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Undeniably, technology today is stepping the ladders of success at the fastest pace and doesn’t seem to slow down! We today are able to do all the things that are the mother of all what-ifs in the past. Mobile phones are the most fascinating sources of entertainment. No person can claim to get bored when thawing phones in their hands.
You can do whatever you wish like listening to music, contact a long-distance person, manage work, gaming, and whatnot.
Internet facilities act just like the cherry on the cake for any mobile device, you can download your favourite songs and videos and share them among friends and family. In any situation like standing in a queue, long journey, waiting for someone, or getting bored, your phone will come to your rescue and offer you superb entertainment.
The pattern of mobile devices in India
The vast Indian market of manufacturing of handsets comprises smartphones and feature phones are just skyrocketing. As per the stats of the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) knowledge centre , India is widely prominent to be the second-largest market for mobile manufacturing followed by China. India is believed to overtake the current position of China in the forthcoming years by 5 times if it moves with this pace and can be known as the largest market as compare to China, where growth has started to decelerate.
How do I see which app gets what information?
As soon as you install an app, it is much common that they ask for certain permissions. Even if we look at the past, several apps seek permission for about everything that they generally require upfront, but in the latest trending IOS and Android the things are very much segregated so they genuinely ask for access.
If you see an iPhone, it is a very simple procedure to check what variations of data you have given permission for and from which apps, and if you wish you can also revise your decision with a click.
In any non-Apple phone or Android phone, there is a somewhat streamline the setting of privacy in Android 10 and you can also see in some Android 6 version you see the settings in the app permissions options.
Why are the apps demanding access to my camera?
You must have seen several apps ask for your camera access, it is the most common permission asked by apps. You must have wondered why camera setting? Are they going to put surveillance on me without my knowledge? The answer probably is a no! This is actually a dangerous practice for every app and would not add a lot of value.
But the question arises why camera access?
Generally, there are some apps that give you access to upload your pictures like Instagram, Facebook, or scanning of QR codes. Until and unless the app is image-focused, there is no such need for any other app to ask for permissions.
Why some apps are tar-getting on physical movements?
Our phones are almost time connected with the internet and have an added feature of built-in GPS, which makes it easy to understand your movements. Facebook and Instagram have often tied your posts with some places, some music and video streaming apps also have interest in knowing your movements to give you suggestions.
Yes, it has its advantages, but sometimes the odds are against us too as this information is something people are much protective about. Both the iPhone and Androids have this feature that calls for the “only while in use” feature with location access. Both of these systems also offer you an option of completely turning your location on or off as per your wish and will also remind you on a daily basis if any app is trying to track you from its backend.
What are the safety measures to secure yourself?
Completely focus on the app store
Generally, your mobile devices give you permission for any type of app installation without their app store, but you should not accept the same. The app store of your phone offers reliable protection against any threat. The apps are perfectly reviewing the malware and along with this, your phone is also scanning any threat that might have left by the app store to ensure smooth functioning of your device. Any outside source, like a file that you download from some website, does not assure any kind of protection.
See what your apps are accessing
Whenever you install an app, they ask for several common permissions like GPS, camera, photos, and some more. But there are some apps that also require some other things like contacts, profiles, and even more.
It is nearly impossible to use the apps without giving them access, but you should be aware that you should not agree to every condition. You might not know that there are some apps that also make money by selling your information to the advertisers and this is why you receive random calls too. You might have wondered why your calculator or flashlight app asks for your location or contacts.
Use of Anti-virus and Anti-malware features
Of course, nobody would let their computers work without any antivirus, then why would you let your phones stay unprotected? Until the moment you are using the internet, it is under constant threats. There are many anti-virus and anti-malware available for apps that ensure that you are not sharing any information that is not required or blocking the apps that affect your privacy.
In a nutshell,
People today are so much dependent on their mobiles as they offer startling benefits to them majorly connecting to people all across the globe in their daily life. But we don’t realise that it affects our personal information with any downloads we make or any internet facility we use. Privacy is anyways never secured, but many measures can be taken to protect your phone and your personal data which is important for the great functioning of the phone in the big picture!
Author : Auhsini Das
About Her : With a Data Science degree from IIT Madras, Aushini enrich audience with her high quality tech articles. Having +5 years of experience in content writing, She work passionately to create copy that converts, with a focus on maintaining your authentic brand voice.