Security Settings You Need To Turn On To Avoid A Samsung Galaxy Hack

The Samsung Galaxy line comprises a significant proportion of the worldwide smartphone market. Statista reports that, in Q3 2022, the company shipped 58.2 million units, This was a significant drop from a high of 88.5 million (Q1 2014), but it's still a lot of phones.

What this means is that, as with all such brands, there are millions of Samsung Galaxy users carrying their most private and crucial personal information around with them in their pockets. Online shopping sessions, cloud uploads, online banking sign-ins, and other such activities are performed by many of us on a daily basis, sometimes without a second thought.

Just as we take steps to protect our PCs, laptops, and tablets with Antivirus software, we should do the same for our smartphones. Samsung Galaxy owners will be glad to learn that there are a few simple settings they can enable to boost their device's security (just as with iPhones). Let's take a closer look.

Some smartphone users may be concerned that advanced security settings and regular monitoring would be needed in order to keep their devices safe. Fortunately, though, some of the crucial preventative measures are very low-maintenance. Play Protect, as Google Play Help reports, scans apps users download from the App Store, and once they're stored on a device, for signs of malware or other malicious intent. Crucially, the service also prevents apps able to do so from circumventing permissions and accessing personal information.

Play Protect is enabled by following these simple steps:

1. From the Google Play Store app, open up your profile.

2. Select Settings from the Play Protect Menu, then enable Scan Apps with Play Protect. Or ensure it's still enabled, as the case may be.

The Improve harmful app detection option goes one better by sharing unfamiliar apps with Google. With this simple procedure, your Samsung Galaxy is far more robustly protected. 2.5 billion devices around the world use Play Protect (Android), vouching for its sheer popularity and effectiveness, but there's certainly no need to leave it there. It's quite important, too, to augment blanket protection such as this with more targeted measures.

In May of 2019, Samsung released a video tutorial outlining the suite of security options that Samsung Galaxy users have at their disposal via the Biometrics and Security screen from the main settings. While there's no "correct" series of settings to enable, and both hackers and anti-hacking measures are becoming more sophisticated all the time, it's crucial to familiarize yourself with security settings that work for you.

Those who have a lot of apps on their Samsung Galaxy and/or don't quite keep track of them all have a fantastic option too. From a given app's settings (by holding the icon down on the home screen for a moment and selecting App info), then scroll down to Permissions. Using the sliders, users can then define exactly what each of their apps can and can't access, from Storage to the Microphone.

Samsung Galaxy also has a Find My Mobile feature, much like the one Apple uses to allow users to locate its devices (and which was recommended by the NYPD to counter a spate of car thefts in the city). Enabling Remote controls, Google location service, and Send last location from the sliders in the Find My Mobile settings will help ensure it's not mistreated if lost or stolen.