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Get my free Dashboard →How secure is your Android phone? A quick check
Not sure how well-protected your phone already is? This guide runs through five quick checks, covering the areas that matter most for Android security. Each one takes about two minutes. Work through each check below: if you find a gap, follow the link for a step-by-step guide to fix it.
Check 1: Your screen lock is turned on
Go to Settings > Security > Screen lock. You should see a PIN, password, pattern, or biometric (fingerprint or face) set up. If your phone has no lock (or uses Swipe only), anyone who picks it up can access everything on it.
Check 2: Your phone is up to date
Go to Settings > System > System update. If an update is available, install it. Software updates fix security weaknesses: they are the single most important thing you can do to protect your phone.
Check 3: Your Google account uses two-factor authentication
Visit myaccount.google.com > Security > How you sign in. Two-Step Verification should show as On. Two-factor authentication means that even if someone gets your password, they cannot get into your account.
Check 4: Your apps are from trusted sources
Open the Google Play Store > tap your profile picture > Manage apps and device. Look for apps with a long time since last update, or apps you no longer recognise. Unfamiliar apps with broad permissions are a risk.
Check 5: You are not auto-connecting to unknown Wi-Fi
Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi preferences. Turn off Connect to open networks or Auto-connect if it is on. Auto-connecting to public Wi-Fi can expose your traffic without you realising.
What your results mean
Passed all five? You are in a strong starting position. Keep your phone updated and check back here when you get a new device or after any security incident.
- Found one or more gaps? That is completely normal; most people have at least one thing to tighten up. Follow the links above for each gap; each guide takes 5–10 minutes to work through.
- Use Cyber Nova AI to track your progress: the app turns each of these checks into a task you can mark off as you complete it.
Keep going: what to look at next
A few guides to help you build on this check:
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