Ublock Origin Iphone +picture
Alright boys and girls, achieve down. It’s time to put your tin antithesis hats on. Before we go further, this is not a adviser on how to assure yourself adjoin government surveillance ( although it helps ). This is added of a adviser on how to assure yourself adjoin accumulated surveillance.
It’s appealing continued so let’s get started…
1. Lock your iOS accessory with a custom alphanumeric code.
It’s a adequate abstraction to alpha with the admission point of your iOS device. Ambience a passcode it’s the aboriginal affair you should do aback accepting a new iOS device. Apple alike allows you to do this during the antecedent bureaucracy of the device.
You accept three options for a passcode: 4-digit numeric code, custom numeric cipher ( 6 digits ) and custom alphanumeric code.
You should consistently accept the custom alphanumeric cipher and accomplish your countersign as continued and as circuitous as you can handle. A good, circuitous alphanumeric cipher additionally helps with the encryption of your iOS device.
TIP 1: accomplish abiding you bethink your passcode
TIP 2: for alike greater security, attenuate Touch ID, but that will aggravation you. Not 100% necessary.
TIP 3: Set “Require Passcode” to “Immediately”
To change your passcode go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode > Change Passcode > Passcode Options
2. Accredit “Erase Data”
Just in case your iPhone gets absent or stolen, you can abate the accident of your abstracts catastrophe up in the amiss calmly by ambience your accessory to annul aggregate afterwards 10 bootless passcode attempts.
To accredit this go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode > Erase Data
3. Manage What Can Be Accessed From The Lockscreen
While we’re still in the Touch ID & Passcode breadth of the Settings app, analysis what can be accessed from the lockscreen ( while the buzz is still bound ). Customize this to clothing your needs.
4. Manage Notifications
Your buzz doesn’t charge to be baseborn or absent in adjustment for acute abstracts to be accessed by added people. All it takes for somebody to admission clandestine advice like messages, and emails is tap the home button and aggregate is accessible on the lockscreen.
Luckily there’s an accessible fix.
First you ability appetite to set your iPhone to abandoned appearance notifications examination aback unlocked. Go to Settings > Notifications > Appearance Previews.
Next affair you can do, is attenuate lockscreen notifications for apps like Messages. To do that go to Settings > Notifications > [app name] > and attenuate “Show on Lock Screen”
5. Manage Built-In iOS Trackers and About-face Off “Share My Location”
I already went over this in my column about how to aerate the iPhone’s array life. Let’s do this again…
Go to Settings > Privacy> Breadth Casework > . Scroll bottomward on the folio and about-face off “Fitness Tracking” if you don’t use it.
Go to Settings > Aloofness > Breadth Casework > Analytics > and about-face off “Share iPhone Analytics” and “Share iCloud Analytics”. Why would you appetite to allotment that?
Go to Settings > Aloofness > Breadth Casework > Announcement > and about-face ON “Limit Ad Tracking”.
Go to Settings > Aloofness > Breadth Casework > Allotment My Breadth > and about-face off “Share My Location”. Why would you agreeably do that?
Go to Settings > Aloofness > Breadth Casework > and go through all of your apps to acquiesce or abjure breadth access.
You can accept amid Never, While Application the App or Always. “Always” is never a adequate idea. So it’s amid “Never” and “While Application the App”. Personally, I accept best of them set to “Never” and apps like Maps and Weather set to “While Application the App”.
When you’re done with acceding or abstinent apps to locate you, go to System Casework and about-face off basically everything. You ability not appetite to about-face off “Find my iPhone”. That one is up to you. You can additionally about-face off “Compass Calibration” and “Setting Time Zone”. Acquisition an account of what these casework do below…
Compass calibration: it’s acclimated by apps breadth affiliated admission to a active ambit account is required. If you use any affectionate of Mapping apps, you ability not appetite to about-face this off.
Emergency SOS: When enabled, you can alarm emergency casework afterwards unlocking your iPhone by bound acute the Sleep/Wake button bristles times.
Find my iPhone: Allows you to clue your iPhone on a map that you can admission from your iCloud.com page. Alike if it will arise accessible if you apart your accessory or it gets stolen, it can additionally be a privacy/security risk. Axis it off is your choice.
HomeKit: control accurate third-party acute accessories and accessories. Example: automatically about-face acute lights on or off aback you admission or leave home. If you don’t use such accessories and/or accessories, about-face it off.
Location-based alerts: Receive locations based on your location. Example: admonition to alarm addition aback you admission at a specific location. Privacy/Security risk. About-face it off.
Location-based Apple ads: Allows Apple to clue your breadth in adjustment to bear ads accordant to you. I beggarly if “track your location” and “deliver ads” doesn’t accomplish you about-face this affection off immediately, you should absolutely stop account this article.
Location-based suggestions: Aback you use Spotlight suggestions or Safari suggestions, the breadth of your iPhone at the time you accessible Spotlight, use Attending Up, or abide a chase concern to Spotlight or Safari will be beatific to Apple to accomplish location-based suggestions added accordant and to advance added Apple articles and services. About-face it off!
Mobile arrangement search: Allows Apple to almanac and accumulate a database of corpuscle building in your breadth and adviser reception. About-face it off!
Motion arrangement & distance: allows iPhones and Apple watches to accumulate clue of how abundant you’re moving. I would about-face it off and acquisition added agency to accumulate clue of my activity. But it’s up to you. If not used, you can about-face it off.
Setting time zone: self-explanatory. If you biking to altered time breadth often, your iPhone will automatically set the actual time breadth as anon as you’re affiliated to the internet. I would about-face this off ( alike if it’s on in the screenshot aloft ) but it’s up to you.
Share my location: allows you to allotment your accepted breadth with accompany and ancestors via the Letters app and Acquisition My Accompany app. Privacy/Security risk, ability appetite to about-face it off.
Wi-Fi Networking: Aloof like “Mobile arrangement search”, this affection allows Apple to aggregate advice about adjacent Wi-Fi networks. About-face it off!
Significant locations: this is aloof creepy, and a privacy/security risk. About-face it off. You can acquisition an account of what it does in the settings.
iPhone analytics: sends analytics, diagnostic, and acceptance advice to Apple. About-face it off!
Popular abreast me: sends Apple advice based on what apps you use in a specific breadth so they can action “better apps and services” in that area. Yeah, aloof about-face it off!
Routing & Traffic: This allows Apple to adviser you in absolute time so they can advance its Maps. Aloof about-face it off!
6. About-face Off App’s Admission To Acute Data
The actuality is that iOS does an amazing job sandboxing apps. Apps can’t acquaint amid them unless you accurately admission access.
For example, aback you install Instagram ( I’ll get aback to this one afterwards ) it will ask you to admission the photo library, camera and microphone. If you don’t acquiesce these permissions the app is appealing abundant abortive ( unless you’re aloof there for browsing ).
But if you install a, let’s say, flashlight app ( who does that anymore? easy, it’s aloof an archetype ) and it asks you for permission to admission your contacts, photo library, or agenda you should not abandoned not acquiesce those permissions but annul the app immediately.
BTW: Instagram wants to admission your contacts. Why in the apple would I acquiesce a Facebook-owned app to admission my contacts?
TIP 1: You ability appetite to attenuate microphone admission to Instagram. Almanac your videos through the banal camera app and again upload them as belief or to your feed. There’s absolutely no acumen Instagram should be accustomed admission to your iPhone’s microphone. Unless you go live. You can admission mic admission while “live” and attenuate aback you’re done.
To analysis which apps can admission your contacts, microphone, photos, calendars reminders etc go to Settings > Aloofness > Contacts etc and analysis the apps that can admission your data.
NOTE: go through anniversary of those airheaded ( contacts, calendar, reminders, photos etc ) and analysis which apps requested access, and attenuate breadth not needed.
TIP 2: you ability appetite to annul and attending for an addition if an app requested admission to your abstracts in 2 or added fields, afterwards any absolute use for its functionality.
7. App Detox
To abate your acknowledgment to aloofness leaks, booty a few moments and analysis all the apps you accept installed. Annul all accidental apps. Chances are you accept a lot of apps that you either never use or don’t absolutely need. This includes amateur and those 30 photo alteration apps you have.
You appetite to adapt your photos? You can go in abundant detail alteration them in the banal photos app. Or alteration them to your computer and use Lightroom and Photoshop.
8. Reset Your Announcement Identifier
Apple asks developers to baddest how their app uses IDFAs from amid the afterward applications:
– Serve advertisements aural the app– Attribute this app accession to a ahead served advertisement– Attribute an action taken aural an app to a ahead served advertisement
If a developer has addition adequate use for the Announcement Identifier, it asks them to acquaintance Apple.
When you accredit “Limit Ad Tracking” ( discussed aloft ) iOS makes abiding that an app doesn’t use the IDFA in any added way than for “Limited Announcement Purposes”.
However, you can add an added band of aloofness aegis by resetting your device’s ad identifier already in a while.
To do so, go to Settings > Aloofness > Announcement > Reset Announcement Identifier
9. About-face Off QuickType
QuickType is Apple’s predictive altercation affection that was alien aback in iOS 8. It learns from what you blazon and offers suggestions to accomplishment off your words or sentences. It ability be acceptable for some ( I abandoned don’t like it ) but you ability accede not acceptance a keyboard to apprentice how you type. And while QuickType can’t admission usernames and passwords if you accelerate such advice via email or letters ( NEVER a adequate abstraction ), you ability be abruptness to acquisition out one of your passwords shows up in suggestions.
To about-face off QuickType go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Predictive
10. Accredit 2FA on your Apple Account
Maybe this should’ve been #2 on the list, but I got agitated away. Anyway…
I can copy-paste what is two-factor affidavit and how to use it on you Apple devices. But you can apprehend all about it on Apple’s page.
To accredit 2FA go to Settings > [your name] > Countersign & Aegis > About-face On Two-Factor Authentication.
11. Manage Siri and Dictation
Here’s a adduce from Apple’s iOS software authorization agreement.
By application Siri or Dictation, you accede and accord to Apple’s and its subsidiaries’ and agents’ transmission, collection, maintenance, processing, and use of this information, including your articulation ascribe and User Data, to accommodate and advance Siri, Dictation, and dictation functionality in added Apple articles and services.
Turn off Dictation: Settings > General > Keyboard > Toggle off “Enable Dictation”
If you don’t appetite to about-face off Siri for good, at atomic about-face off “Listen for Hey Siri”, “Allow Siri Aback Locked” , “Suggestions in Search” and “Suggestions in Attending Up”.
You can do this by action to Settings > Siri & Search.
12. Manage Auto Lock
You’ve set a strong, circuitous custom alphanumeric passcode and managed your notifications. Now let’s abbreviate the window of time aback addition can get into your iPhone.
Set the auto-lock to 30 abnormal ( or the bald minimum that you acquisition tolerable. ). To do this, go to Settings> Display & Brightness.
13. Browsing
Might be a adequate abstraction to stop application Safari for your web browsing. Obviously DO NOT use Chrome either. I would acclaim Brave. But feel chargeless to do your own research.
Unfortunately Apple won’t acquiesce us to set a 3rd affair browser as absence on iOS. So if you charge use Safari, let’s booty affliction of some settings first.
Go to Settings > Safari > and…
NOTE: WAIT!!!! Why would I about-face off “Fraudulent Website Warning”? While axis this affection off ability be a baby aegis risk, it also relies on a constantly-updated database of URLs that advance to malware. Google’s Safe Browsing account is the best broadly acclimated database.
13.1 Browser Fingerprinting
You ability use an AdBlocker and VPN ( discussed beneath ) to adumbrate your IP, geolocation and block awful ads, but you can still be articular and tracked online through added adult methods. Like browser fingerprinting.
Browser fingerprinting can accurately actuate how altered your browser and OS is application your screen resolution, language, time zone, fonts, cookies, platform, plugins and add-ons, WebGL, etc.
Nah bro I’m good… I use Firefox and I afflicted the appropriate settings, and I use uMatrix, NoScript, uBlock origin, aloofness badger, accolade auto delete, HTTPS everywhere and Decentraleyes and…. a few added top abstruse aloofness add-ons.
Here’s the thing, the added browser add-ons and extensions you use, the added your angle out from the army and you’re easier to be articular and tracked. You’d apparently be bigger application Tor browser VPN ( discussed beneath ).
14. Use an AdBlocker
If you adjudge to use Brave as your browser on iOS, you’re appealing abundant set. The browser comes with a congenital AdBlocker, blocks pop-ups, enables HTTPS everywhere, blocks scripts, 3rd affair accolade and fingerprinting.
If you accept to use Safari, get an AdBlocker. Which one? I don’t know. Best of them are not chargeless ( don’t get a chargeless one ) so do your research.
Why you charge an AdBlocker? Because ads are not abandoned acclimated to acquaint you articles and services, but additionally to clue your action and behavior on the internet, abduct your data, affect you with malware.
In 2016 Google took bottomward 1.7 BILLION ads. 900,000 of those absolute malware, 80 actor counterfeit ads that that “deceived, misled, or shocked” users and 112 million “trick to click” ads that install alarming software/viruses assimilate devices.
The affliction part? You don’t alike accept to bang on those ads to be afflicted by malware, tracking and ransomeware.
Feeling ambitious? You can try Pi-hole ( added on that afterwards )
15. Get a VPN
Your ISP/carrier, websites you visit, apps that crave internet access, or anyone affiliated to your arrangement can see your browsing action through your device’s altered ID.
But wait, I can go “incognito”. Yeah, incognito, on any browser, does not accumulate you safe from 3rd affair concern around. In actuality it doesn’t accumulate annihilation clandestine alfresco of your concrete device.
A Virtual Clandestine Arrangement (VPN) can action you a amount of anonymity, by appearance your device’s IP abode from anybody but the VPN provider.
And because it’s still technically possible, in abounding cases, for your VPN provider to busybody about it’s capital to do your analysis and use a adequate VPN provider.
Here’s some tips on how to accept your VPN provider:
I would acclaim demography a attending at ProtonVPN and Mullvad. But this doesn’t beggarly that you shouldn’t do your own research.
NOTE: ProtonVPN has a chargeless option, based in Switzerland ( alfresco the five, nine or fourteen eyes ), developed by CERN scientists. Mullvad offers a 3-hour chargeless trial, based in Sweden ( central the fourteen eyes ).
Some bodies will additionally acclaim application Tor, but besides the actuality that it’s like action aback to dial-up canicule aback application Tor I don’t anticipate that best of us absolutely charge to use it.
Just get acclimatized with aggregate in this post, alpha from actuality and dig deeper, accept why you charge to do this, and you’ll get to Tor.
Ok here’s some advice to get you started ( not for iOS )
If you appetite to use Tor however, use the Tor browser a adequate VPN, instead of the Tor network. As you ability know, Tor ( aka The Onion Router ) is a chargeless allotment of software and accessible arrangement that was arise aback in 2002 and it is primarily adjourned by the US government.
The Tor arrangement has been compromised and it’s way to apathetic for accustomed use. The Tor Browser on the added duke is artlessly put a accustomed and adequate adaptation of Firefox.
If you appetite to use the Tor Browser – Tor Arrangement VPN do this:
1. Download Tor browser
2. Go to Options ( three curve in the top appropriate bend ) > Preferences
3. Baddest Advanced > Arrangement > Settings
4. No Proxy > OK
5. In the URL bar blazon about:config and hit enter
6. In the chase box type network.proxy.socks_remote_dns and bifold bang to attenuate ( set amount to False )
7. In the URL bar type extensions.torlauncher.start_tor and again bifold bang to attenuate ( set amount to False )
Now you can use the Tor Browser to assure yourself adjoin browser fingerprinting and aback acclimated in aggregate with a VPN, you’ll additionally adumbrate your IP and geolocation.
16. Encrypt
Your iOS accessory is already encrypted. Set a able custom alphanumeric passcode. But what about your iCloud Drive or Dropbox or Google Drive or OneDrive or whatever you ability be using?
You should never upload acute abstracts to the billow afterwards encrypting it first. Or use a billow account that offers end-to-end encryption like SpiderOak. Or set up your own billow with Nextcloud.
But, for the account of this article, let’s aloof pretend you’re application Dropbox ( which you apparently are anyhow ). Before syncing any claimed files with Dropbox, accede encrypting the abuse things first. Locally. Before they alike fly abroad to the cloud.
You can do that calmly with article like VeraCrypt. If you own a Mac, you can encrypt files and binder with macOS.
17. Stop Application Google as Abundant as Possible
Google owns you! Period. All they do is bear accumulated surveillance into convenient, useful, chargeless apps that is capturing all your clandestine abstracts – abstracts acclimated by google to boss the online announcement industry.
Just stop giving them all your advice on a argent plate. It’s not easy, but if you try, you’ll see it’s not that difficult either.
First footfall is to abolish Chrome from ALL your devices. If you use Gmail, attending for added email providers. Like ProtonMail ( aforementioned CERN guys ), FastMail, OpenMailbox, Mailfence, Mailbox.org. Do your research.
Google Drive? Use annihilation else. And encrypt.
Google Hangouts? You can use appear.in or Zoom.
Google Allo? Use Signal
Google Search? Use DuckDuckGo, Startpage, Searx.
Don’t be afraid. 99.9% of the time there’s a bigger alternative. All you accept to do is ask yourself. Who owns this app/service? Is it Google, Facebook, Microsoft, alike Apple ( they aren’t saints )? Ok, let’s see if I can acquisition any alternatives.
18. Stop Application Facebook as Abundant as Possible.
You should abolish aggregate endemic by Facebook from your device. Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp, Instagram.
First of all you’ll access your array life. Additional of all if you appetite to use Facebook accede application it abandoned aback you absolutely charge it and in a browser.
TIP: appeal desktop armpit and you can use Messenger in a browser too. If you do this, logout aback you’re done and bright accolade and browser data.
Same goes with Instagram.
Instead of application WhatsApp, use Signal ( additionally discussed aloft ). Ok, WhatsApp uses Signal’s encryption protocol. But the app is endemic by Facebook. Abundant altercation huh? It is aback you booty in application all the things Facebook collects about you.
Since we’re talking about Facebook, stop announcement every distinct detail of your action in words and pictures, stop tagging everybody all the time and amuse stop checking-in everywhere.
19. Use a Countersign Manager
We all accept dozens of online accounts. All of them crave a password. Circuitous and unique. Countersign re-use is a huge botheration with ample abstracts breaches acceptable added and added accepted these days, with billions of abstracts annal absent or baseborn aback 2013. So we affectionate of charge a countersign manager.
But Safari has a congenital countersign manager, why can’t I use that? Because browser countersign managers suck…
Just get a countersign manager. There’s bags of them. You can pay for them or use a free, open-source, end-to-end encrypted administrator like Bitwarden.
Do your research.
20. Log out!
The easiest way for a aggregation to clue you online is aback you break logged into assorted accounts. Be it Facebook, Youtube or your email. Use the apps/services and aback you’re done, log out!
Also be abiding to bright your browser history afterwards anniversary session. History can calmly be tracked aback you’re aback online.
Ok this one ability be accessible to do for best apps and/or services. But I charge my email. Well, if you use your email in a browser, logout aback you’re done. Or get a mail applicant on your computer like Thunderbird or PostBox.
You’d be afraid how abounding aggregation logos and mail signatures arise with anchored tracking.
If you’re on a Mac and use the absence Mail applicant go to Preferences > Viewing > and uncheck “Load alien agreeable in messages”
You can do the aforementioned on an iOS device. Go to Settings > Mail > Attenuate “Load Alien Images”
21. Home Assistants
How acceptable is to say “Alexa about-face on lights in the active room” or “OK Google comedy [song_name]”? Guess what? Your cool acceptable “personal assistant” now knows that ur home at 8:30 PM, in your active allowance and you appetite to accept to a specific artist.
Next affair you know, you get an email from Amazon “hey, we anticipation you ability like these CDs and vinyl annal that added bodies are buying”.
Siri is no different, see #11.
Vizio was bankrupt for application 11 actor televisions to spy on its customers.
So what comes in a appealing package, bearded as accessibility is absolutely accumulated surveillance. Ability be a adequate abstraction to abstain “smart home” devices. Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
You ability anticipate this is a joke. But these affectionate of things appear whether you like it or not. And it’s accepting worse.
22. Pi-hole
I can’t alike alpha to explain in aloof a few words what Pi-hole is. Others ability be able to do it. I can’t. Or I don’t appetite to? Does it matter? No, because there’s a video on YouTube ( wink, flash ) that briefly describes what Pi-hole is. Alpha actuality and dig added if interested.
23. Update!
Always a adequate abstraction to amend to the latest iOS and macOS. You ability appetite to delay a brace of canicule to see what added bodies are adage ( bugs and array life-related ). But absolutely update.
The aforementioned affair can’t be said about Windows. Windows 10 is a absolute aloofness adversity .
If you’re on Android, I’d advance you stop commenting on every iPhone video on Youtube adage Android > iOS/iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S8 > iPhone 8 or Pixel 2 > iPhone X. Just for one second.
Let’s get a few things straight:
1. Android is not bigger than iOS by any means. Get over it. Android ability clothing your needs bigger than iOS. That’s a accomplished altered story. Altered articles for altered people. End of story. Aforementioned goes for iPhone users. Absolutely now, what’s this action you’re fighting? And who’s winning?
2. Android is endemic by Google.
3. But Android is accessible source. Exactly why if it comes beeline from Google it comes accessible to clue every distinct aspect of your action and if it comes from a 3rd affair it comes abounding of bloatware ( tracking ).
READ: Google collects Android users’ locations alike aback breadth casework are disabled
What can you do? Flash your ROM and install article like CopperheadOS or LineageOS. Alpha researching and do it right.
If you’re active Linux… if you’re primary OS is linux, you apparently apperceive what you charge to do.
Look, at the end of the day you can do whatever you want. But booty an abreast decision.
Read this post. Apprehend 10,000 added posts on aloofness and security. And then, if you still anticipate this is all a hoax or cabal approach or whatever, you can go adjoin aggregate bags and bags of bodies are admonishing you about and do whatever the f*ck you want. Aloof get all the facts first.
Want more? A WHOLE LOT MORE? Watch the video below. It’s 3 hours continued but able-bodied account the watch. Disclaimer: paranoia ability booty over if you watch it.
