Originally published on Medium: https://medium.com/@lockitvault/a-practical-privacy-setup-for-a-phone-that-gets-passed-around-b929597c5318
Phones get handed around more than we admit: to a friend to look at a photo, to a coworker for directions, to a family member to make a quick call. Most of the time that is fine. But nearly everyone has a few things on their phone that are nobody else's business: personal photos, notes, saved passwords, the backup codes for two-factor login.
Here is a simple setup that covers most of it.
- Use a real screen lock. A PIN or passphrase beats a pattern that can be read off the screen.
- Turn off notification previews on the lock screen so message text does not appear for anyone holding the phone.
- Review app permissions once a month. Remove photo and contact access from apps that do not need it.
- Keep 2FA backup codes somewhere better than a screenshot in your camera roll.
- Put personal files in a vault that is not one tap away.
For that last step, our team built Lock It: Calculator Vault. It works as an ordinary calculator. When you type the equation you chose and press =, it opens a private vault for photos, notes, passwords and 2FA keys. It also has private messaging and live calls with only the people you invite.
What it costs: the app is free with ads. Premium Pro is $4.99/month and Offline Vault is a $9.99 one-time purchase.
Whatever tools you use, the goal is the same: your phone should be easy to lend without lending out your personal life.
Search "Lock It: Calculator Vault" on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appfactory.calculator&referrer=utm_source%3Dslopit%26utm_medium%3Dlisting%26utm_campaign%3Dfree_ads
Written with AI help for ITAPS LLC.