How to Maximize your Privacy; iPhone & Android settings

iPhone (IOS 18)

1) Improve Search

The “Improve Search” feature allows Apple to store your searches from Safari, Siri, Images, and more. If privacy is a top concern, you might want to disable this. Here’s how to turn it off:

• Open the Settings app
• Scroll down and tap on “Search”
• Find “Improve Search” and toggle it off

2) Shared with You

In iOS 18, the “Shared with You” feature shares content from your Messages with other apps. This means that when you share certain types of content through Messages, it can automatically be displayed or utilized in relevant apps without needing to manually transfer or open the content again. Here are a few examples of how this feature can be used:

Photos and videos: If you share a photo or video in a conversation, it can automatically appear in your Photos app, making it easy to access and edit without having to save it manually.

Links and articles: When you share a link to an article or a website, it can automatically appear in your Reading List in Safari or in a news app that you use, allowing you to read it later without having to search for the link again.

Calendar events: If someone sends you an event or appointment details, it can automatically be added to your Calendar app, ensuring you don’t miss important dates and events.

Music and podcasts: Sharing a song or podcast episode can automatically add it to your Music or Podcasts app, making it easy to listen to shared content without additional steps.

Documents and files: When you share a document or file, it can automatically be saved in your Files app, allowing you to access and manage it from one central location.

This feature reduces the need for repetitive actions and makes it easier to keep track of shared content across different apps. However, if you have private conversations or information you’d rather keep contained, consider disabling them. Here’s how to turn it off:

• Open Settings
• Tap on “Apps”
• Scroll down and tap on “Messages“
• Tap on “Shared with You”
• Toggle off “Automatic Sharing”

3) Screen Sharing notifications

When sharing your screen on a TV or during FaceTime, your notifications might be visible to others. Here’s how to prevent that by turning off “Screen Sharing” notifications:

• Go to Settings
• Tap on “Notifications”
• Scroll down and tap on “Screen Sharing”
• Toggle off “Allow Notifications”

Android Settings

Go To Settings

Scroll down to Privacy

1. Start with Permission Manager to determine which apps you want to have use of the camera, microphone, location, etc. Tap each option to determine privacy settings.

Look at the apps you want to restrict access to your privacy. Tap and select the appropriate option, for example, Don’t allow.

Move on to the other apps in the previous screen and repeat the above.

• Go back to the first screen, prior to Permission Manager, and select to turn off Diagnostic Data, which saves battery life as well.
• Tap on Personalization service. Turn that off. Go back to the prior screen.
• Next Tap on Google location history. The rule of thumb is to turn it off. (Another option is to download DuckDuckGo). Go back to the prior screen.
• Tap on Usage and Diagnostics. Turn off to save battery life. Go back to the prior screen.
• Tap on Install Unknown Apps. Tap to turn off that feature for every app on the list.

Return to the main screen. Done.