Smartphones are packed full of features, some of which are more valuable than others. It’s fair to say that many smartphone features are something of a novelty that you don’t actually need or use. However, there are certain things and aspects that every phone should have. Today, we’re going to look at some features relating to security/safety that your smartphone definitely needs. Whether this means they’re built into the system or can be downloaded via apps – it doesn’t matter, as long as your device has them!
Biometric scanning
Almost every smartphone will have some form of biometric scanning feature to keep it secure. If you don’t know what this is, it basically refers to things like fingerprint and facial scanners. This offers a level of security that can’t be matched by passcodes because it relies on your own uniqueness! In all honesty, fingerprint scanners were probably more secure than facial recognition software. They seem to be slowly going out of fashion, but hopefully, they come back! It’s much harder to copy a fingerprint than it is to copy someone’s face. Either way, all smartphones need biometrics to keep people out, and to add more protection when accessing sensitive data – like passwords.
Location tracking
Some of the flagship smartphones have their own apps built into the device that provides location tracking. The idea behind this is that you can keep track of where your phone is located. This comes in handy if you have kids and want to know where they are, or if you lose your phone and need to find it. The problem with many built-in apps is they lack a lot of additional features – like storing location history. So, it might be better to find an app that keeps your location history stored in the cloud, giving you access to it if you need it. Parents find this very useful when looking out for their kids, and it could help you keep track of a stolen phone as it moves further away from you!
File/app locking
While biometrics can stop people from entering your phone, what happens if they pick it up before the device has been locked? Suddenly, they have access to all of the different apps on your phone, potentially just a few taps away from seeing sensitive information or private photos. If you have young children – or siblings – you know the dangers of people accidentally accessing things they aren’t allowed to see. So, smartphones should all have some sort of file/app locking feature for you to use. Weirdly, this isn’t a standard thing that’s built into phones. Normally, you have to download a specific app to do this, though it’s sometimes easier on Android devices than others. This feature basically means that, if someone clicks on a particular app, they need to input a passcode or pass the biometrics security before opening it. Ultimately, it gives you another level of privacy.
If you don’t have these three features on your smartphone, it will be significantly lacking in the safety and security departments. Thankfully, most devices will have biometrics, so you only have to worry about downloading apps for the other two features – if they don’t exist on the phone already!