iphone – PSafe Blog

Is iOS safe? Discover Some Secrets About your iPhone

PSafe Newsroom — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 20:00:58 +0000

You have probably noticed that smartphones are dominating the market – and of course, everyday life. Although Android had nearly outrun Apple, iOS has gained popularity again in recent times. Getting the most expensive and desired model of the moment may imply better security and a higher quality phone, but what many do not know is that cybercriminals are constantly refining their strategies to create and spread increasingly sophisticated attacks. Which begs the question: Is iOS safe?

Is iOS Safe?

Every mobile operating system has its irregularities and flaws. However, many people still believe that iOS is 100% secure and its technology is not affected by scams or malware.

According to Emilio Simoni, director of dfndr lab, PSafe’s digital security lab, says that having an iOS doesn’t mean you can ignore all threats and risks on the internet, such as phishing, malware, and ramsonware. It’s important to know how to protect your iPhone from viruses, circumvent vulnerabilities, and watch over the privacy and security of your data.

According to a Forbes report, a survey revealed that 38% of all iOS apps contain critical vulnerabilities, the vast majority due to inaccuracies found in the early stages of app development. These types of flaws can give opportunities to hackers who are facilitating scams and consequently compromising the protection of Apple users. The number may be shocking, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Symptoms of a Broken iOS

As the popular phrase says, “Prevention is better than the cure.” We’ve listed 5 characteristics of a broken iOS that are easy to spot:

Your Battery Doesn’t Last Long
When it is noticeable that battery life has shortened significantly with recent use or your iPhone takes longer to fully charge, malware could be a possibility. Another indicator may be if your phone feels unusually warm, which almost always points to software problems. If your device is warming up even without being used, it may mean that a virus is acting in the background.

Phone Performance Diminishes
The presence of malware on any system makes it operate poorly. It’s important to pay attention to any performance issues with your iPhone. Unusual slowdowns, apps that suddenly close or crash excessively are some indications that something is not right.

Your Data Runs Out
If you notice a spike in your data charges, it may be that there are malicious apps that run even with the screen locked, draining data sneakily from your phone.

There’s Non-User Activity
Links, messages, posts, likes, and shares that you did not perform may point to an identity theft case. If a hacker has access to your device, they also have access to all the accounts linked to it.

Phone Makes Strange Sounds
During a call, a compromised iPhone may make strange background noises, often described as echoes, squeaks, or clicks. These sounds can be caused by a weak signal, interference, or the worst scenario possible: someone is listening to your microphone. Be aware of any odd sounds your iPhone makes when not in use.

How to Protect my iOS from Scams

The dfndr lab experts have put together key measures to keep your iPhone safe:

Choose a Strong Password
Always, always create good passwords for your accounts. They should be alphanumeric (composed of letters, numbers, and symbols). Also, it’s important that you have a different password for each online account. Avoid sequences like “1234abc” or important dates. Security experts also recommend changing your password every 30 days.

Keep Your Operating System Current
It’s essential that iOS is always the latest version, as hackers occasionally encounter exploitable coding flaws, making it easier to access personal data. Apple offers periodic updates as a way to correct these inconsistencies, so in addition to protecting your iPhone from viruses, it also improves performance overall.

Don’t Click on Suspicious Links
Be wary of links that offer great deals and discounts, especially if they are advertised in messaging apps such as WhatsApp. In addition, fake news also presents a certain risk that goes well beyond misinformation. Always research the information to make sure it’s from credible sources. When in doubt, do a link analysis, such as the offered by dfndr lab. The link checker lets you know if a site is dangerous without having to access it.

Use Trusted Antivirus
There is controversy about using security applications for the iPhone. But, according to Simoni, there will always be cybercriminals looking for vulnerabilities, whether on the Android or iOS system. It’s vital to keep a good security system installed on your phone to keep it secure. dfndr security is available for Android and iOS provides several tools to protect you against identity theft, malicious links, scams, and fake websites. You can download dfndr security for free here.

WhatsApp May Let Users Revoke Unread Messages

PSafe Newsroom — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 18:00:17 +0000

Messaging app WhatsApp has announced that they will soon allow users to recall a message before it has been read by its recipient. On a new update in the app’s iPhone beta software, users can hold down on a message, and see two options pop up on the screen, either “Edit” or “Revoke.” WhatsApp, however, hasn’t officially confirmed or denied anything about this new feature. The new option, however, is currently only available for iPhone users.

There have been many updates to the messaging app over the past year, especially for the iPhone version of the app. These updates include easier photo and video sharing capabilities, a redesigned interface, and the option to queue messages. These options, however, aren’t yet available on Android.

WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, is one of the most popular messaging platforms in the world with over 1 billion users. Along with this potential messaging update, the app also recently launched a video-calling platform similar to Apple’s Facetime.

Prior to this update, users were unable to recall messages that were already sent. However, with the update, if the message has not yet been sent to the recipient — due to a lack of Internet connection or service — it is possible to stop the sending of the message to the recipient by deleting the message from the device.

This new option would open a new world of text messaging. Previously, any accidental or regretted text messages would eventually be read by the intended recipient. Since the app is available in over 50 countries and in dozens of languages, this potential update could positively affect millions around the globe who use the app daily.

In order to turn this feature on, users must restart their phones and find the options buried within the WhatsApp menu options. Without this update, users can still delete messages from the app, but they will still be visible to the recipient. Now, they can be both edited and revoked as long as they remain unread. If this feature proves useful to iPhone users, it will only be a matter of time before it comes to Android devices.

In other news, WhatsApp recently hired Matthew Idema, a former senior executive at Facebook, to be their first chief operating officer, or COO. This new role has been supposedly created in an attempt to help WhatsApp monetize its platform. Idema, who has a strong background in startups and Silicon Valley, helped launch Facebook Messenger and other applications while with the company.

Your Guide to Disabling Autocorrect on Nearly Every Device

PSafe Newsroom — Fri, 14 Oct 2016 13:19:18 +0000

Autocorrect: sometimes it can be a lifesaver, but other times it can be a serious inconvenience. If you’re someone who would rather get rid of autocorrect all together, here is how you can turn it off across multiple devices.

iPhone
If you’re tired of autocorrect on your iPhone changing things for you, it’s very easy to turn off.

Go into Settings on your iPhone or your iPad.
Select “General,” which is a part of the third grouping (below Do Not Disturb).
Scroll down to find Keyboard, which is below the “Date & Time” option.
Press the slider to right of “Auto-Correction.”

Android Devices
If you have the Google Keyboard, which the majority of Android devices do, this is a very quick fix.

Navigate to your Android device’s Settings menu.
Select “Language & input,” which is near the “Accounts” menu item.
Find the “Google Keyboard” entry and select it.
Towards the bottom of the screen, select “Text correction.”

Windows 10
Windows has gotten into the autocorrect game with the addition of the feature in Windows 10. As with the other devices/operating systems above, however, it can easily be disabled.

Press the Windows key and the letter I at the same time to open the Settings app.
Click on Devices, and then on the left hand side of the screen, click “Typing.”
On the right, click the slider below “Autocorrect misspelled words.”

Apple Computers
Apple’s auto correct isn’t only for its iDevices — it is enabled on their laptops and desktops as well. To turn off the feature…

Within the Apple Menu, go to System Preferences.
Select “Keyboard.”
Click the Text tab, and then uncheck “Correct spelling automatically.”

What is the Newly Released iPhone 7 Missing?

PSafe Newsroom — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 22:46:58 +0000

Every time a new Apple product is released, it seems that everyone rushes to get the new phone but no one ever addresses the product itself. It’s easy to be swept up in the frenzy and not recognize all of the features that the iPhone 7 doesn’t include. You know, the features that could actually affect your day-to-day phone experience. Here’s what we found to be the biggest misses.

Headphone Jack
One of the most memorable talking points about the iPhone 7 is the removal of the headphone jack. While it might have gotten the most press, and had people talking about a new world of just bluetooth headphones, it seems that apple may have acted too early on this dream. Apple does provide a pair of wireless headphones with the purchase, but it is only one pair. Most of us have accumulated dozens of headphones, and enjoy having different sets for different actions or locations. Only being able to use one pair is an annoyance, especially when the sound quality of the ones provided is not remarkable. They do provide an adapter that will allow you to use your old headphones, but again, it’s only one, and if you lose it you’ll have to pay for another expensive adaptor. Overall, it seems like the only effect of removing the headphone jack is extra annoyance.

Display
The new phone has the same display screen as its older counterpart, the iPhone 6s, but many say the color and brightness is increased. While the screen may look nice, it doesn’t have the OLED panels we’re used to on our Android phones. Our OLED screen offers more intense colors and deeper blacks, and preserves our battery life. Maybe the iPhone 10 will catch up to us.

Camera
What critics have called the most compelling feature of the iPhone is the new camera. The iPhone 7 gives photographers a 2x optical zoom. Users can easily switch between the two lenses, which will produce pictures with better focus and zoom. A critic in one review mentioned that while it is an improvement, it is not enough of a reason to ditch your current phone. It’s not a good sign when the best new feature of a product is not reason enough to buy it.

Overall, the iPhone 7 can be seen as an improvement from the iPhone 6, but is it an improvement for the entire mobile telephone world? We don’t think so. Stick to your favorite Android device, and make sure to download PSafe Total to keep your phone running 10x faster than the newest iPhone.

Four Features Androids Have That iPhones Lack

PSafe Newsroom — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 20:48:15 +0000

In the age-old debate over whether the Android or the iPhone is a better phone, it is common knowledge that Android is the winner. Why? Because of these four awesome features that aren’t accessible on Apple Products.

Default Apps

Is your iPhone truly ever you own? You can’t make any changes to the default apps that come with every iOS platform. Mail, Calendar, and Safari are permanent fixtures, no matter how little you use them and how much space they take up. For those of us who prefer Google Maps or WhatsApp, this can be an annoying space waster that shouldn’t exist. This is not the case on Android. Every Android user has the power to only use the Apps they want, and all that extra space can be used for things that are important to you.

Deleting Applications

You’ve decided to switch from Spotify to SoundCloud and you no longer need the Spotify app on your phone. When you try to delete this app on an iPhone, all of your applications start to shake, and once the app is deleted they reconfigure in a new order. The simple question here is: Why? Why is this necessary? If you’re used to your WhatsApp on the top of your second page, why when you delete an unrelated app does it move to a different screen? This kink does not make sense and seems to have no practical value. It’s clear to see why Android does not have this feature.

Sharing

This feature is mostly for those using tablets. These technological devices more than ever are being shared in office spaces, schools, and homes. Android makes these situations easy — it allows multiple user accounts on one device so that each person who uses it can personalize it to their own needs. This allows for effortless transition between departments as well as subjects. Apple, for their own reason, does not allow this feature, and one can only imagine it’s due to financial motives, as it means everyone needs their own device.

Control Station

Logging into your phone and scanning your pages for the app you use the most can be tiresome and inefficient. It’s easy to see why both devices employ a control center mechanism. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t allow users to decide what’s in their control center. You may never use the timer, the bluetooth, or the nighttime screen adjustment, but those are the features you have the quickest access too. Android allows their users the freedom to decide what to put in their own control center.

3 Easy Ways to Transfer Your Calendar from iPhone to Android

PSafe Newsroom — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 21:10:06 +0000

So, you’ve just made the move from iPhone to Android. All of your contacts have moved, as well as saved messages, photos, and more. But what about your calendar? Just because you have a new phone doesn’t mean that all of those important appointments and errands are going to go away. If you had a calendar chock-full of information on your iPhone, there are a few methods that make it easy to transfer all of that information to your new Android device.

1. Use iCloud

If you’ve made use of the ever-popular iCloud’s functionality, then you may have opted to store your calendar dates and settings here instead of directly onto your iPhone. Or, you may want to give the iCloud a try for the first time for doing just this. While this might be one of the trickier methods for transferring your information, it’s ideal for transferring a great number of calendar entries at once, and it can still be done in a few steps.

First, on your iPhone, go to “Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Add Account.”
Next, register or login to your iCloud account and enable it to sync your local calendar to the iCloud, if you have not done so already.
On your PC or Mac’s web browser, go to www.iCloud.com and login to your account.
Click on the calendar icon and choose the calendar in the top left that you want to transfer.
Click “Share Calendar” and a pop-up menu will appear. Choose “Public Calendar” and copy the share URL.
In a new web browser tab, paste the copied URL. Replace “webcal” with “http,” then visit the URL.
This browser tab will now automatically download an .ics file onto your computer.
Now, go to your Google Calendar and sign in or register. On the left panel of the interface, click on “Other Calendars” and there will be a menu.
Select “Import Calendar,” locate the downloaded .ics file, and hit “import” to import all events.
When you have finished importing all of the calendar events, you will see them on your Google Calendar. You can now sync this with the calendar on your Android phone, and all of your events will appear.

2. Use Google

Now that you have an Android device, you might as well familiarize yourself with everything Google has to offer! You’ll soon see that when it comes to transferring and importing/exporting important information, Google comes out as the easiest and most efficient tool to use.

Go to “Settings” on your iPhone, then select “Mail > Contacts > Calendars > Add Account.”
Set up or login to your Google account.
Go to “Calendars” and switch the toggle on.
By doing this, you will automatically sync your calendar to your Google account.

3. Use a Third-Party App

As we always say: there’s an app for that! While the two options listed above are fairly simple and get the job done well, if you’re looking for any extra perks or want to sync even more calendars from different accounts across different platforms and devices, an app or program may be the way to go.

SmoothSync for Cloud Calendar. This app lets you establish an iPhone-to-Android connection that can instantaneously sync your calendars (please note that it does not work from Android-to-iPhone). All you have to do is download the app, configure it and you’re good to go!
Gihosoft Mobile Phone Transfer. This is not an app for your mobile device, but instead a program to download onto your PC or Mac. Once installed, all you have to do is connect your phone to your computer with a USB cable, and within the Gihosoft program select “Start Copy,” and your Calendar information can be transferred from your iPhone to any Android smartphone.