Protect Your Privacy: How To Prevent Your Phone From Being Tracked When Working Remotely

Protecting your personal information today requires more effort than ever before. Scammers are constantly finding new ways to access your passwords, login credentials, banking information, credit or debit card numbers, and even your Social Security number. One critical step in safeguarding your and corporate data is understanding the risks of phone tracking.

Scammers may have various reasons for tracking your phone. But they are especially active in pursuing those who work remotely, since they can relatively easily access corporate data that would otherwise be inaccessible. The need to prevent phone tracking is not just a passing desire, but a necessity and even a requirement for most companies.

Tips for Remote Work Security

1  Secure Your Phone

Always lock your phone when you’re not using it. This simple step keeps intruders from bypassing your lock screen code. It also prevents them from installing spyware that could track your information and snoop on apps like your camera.

2 Turn Off Location Services

To stop apps from tracking your location, turn off location services. However, remember that some apps, like Google Maps or location sharing in messaging apps, won’t work as well without it. If you prefer not to disable location tracking entirely, you can choose to block it for specific apps.

Even with location services off, your phone can still be tracked via your IP address. To increase your online privacy, download a VPN. Even with location services off, your phone can still be tracked via your IP address. To increase your online privacy, download a VPN.  If you’re an iPhone user, get VPN for iOS to ensure you have full mobile protection.

Follow these steps to block location tracking on your iPhone:

1. Open Settings and go to Privacy & Security.
2. Tap Location Services.
3. Toggle off Location Services.

From the Location Services screen, you can also select specific apps and choose when your location is shared:

• Never
• Ask Next Time Or When I Share
• While Using the App

You should know that this will not allow you to completely protect phone location. To stop iPhone tracking, you should also work with the IP address, which can determine the location quite accurately. But you can use the VeePN VPN app and get a new IP address from 60 regions of the world. This also works to bypass regional restrictions.

3 Check App Permissions

Apps often request access to your location, microphone, and camera—even if they don’t need them. This gives them the ability to track your activities and potentially invade your privacy.

Here’s how to manage and disable app permissions:

1. Review Your Apps: Delete any apps you no longer use. For the remaining apps, check the permissions and limit sharing to only what’s necessary.
2. Check “Find My” Features: Ensure you’re aware of who has access to your location through these features.

Disable app permissions on iPhone:

1. Open Settings and find the app you want to manage.
2. Tap the app name to view its permissions.
3. Use the toggle switches to turn off specific permissions like the microphone, mobile data, and camera.
4. Select Location, then choose Never to disable location tracking.
5. If you see Allow Tracking, toggle it off to disable all tracking.

Disable app permissions on Android:

1. Open Settings and find the app you want to manage.
2. Tap Apps, then select the specific app.
3. Click Permissions to see what the app can access.
4. Click Deny to disable any unwanted permissions.

4 Turn Bluetooth Off

Bluetooth technology allows devices to connect wirelessly. However, if Bluetooth is enabled but not actively being used, it continues to search for connections. This could pose a risk; if your Bluetooth pairs with someone else’s device unknowingly, they might be able to track your location.

Here’s how to turn off Bluetooth on your phone:

Device Settings

• Open your device Settings.
• Search for “Bluetooth” in the settings search bar.
• Toggle it off.

iPhone Control Center

• Swipe down from the top-right of your iPhone screen.
• Tap the blue Bluetooth icon to turn it off.

Android Quick Settings

• Swipe down from the top of your Android home screen.
• Tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it off.

5 Use a Private Browser

Internet browsers like Google Chrome and Firefox use your location to enhance your online experience, such as by personalizing ads and search results. This can be useful when searching for nearby restaurants or activities. However, it also means your location and personal information are being continuously stored.

To protect your privacy, you can disable location tracking in your browser’s settings, activate VPN or use a private browser. If you choose a VPN, try VeePN, it has tons of security features and over 2500+ VPN servers. Private search engines like DuckDuckGo and MetaGer allow you to browse the web collecting without your IP address, location, or search data. This reduces the risk of hackers accessing your sensitive information.

6 Avoid Public Wi-Fi

Free internet sounds great, but the lack of password protection should concern you. Public Wi-Fi networks often lack strong security settings, making it easy for everyone to connect—cybercriminals included. They can track your online activity or secretly install malware on your device.

While avoiding public Wi-Fi completely would be ideal, it’s not always practical. Instead, use a VPN to encrypt your connection and protect yourself.

Recap

Being proactive about phone security helps you protect your personal data and online presence. Even with new cyber threats, it’s important to update your software regularly, limit app permissions, use VPNs, and be cautious with public Wi-Fi. Additionally, understanding the privacy risks of carrying a networked device everywhere can help you make better choices about your digital footprint.