iPhone users are being encouraged to make immediate changes to their privacy settings after a rise in spyware attacks. As part of the latest Apple update, iOS 16, there are new password setting options, and tech expert Matt Navarra shared them on Twitter explaining to people how to lower the risk of being hacked.
There is now an option for you to ‘choose my own password’ and ‘edit strong password’, with the aim to keep people’s accounts safer. iPhone users can also opt for a password with ‘no special characters’ or one that’s ‘easy to type’ because sometimes trying to remember a stream of random letters and numbers just isn’t feasible.
The new settings are intended to help prevent malware attacks which can infect your phone or computer, causing your precious devices to fail. Malware attacks can happen via email, text, apps and even from Wi-Fi connections if they aren’t secure, according to Mirror Online.
A strong password can protect against these attacks as well as spyware, which can keep track of and record information from your phone as well as your activity, without you being any the wiser. Apple is making staying protected less complicated by suggesting a strong password whenever you create a new account for something on your device - be it your phone or a Macbook.
The new settings can be used whenever you create a new account on your phone - for instance on a new app. For supported websites and apps, iPhone suggests a unique, complex password. You can then choose the suggested password or make up your own, which could be even trickier for a hacker to guess.
Your device can then store the new passwords in iCloud Keychain and adds them in automatically for you when you log in to that account, so thankfully you don’t have to remember all of the ones you create. To allow iPhone to automatically fill in passwords for you, tap ‘Yes’ when asked to do so. In order to do this though, the iCloud Keychain must first be turned on in your settings.
To do this, go to Settings > [Your name] > iCloud > Keychain. It really is that simple and it gives peace of mind!
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
READ NEXT:
- Woman spends days searching for missing iPhone before ten stolen mobiles found
- WhatsApp makes huge change to group chats for users from today
- Changing the 'jarring' iPhone alarm clock sound by using a secret setting
- Holiday hotspots that could land travellers with huge mobile phone bills - how to cut costs
- Nine red flag signs a phone could be hacked - from overheating to mystery calls
