9 Apps to Boost Your Phone's Security and Privacy

Android and iOS are getting better about protecting your data and device. But if you're looking for an extra line of defense, these can help.

PHOTOGRAPH: TOPAN PRATAMA/GETTY IMAGES

Android and iOS are both constantly evolving to be more secure and protect your privacy, but that doesn't mean they can't use a little help here and there. We've rounded up 9 great security apps for your phone right here, eschewing the standard antivirus and VPN options to bring you some lesser-known utilities that can really make a difference to how well protected your phone and all the data on it is.

By the way, we are aware that this list is a little Android-heavy, but that's due to the nature of Android and iOS. Apple takes more control over the security of iOS, whereas Google is more willing to let third-party apps step in—iOS apps simply aren't allowed to scan for viruses, analyze networks in detail, reconfigure user permissions, or access any of the other deep hooks in the software that a serious security app would need.

Access Dots

Make sure your device's camera and mic aren't used without your permission.

SCREENSHOT: DAVID NIELD VIA ACCESS DOTS

iOS 14 adds a new feature to iPhones that shows an on-screen alert if an app is trying to use your device's camera or mic—just like the 'active' light that might be next to your laptop's webcam. Access Dots brings the same functionality to Android, quickly and easily.

There's not much to the app, but it's incredibly useful: You'll see an indicator in the status bar if an app has secretly enabled the camera or the mic. Make a donation to support the app's development, and you can change the position and size of the indicator dot too.

Access Dots for Android (Freemium)

Jumbo

Deleting old tweets is just one of many tasks Jumbo can take on.

SCREENSHOT: DAVID NIELD VIA JUMBO

Social network privacy settings are difficult to understand and constantly changing—but Jumbo can do the hard work for you when it comes to making sure you're not sharing more about yourself than you'd like. It can also help you keep your social accounts locked down.

The app connects directly to your online accounts to offer a variety of useful services: deleting your old tweets automatically, stopping Google from collecting quite as much information about you, limiting ad personalization on Facebook, and much more.

Jumbo for Android and iOS (Freemium)

GlassWire

GlassWire keeps watch on how much data apps are using.

SCREENSHOT: DAVID NIELD VIA GLASSWIRE

GlassWire keeps a careful eye on app data usage—you can see which of the apps on your smartphone are using up the most data (both in terms of uploads and downloads), get instant alerts when a new app starts communicating with the internet, and more.

Whether you're worried about your data plan while you're away from the Wi-Fi at home or you want to make sure certain apps aren't sending data back to base when they shouldn't be, GlassWire can help. There's an integrated firewall available inside the app as well.

GlassWire for Android (Freemium)

Norton App Lock

Lock down certain apps with Norton App Lock.

SCREENSHOT: DAVID NIELD VIA NORTON

Passcode lock apps add an extra layer of security beyond the main lock screen on your phone, which can come in very handy if you're always sharing your device with a colleague, partner, or young relative—they effectively seal off part of your phone.

We've covered these apps in more detail here, but our favorite option on Android is Norton App Lock (not least because it comes from a brand you can trust). It's simple to use, it's completely free, and it supports PINs, passwords, and patterns for unlocking apps.

Norton App Lock for Android (Free)

Fing

Use Fing to figure out what's going on on your network.

SCREENSHOT: DAVID NIELD VIA FING

Are all the devices on your home network yours, or are your neighbors making use of your broadband too? Fing can tell you exactly what's on your network at any given moment, which is helpful for troubleshooting problems as well as keeping your home Wi-Fi secure.

It has plenty of other strings to its bow too: Fing will check the speed of your web connection, attempt to find hidden cameras in your hotel room, warn you about internet outages, tell you about new devices connecting to your network, and more.

Fing for Android and iOS (Freemium)

Alfred Home Security Camera

Make use of an old phone or tablet with Alfred.

SCREENSHOT: DAVID NIELD VIA ALFRED

Did you know that with the right app you can repurpose an old phone or tablet into a security camera? Whether you want to keep an eye on the back yard or a sleeping baby, Alfred Home Security Camera makes it easy to get everything set up and configured.

Obviously you're going to need more than one device here—one to do the video recording and another to watch the feed from wherever you happen to be—but Alfred offers all the features you'll need, including motion detection, two-way audio, and a built-in siren.

Alfred Home Security Camera for Android and iOS (Freemium)

Twilio Authy

You should have 2FA in place, and Twilio Authy can help.

SCREENSHOT: DAVID NIELD VIA TWILIO AUTHY

We've written about the importance of two-factor authentication (2FA) many times, but we're not going to stop mentioning it—it makes a huge difference to the security of your online accounts, and Authy is one of the best tools for the job of managing your 2FA codes.

Adding new accounts is easy, and so is generating login codes, and so is moving Authy between devices, all of which makes 2FA as stress-free as it should be. It'll work with a whole host of accounts, including Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Evernote, and Dropbox.

Twilio Authy for Android and iOS(Free)

Firefox Focus

Firefox Focus offers a clean, secure browsing experience.

SCREENSHOT: DAVID NIELD VIA FIREFOX

There are privacy-focused browsers, and then there's Firefox Focus—a browser that blocks ads and trackers by default, leaving you with a fast, secure, and mostly untracked browsing experience (though be aware of the limits of this type of locked-down browsing).

Even better, there's a big trash can icon up at the top of the Firefox Focus screen that will wipe out your browsing history, stored passwords, and site cookies with a single tap—it's like having instant access to a private or incognito mode whenever you step online.

Firefox Focus for Android and iOS(Free)

Bouncer

Take more control over app permissions with Bouncer.

SCREENSHOT: DAVID NIELD VIA BOUNCER

It's not always easy to keep on top of app permissions, but Bouncer gives you a little more control over what apps are allowed to do on your Android device. It essentially lets you grant permissions to apps on a temporary, one-off basis whenever it's necessary.

Say you want to give Facebook permission to tag a photo, but don't want it accessing your location the rest of the time, then Bouncer can help. Permissions can be revoked after a certain time or when the app closes, and it keeps a log of app permission activity as well.

Bouncer for Android (Free)