Choose a Secure Lock Screen

Submitted by eaciso on Thu, 03/02/2017 - 09:58

Choose a Secure Lock Screen

Smartphones contain a wealth of your personal information, ranging from personal messages and photos, to bank information. In the event of your mobile device being lost or stolen, the first line of defense is locking it securely. Smartphones offer several locking options including pins, passwords and biometric methods.

Pattern

  • Uncheck the "make pattern visible" option in the settings. This makes it more difficult for people around you to see your pattern.
  • Use six or more nodes.
  • Don't use a simple or common pattern. 40% of patterns start in the top left corner, and 77% start in one of the four corners.

pattern lock screen

PIN

  • Use at least a six digit PIN.
  • Avoid simple number sequences (123456), simple patterns of numbers (147147), and just repeating the same number (11111).
  • Don’t use a significant date like a birthday or anniversary.
  • Don’t use any part of your address as your PIN number.

PIN number lock screen

Passwords

  • Long alphanumeric passwords are stronger than either a PIN or a pattern.
  • A common mistake is using passwords like 123456 or password.
  • Always remember that the longer the password, the more secure it is.

password lock screen

See our recommendations for creating strong passwords when choosing yours.

Face ID & Touch ID

  • There is a 1 in 50,000 chance that someone else's fingerprint will unlock your phone.
  • There is a 1 in a million chance that someone else's face will unlock your phone.
  • Combine this with a strong pattern, PIN or password for the best security.