Technology

Avoid iPhone privacy disasters with these 10 smart tips

Published

2 years ago

June 4, 2024

Press Room

Avoid iPhone privacy disasters with these 10 smart tips

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One of the most popular reasons people choose an iPhone over an Android phone is because of how secure the iOS operating system is. While it is true that Apple does a fantastic job of rolling out constant security updates and iOS is harder to crack than Android, you still need to do some work to make the most out of your iPhone’s security features.

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A person holding an iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

10 essential security tips to fortify your iPhone against digital threats

We’ve got 10 smart tips to help you get the most out of your iPhone; let’s dive right in.

Tip #1 – Make sure your iPhone is up to date

When considering keeping any device, especially your iPhone, safe, you should first ensure its software is updated. iOS’s new software updates are routinely rolled out, and they help your phone perform better, fix bugs and make it more secure.

It is important to install the new iOS updates as soon as possible. Hackers are always looking for new ways to exploit iOS, and Apple’s programmers are readily battling them with new updates. Here’s a simple way to install iOS updates:

Open the Settings app
Scroll down and tap General
Tap on Software Update
If there’s a new update available, tap Update Now

Steps to update your iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

While in these settings, it’s a great idea to go to the Automatic Updates section and ensure you have iOS Updates and Security Responses & System Files toggled on.

Ways to automatically install iPhone updates (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Tip #2 – Set up 2FA (two-factor authentication)

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an easy way to ensure that only you can access your iPhone. When you have 2FA active, even if someone manages to get your Apple ID and password, you’ll be notified that they are trying to log in. Here’s how to set up 2FA with your Apple ID:

Open the Settings app
Tap on your Apple ID at the top of the screen
Go to Sign-In & Security
Tap on Turn On Two-Factor Authentication
Select Continue
Follow the instructions presented to set 2FA on your iPhone.

Steps to set up 2FA on your iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Once 2FA is set up, the next time you try to log in to your Apple ID from another device or on the web, a notification will pop up on your iPhone asking you to give yourself access and providing a six-digit code you’ll need to finish logging in.

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Tip #3 – Turn off web access to your iCloud data

iCloud data can be accessed from any web browser and any device. This means that even if you have a Windows laptop, you can still log into your Apple ID and access all of your stored iCloud data. While this may be helpful for some users, overall, it’s pretty dangerous to have your iCloud accessible. Thankfully, it’s easy to turn off. Here’s how:

Go to the Settings app
Open your Apple ID at the top of the screen
Select iCloud
Scroll down to disable Access iCloud Data on the Web by toggling it off (it will turn from green to gray)
Then scroll down and tap Don’t Access

Steps to turn off your iCloud data on your iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

If you ever need to access your iCloud data on the web, you can repeat these steps to turn iCloud Data back on.

BEST ACCESSORIES FOR YOUR PHONE

Tip #4 – Lock your private Safari Tabs behind Face ID

Another simple way to secure your personal data is by locking your private browsing behind your iPhone’s Face ID (Touch ID on older iPhone models). This way, only you can access your private browsing activity. To turn this on, you will need iOS 17 or later. Here’s how to turn it on:

Open the Settings app
Scroll down and go to Safari (or your browser of choice)
Scroll down to Privacy & Security, enable Require Face ID to Unlock Private Browsing

Steps to lock your private Safari tabs (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Tip #5 – Control what you can access from the lock screen

Your iPhone’s Lock Screen has access to several features to make your experience more streamlined. However, this also means anyone could grab your iPhone and look at your Today View to check all of your personal information within your widgets.

To avoid this from happening, your iPhone makes it easy to manage what sort of things you can see directly from the Lock Screen. Here’s how to change what is viewable from the lock screen:

Open the Settings app
Scroll down and tap on Face ID & Passcode
Enter your passcode
Scroll down until Allow Access When Locked
From here, disable anything you want to not be viewable from the lock screen

Steps to control what you access from your lock screen on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Tip #6 – Choose what you can use Face ID for

Apple also makes it easy to change the things Face ID can do for you to keep your data private. By default, you’re able to use Face ID to make purchases with Apple Pay, download apps and autofill passwords. However, this also means that if someone has cracked the Face ID feature, they might be able to do all of this without you even knowing about it. To change this:

Open the Settings app
Scroll down and go to Face ID & Passcode
Enter your passcode
Under Use Face ID For, at the top, disable all the things you don’t want Face ID used for.

Steps to choose what you can use Face ID for (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Tip #7 – Create a stronger passcode

Many people have transitioned to using Face ID or Touch ID to unlock their iPhones, so it’s understandable if you haven’t given much thought to a passcode you rarely use.

However, the weaker your passcode is, the easier it is to get into your iPhone. The good news is that you can create an even stronger password than just a simple six-digit code. Here’s how to do it:

Open the Settings app
Scroll down and go to Face ID & Passcode
Enter your passcode
Scroll down and tap on Change Passcode
Enter your current passcode
Before entering a new passcode, tap on Passcode Options at the bottom.
Select how hard you want your passcode to be
Now, enter your new passcode

This will make your passcode harder to crack, but in case you forget which passcode you used, you’ll have up to 72 hours to use your previous passcode to reset the new one if you forget it.

MORE: I’M A TECH EXPERT STILL IN SHOCK AT THESE WAYS HACKERS STEAL YOUR PASSWORD

Tip #8 – Keep AirDrop turned off

AirDrop is a useful feature that helps you transfer files with people near you in a flash. It’s an especially great feature to swap photos with your friends and family members on vacations. However, if you leave it on all the time, you might get files or photos from people you don’t want.

AirDrop also leaves your iPhone open to hackers who may be able to use it to glean more information about your iPhone. Granted, this is very difficult to do, but you should still keep AirDrop off when you aren’t using it.

Here’s how to disable AirDrop:

Open your Control Center
Press and hold the Wi-Fi button in the top left corner.

Screen showing Wi-Fi button (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Tap on AirDrop
Select Receiving Off

Screen showing Receiving Off on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Tip #9 – Get iCloud+

If you’re willing to invest a small amount each month, Apple’s iCloud+ service is a fantastic option that has seen significant improvements in recent years. The benefits of subscribing to iCloud+ are numerous and well worth considering.

iCloud+ is an enhanced version of the previous iCloud service. In addition to providing you with additional cloud storage space, it also offers a range of security features that can greatly improve your online safety and privacy.

One of these features is iCloud Private Relay. When you use Safari to browse the internet, this feature conceals your IP address and browsing activity from prying eyes. Furthermore, it safeguards your unencrypted internet traffic, providing an extra layer of protection.

Another notable feature is Hide My Email. As the name suggests, this feature allows you to create unique, randomly generated email addresses that you can use when signing up for websites or platforms. The great thing about this feature is that you’ll still receive messages sent to these addresses in your personal inbox, but websites and other individuals won’t have access to your actual email address.

iCloud+ offers many more features, and the best part is that you can access all of these benefits for as little as $0.99 per month. It’s a small price to pay for the added convenience, security and peace of mind that iCloud+ provides.

Tip #10 – Start using a VPN

Virtual private networks, or VPNs, are a great and easy way to keep your iPhone safe at all times, especially if you’re constantly using public Wi-Fi networks.

A VPN automatically hides your IP address, so it’s harder for companies and individuals to track you. Not only that, but you can also select a server from a different country to make it look like you’re somewhere else. See my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices.

Kurt’s key takeaways

In today’s digital age, ensuring the security of your iPhone is more important than ever. By following these 10 smart tips, you can significantly enhance your device’s security and protect your personal information from potential threats.

Remember to keep your iPhone updated with the latest iOS version, enable two-factor authentication, and be mindful of what you share from your lock screen. Additionally, consider investing in iCloud+ for its advanced security features and using a reputable VPN like ExpressVPN to safeguard your online activities.

By implementing these measures, you’ll be taking proactive steps to maintain the integrity of your iPhone and your sensitive data. While no security system is perfect, these tips will help you stay one step ahead of potential hackers and enjoy a more secure and private iPhone experience.

In what ways do you think iPhone security features could be improved in future updates? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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Technology

Trump administration bars former EU official and anti-disinformation and hate researchers from US

Published

41 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Trump administration bars former EU official and anti-disinformation and hate researchers from US

On Tuesday, the Trump Administration followed through on a threat of retaliation targeting foreigners who are involved in content moderation. The State Department announced sanctions barring US access for former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, as well as four researchers, while issuing an intentionally chilling threat to others, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio claiming, “The State Department stands ready and willing to expand today’s list if other foreign actors do not reverse course.”

One of the researchers the State Department says is banned and now deportable, is Imran Ahmed, who runs the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), an organization aimed at identifying and pushing back against hate speech online that Elon Musk tried and failed to censor with a lawsuit that was dismissed in early 2024. In his decision, Judge Charles Breyer wrote that X’s motivation for suing was to “punish CCDH for CCDH publications that criticized X Corp. — and perhaps in order to dissuade others.”

The other researchers include Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon, leaders of HateAid, a nonprofit that tried to sue X in 2023 for “failing to remove criminal antisemitic content,” as well as Clare Melford, leader of the Global Disinformation Index, which works on “fixing the systems that enable disinformation.”

The press release announcing the sanctions is titled “Announcement of Actions to Combat the Global Censorship-Industrial Complex,” the claimed target of Republicans like House Judiciary Committee leader Jim Jordan, as they’ve worked against attempts to apply fact-checking and misinformation research to social networks. Earlier this month, Reuters reported the State Department ordered US consulates to consider rejecting H-1B visa applicants involved in content moderation, and a few days ago, the Office of the US Trade Representative threatened retaliation against European tech giants like Spotify and SAP over supposedly “discriminatory” activity in regulating US tech platforms.

Technology

Android Sound Notifications help you catch key alerts

Published

1 hour ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Android Sound Notifications help you catch key alerts

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Staying aware of your surroundings matters. That includes hearing smoke alarms, appliance beeps or a knock at the door. Still, real life gets busy. You wear headphones. You get focused. Sounds slip by. That is where Android Sound Notifications help. This built-in accessibility feature listens for key sounds and sends an alert to your screen. Think of it as a gentle tap on the shoulder when something important happens.

Although it was designed to help people who are hard of hearing, it is useful for anyone. If you work with noise-canceling headphones or often miss alerts at home, this feature can make a real difference.

Now, if you use an iPhone, here’s how Apple’s Sound Recognition can alert you to alarms and other key sounds on your device.

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Android Sound Notifications alert you when important sounds happen around you. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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What Sound Notifications do on Android

Sound Notifications use your phone’s microphone to listen for specific sounds nearby. When it detects one, it sends a visual alert. You will see a pop-up, feel a vibration and may even see the camera flash.

By default, Android can detect sounds like:

Smoke alarms
Fire alarms
Sirens
Door knocks
Doorbells
Appliance beeps
A landline phone ringing
Running water
A baby crying
A dog barking

That range makes the feature practical at home or at work. Even better, you control which sounds matter to you.

Why this feature is worth using

Here is the simple truth. You cannot hear everything all the time. Distractions happen. Headphones block sound. Focus takes over. Sound Notifications fill that gap. While you stay locked into a task, your phone keeps listening. When something important happens, you still get the message. As a result, you worry less about missing alarms or visitors. You gain awareness without extra effort.

How to turn on Sound Notifications

Getting started only takes a minute. Note: We tested these steps on a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra running the latest version of Android. Menu names and locations may differ slightly on other Android phones, depending on the manufacturer and software version.

Open the Settings app
Go to Accessibility
Tap Hearing enhancements
Select Sound Notifications
Turn the feature on

Turning on Sound Notifications only takes a few taps in Android’s Accessibility settings. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

When you enable Sound Notifications for the first time, Android will ask how you want to start the feature. Choose the option that works best for you:

Tap the button in the quick settings panel
Tap the Accessibility button
Press the Side and Volume Up buttons
Press and hold the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons for three seconds

After you select a shortcut, Click Ok. Then, Sound Notifications will start listening in the background.

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If you do not see the option, install the Live Transcribe & Notifications app from the Play Store. You can enable Sound Notifications from there. Once active, your phone listens for selected sounds and alerts you when it detects one.

Choose which sounds trigger alerts

Not every sound deserves your attention. Thankfully, Android lets you fine-tune alerts.

Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer

Go back to Settings
Tap Accessibility
Click Hearing enhancements
Tap Sound Notifications
Click Open Sound Notifications. This opens the actual Sound Notifications control screen.
On the Sound Notifications screen, tap Settings or the gear icon in the top corner
Tap Sound types

You will now see the full list of detectable sounds.

Toggle on the sounds you want alerts for, such as smoke alarms or doorbells
Toggle off sounds you do not want, like dog barking or appliance beeps, if they are not important to you

You can choose exactly which sounds trigger alerts, helping you avoid unnecessary interruptions. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Check the sound history log

Sound Notifications keep a log of detected sounds. This helps if you were away from your phone and want to see what happened.

You can also save sounds and name them. That makes it easier to tell the difference between your washer finishing and your microwave timer.

The log adds context, which makes alerts more helpful.

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Teach your phone custom sounds

Android does not stop at presets. You can train it to recognize sounds unique to your space.

Maybe your garage door has a distinct tone. Maybe an appliance uses a nonstandard beep. You can record it once, and your phone will listen for it going forward. To add a custom sound:

Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer

Open Sound Notifications
Tap the gear icon
Select Custom sounds
Tap Add sound
Hit Record

Record a clear 20-second clip. The better the audio, the better detection works later.

Customize how alerts appear

By default, Sound Notifications use vibration and the camera flash. That visual cue is helpful for urgent alerts. However, not every sound needs that level of attention. You can adjust how alerts appear based on importance.

Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer

Open Sound Notifications
Open the gear icon
Tap Ways to be notified
From there, choose which alerts vibrate, flash or stay subtle

This flexibility keeps the feature working for your routine.

Your privacy stays on your phone

It is reasonable to question constant listening. Here is the key detail. Sound Notifications process audio locally on your device. Sounds never leave your phone. Nothing gets sent to Google. The only exception is if you choose to include audio with feedback. That design keeps the feature private and secure.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Android Sound Notifications quietly solve a real problem. They help you stay aware when your ears cannot. Setup is fast. Controls are flexible. Privacy stays intact. Once you turn it on, you may wonder how you lived without it.

What important sound have you missed lately that your phone could have caught for you? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

How Last Samurai Standing adds kinetic action to the Battle Royale formula

Published

13 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

How Last Samurai Standing adds kinetic action to the Battle Royale formula

Last Samurai Standing begins with a familiar premise. Desperate samurai dispossessed by the restoration of the emperor enter into a deadly game for a life-changing cash prize — all for the entertainment of anonymous elites. Unlike its inspirations Battle Royale and Squid Game, however, Last Samurai Standing’s violence is chaotic, fast-paced, and kinetic, though it hides a careful choreography that makes the series a more electric proposition than its predecessors.

Viewers have Junichi Okada to thank for that. As well as starring in and producing Last Samurai Standing, he serves as the series’ action planner. Many will be familiar with the results of an action planner’s work — sometimes called an action director, elsewhere a “coordinator,” and even “choreographer” — though perhaps not what the role entails. In the case of Last Samurai Standing, it’s a role that touches on nearly every aspect of the production, from the story to the action itself.

“I was involved from the script stage, thinking about what kind of action we wanted and how we would present it in the context of this story,” Okada tells The Verge. “If the director [Michihito Fujii] said, ‘I want to shoot this kind of battle scene,’ I would then think through the content and concept, design the scene, and ultimately translate that into script pages.”

The close relationship between the writer and director extends to other departments, too. Though an action planner’s role starts with managing fight scenes and stunt performers, they also liaise with camera, wardrobe, makeup, and even editorial departments to ensure fight scenes cohere with the rest of the production.

Image: Netflix

It’s a role which might appear a natural progression for Okada, who is certified to teach Kali and Jeet Kune Do — a martial art conceived by Bruce Lee — and holds multiple black belts in jiujitsu. Though the roots of his progression into action planning can be traced back further, to 1995 when he became the youngest member of J-pop group V6.

“Dance experience connects directly to creating action,” he says. “[In both] rhythm and control of the body are extremely important.” Joining V6 at the age of 15, that experience has made Okada conscious of how he moves in relation to a camera during choreography, how he is seen within the structure of a shot, and, critical to action planning, how to navigate all of that safely from a young age.

That J-pop stardom also offered avenues into acting, initially in roles you might expect for a young pop star: comic heartthrobs and sitcom sons. But he was steadily able to broaden his output. A starring turn in Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Hana followed, as did voice acting in Studio Ghibli’s Tales From Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill. A more telling departure was a starring role in 2007’s SP, in which he played a rookie in a police bodyguard unit, for which he trained for several years under shootfighting instructor Yorinaga Nakamura.

“What I care about is whether audiences feel that ‘this man really lives here as a samurai.’”

In the years since, Okada has cemented himself as one of Japan’s most recognizable actors, hopping between action starring roles in The Fable to sweeping period epics like Sekigahara. Those two genres converge in his Last Samurai Standing role of Shujiro, a former Shogunate samurai now reduced to poverty, working through his PTSD and reckoning with his bloodthirsty past in the game. These days, it’s less of a concern that the character butts up against his past idol image, he suggests. “What I care about is whether audiences feel that ‘this man really lives here as a samurai.’”

For Okada’s work on Last Samurai Standing, as both producer and action planner, that involved lacing high-octane but believable action with the respect for history and character studies of the period dramas he loves. “Rather than being 100 percent faithful to historical accuracy,” he adds, “my goal was to focus on entertainment and story, while letting the ‘DNA’ and beauty of Japanese period drama gently float up in the background.”

A focus on what he defines as “‘dō’ — movement,” pure entertainment that “never lets the audience get bored” punctuated — with “‘ma,’” the active emptiness that connects those frenetic moments. Both can be conversations, even if one uses words and another communicates dialogue through sword blows. This is most apparent when Shujiro faces his former comrade Sakura (Yasushi Fuchikami) inside a claustrophobic bank vault that serves as a charnel house for the game’s less fortunate contestants.

“The whole battle is divided into three sequences,” Okada says. The first starts with a moment of almost perfect stillness, a deep breath, before the two launch into battle. “A fight where pride and mutual respect collide,” he says, “and where the speed of the techniques reaches a level that really surprises the audience.” It’s all captured in one, zooming take with fast, tightly choreographed action reminiscent of Donnie Yen and Wu Jing in Kill Zone.

So intense is their duel that both shatter multiple swords. The next phase sees them lash out in a more desperate and brutal manner with whatever weapons they find. Finally, having fought to a weary stalemate, the fight becomes, Okada concludes, “a kind of duel where their stubbornness and will are fully exposed” as they hack at each other with shattered blades and spear fragments.

A still image from the Netflix series Last Samurai Standing.

Image: Netflix

It’s a rhythm that many fights in Last Samurai Standing follow, driven by a string of physical and emotional considerations that form the basis of an action planner’s tool kit: how and why someone fights based on who they are and their environment. Here it is two former samurai in an elegant and terrifyingly fast-paced duel. Elsewhere we see skill matched against brutality, or inexperience against expertise.

“I define a clear concept for each sequence,” Okada says, before he opens those concepts up to the broader team. From there, he might add notes, but in Last Samurai Standing, action is a collaborative affair. “We keep refining,” he says. “It’s a back-and-forth process of shaping the sequence using both the ideas the team brings and the choreography I create myself.”

There is a third factor which Okada believes is the series’ most defining. “If we get to continue the story,” he says, “I’d love to explore how much more we can lean into ‘sei’ — stillness, and bring in even more of a classical period drama feel.”

As much of a triumph of action as Last Samurai Standing is, its quietest moments are the ones that stay with you. The charged looks between Shujiro and Iroha (Kaya Kiyohara) or their shuddering fright when confronted with specters of their past. Most of all, Shujiro watching his young ward, Futaba Katsuki (Yumia Fujisaki), dance before a waterlogged torii as mist hovers. These pauses are what elevate and invigorate the breathless action above spectacle.

The pauses are also emblematic of the balance that Last Samurai Standing strikes between its period setting and pushing the boundaries of action, all to inject new excitement into the genre. “Japan is a country that values tradition and everything it has built up over time. That’s why moments where you try to update things are always difficult,” Okada says. “But right now, we’re in the middle of that transformation.”

That is an evolution that Okada hopes to support through his work, both in front of and behind the camera. If he can create avenues for new generations of talent to carry Japanese media to a broader audience and his team to achieve greater success on a global stage, “that would make me very happy,” he says. “I want to keep doing whatever I can to help make that possible.”

_{The first season of Last Samurai Standing is streaming on Netflix now, and a second season was just confirmed.}

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