profit.
99% of users ignore the clipboard access notifications, not realizing apps can read what they copy and paste.
The Public Bulletin Board
Your phone’s clipboard—the place where things go when you copy them—is not a secure vault. It’s like a public bulletin board in an office. When you copy your password or a private message, you are pinning it to that board for a short time. The new clipboard notifications are like a little alarm that goes off, telling you, “Hey, the guy from the ‘Weather App’ just walked by and looked at the bulletin board!” It’s a warning that apps are looking at the sensitive information you’ve temporarily posted.
This one small action of reviewing your location history in Google Maps will show you how much data is being collected forever.
The Secret Diary Kept by Your Chauffeur
Reviewing your Google Maps location history is like discovering that the chauffeur who has been driving you for years has been keeping a secret, hyper-detailed diary of your every move. It’s not just a list of addresses; it’s a minute-by-minute account of your life. “He left the house at 8:02 AM, was at the coffee shop for 17 minutes, then went to the office.” Seeing the sheer volume and precision of this data laid out on a map is a shocking and powerful way to understand the reality of modern data collection.
Use Insular to create a “sandboxed” environment for apps you don’t trust.
The Diplomatic Embassy for Untrusted Apps
Insular creates a “sandbox” which is like setting up a foreign embassy on your property. You can install an untrusted app (the foreign diplomat) inside the embassy. The diplomat can live and work within their own walls, but they are completely isolated from your main house. They can’t see your family, access your private rooms, or even know what’s happening outside their own territory. It allows you to interact with the app on your terms, within a heavily controlled and isolated environment.
Stop using the in-app browsers of Facebook and Instagram. Do open links in a real, secure browser instead.
The Company Store vs. the Public Market
Clicking a link inside Facebook or Instagram is like shopping at an old “company store.” You’re still in their building, under their rules, and they are watching everything you do and logging every purchase you make. Choosing to “open in a real browser” is like leaving the company store and walking out into the public market. You are now a free agent, able to browse and shop with a much higher degree of privacy, away from the watchful eyes of the company that owns the store.
Stop giving apps access to your microphone “while in use.” Do use “Ask every time” instead.
The Always-On Intercom
Allowing an app to use your microphone “while in use” is like installing an intercom in a room that is always on as long as the door is open. Anyone on the other end can listen in at any point while you’re in that room. Changing this to “Ask every time” is like replacing the intercom with a push-to-talk button. The microphone is physically off until you consciously press the button and decide to speak, giving you absolute control over every single transmission.
The #1 hack for app privacy is using the web version of a service instead of installing their data-hungry app.
Reading the Menu Outside vs. Dining Inside
Installing an app is like going inside a restaurant. You have to give them your name, sit at their table, and you are subject to their surveillance. Using the web version of that same service is like standing outside the restaurant and just reading the menu they posted in the window. You can get almost all of the information you need without ever having to go inside, give up your personal information, or be subjected to their tracking.
I’m just going to say it: The Google Play Store’s “Data Safety” labels are often inaccurate and self-reported by developers.
The Fox’s Sworn Statement About Henhouse Safety
Relying solely on the “Data Safety” labels is like asking a fox to fill out a form about its intentions for the henhouse, and then just taking its word for it. The fox can write, “I have no intention of eating chickens and will only use the henhouse for napping.” It’s a self-reported statement with very little independent verification. While it’s better than nothing, you should always assume the fox is a fox, regardless of what it wrote on the form.
The reason you feel tracked is because you are. It’s the fundamental business model of the “free” internet.
You’re Not Paranoid; You’re Just the Product
That feeling of being watched online isn’t paranoia; it’s you correctly identifying the business transaction. On the “free” internet, you are not the customer. The advertisers are the customers. You, and your attention, are the product being sold. The entire system is built on giant, complex machinery designed to watch you, understand you, and package your profile to be sold to the highest bidder. You feel tracked because you are the thing being inventoried, cataloged, and sold.
If you’re still using a phone that your employer manages, you have virtually zero privacy.
The Company Car with a Hidden GPS and Microphone
Using a phone managed by your employer is like driving a company car. It might feel like yours, but you have to assume it’s equipped with a GPS tracker, a microphone, and a camera that the real owner can access at any time. They can see where you go, what you do, and what you search for. There is no reasonable expectation of privacy. You are borrowing their property, and they have the keys and the full right to monitor how it is being used.
The biggest lie is that “end-to-end encryption” means a service is completely private (metadata still exists).
The Sealed Letter with a Detailed Envelope
End-to-end encryption is like sending a letter in a perfectly sealed, unreadable envelope. No one can read the contents of the letter itself. This is fantastic. However, the outside of the envelope still contains a huge amount of information (the metadata): who sent it, who it’s going to, what time it was sent, how big the letter is. A spy can learn a shocking amount about you just by analyzing who you send sealed letters to, without ever needing to open one.
I wish I knew to use a separate, non-primary phone for high-risk activities like sideloading or app testing.
The Sandbox in the Backyard
Your primary phone is your pristine, clean house. You don’t want to bring anything dirty or dangerous inside. A separate, cheap, non-primary phone is like a sandbox in the backyard. It’s a dedicated space where you can experiment, play with mud, and try out potentially messy or dangerous things (like testing strange apps). If you make a mess or something breaks, it’s contained within the sandbox and doesn’t affect your clean, safe house in any way.
99% of users never use the “Screen Pinning” feature when letting a friend use their phone for a quick task.
Putting the Horse in Blinders
Handing your unlocked phone to a friend is like letting them ride your horse. You trust them, but they could accidentally wander off into your private messages or photo gallery. “Screen Pinning” is like putting blinders on the horse. It locks them into the one specific app they need to use, like the phone or calculator. They can use that path and that path only. They are physically prevented from wandering off and seeing anything you didn’t intend for them to see.
This one small action of turning off read receipts in messaging apps will improve your mental privacy forever.
The Two-Way Mirror
Read receipts are like having a two-way mirror in your private message conversations. The other person can see the exact moment you’ve read their message, creating a social pressure to respond immediately. It removes your private space to think and process. Turning them off is like changing that mirror into a solid wall. You can now read a message on your own time, in your own space, and decide when you are ready to engage, reclaiming your mental privacy.
Use DuckDuckGo App Tracking Protection, not just a tracker-blocking browser.
The Bodyguard for Your Entire House
A tracker-blocking browser is like having a security guard stationed at your front door (your web browser). They do a great job of preventing trackers from coming in that specific way. But what about all the other doors and windows in your house (your other apps)? DuckDuckGo’s App Tracking Protection is like hiring a security guard to patrol the entire perimeter of your property. It monitors and blocks trackers trying to sneak in through any of your apps, providing a much more comprehensive layer of protection.