Attending a protest or demonstration is a constitutional way to express your voice and influence public policy in the United States. Due to the nature of many protests, you may find it beneficial to secure your phone or other smart devices before attending. This guide will help you secure your iOS or Android device, allowing you to protest without the worry of your digital privacy being compromised.
We know this isn’t the top answer you want to see on this list, but it remains a wise recommendation. The best way to protect your digital privacy is to keep your smartphone or other internet-connected devices at home. The Stingray phone tracker system is one great example of why this advice is solid; it’s a cellular phone surveillance device commonly used by local and state law enforcement that can mimic a wireless cell tower, intercepting communications and data. If you need a phone, consider a burner phone, don’t turn it on until you’ve arrived at the site of the protest, and turn it off before returning home.
If you need to bring your smartphone to a protest, begin by making sure that it has a passcode, requiring anyone who wishes to unlock it to enter a PIN. Avoid simple PIN codes that can be easily guessed, including 0000, 1234, the year of your birth, the last four digits of your social security number, or any other information that could be inferred. Follow these steps to lock down your Android or iOS device with a passcode:
If your device is configured to unlock by scanning your face or fingerprint, considering turning the feature off while at the protest. Note that turning off biometric options is different from turning off your device passcode; it is essential to keep your passcode enabled. Biometric unlock abilities should be turned off because someone could force you to unlock the device against your will. Follow these settings to turn off biometric unlock features:
If your device is taken, you can attempt to prevent others from gaining access via advanced tactics by enabling encryption options. With encryption enabled, your device’s data is made unavailable, unless the device’s passcode is entered. With iOS devices, your phone is encrypted as long as you have a passcode set up. For Android users, follow these steps to enable encryption on your smartphone:
Having your device confiscated or stolen at an event is troubling enough, so make sure that your data is safely backed-up beforehand. You can opt to back up your device manually via a computer or by using a cloud-based service. Check out our guides on backing up your iPhone to iCloud or one of the many ways to back up your Android smartphone. Don’t risk losing your photos, contacts, and other information — back up your phone before attending a protest.
If your device is taken, you won’t want third parties to read your notifications. Many devices show previews of notifications on the lock screen without requiring any passcode information to be entered. Whether you are using an iOS or Android device, here is how to keep your lock screen notifications private:
The signals that your smartphone uses to connect to the world, such as Wi-Fi, GPS, or Bluetooth, can be used against you. With the proper technology, authorities can monitor devices as they search for Wi-Fi networks, local Bluetooth devices, and satellite connections. The easiest option is to switch on Airplane mode for your device; this will disconnect the above services, but if needed, they can be switched back on in an instant.
If you’re using an Apple iPhone without Face ID, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access Control Center; otherwise, swipe down from the upper-right of the screen. With Control Center open, tap the airplane icon to place your device into Airplane mode. You may need to manually tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it off if you are using the connection for your Apple Watch. On Android, pull down from the top of the screen and select Airplane Mode — you may need to pull down twice to open the full quick settings menu.
If you need to communicate during a protest, consider choosing a third-party messaging solution such as Signal, Telegram, or WhatsApp — check out our roundup for the best encrypted messaging apps for more options. Standard text messaging between Android devices is an unencrypted option that could be intercepted, while Apple’s iMessage cloud data stands at risk of being obtained by law enforcement. Some solutions, including Skype and Snapchat, don’t encrypt messages at all, while Facebook complicates the process.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.