Urgent warning for Google and Apple users on how to keep your phone safe when downloading new apps

APPLE and Google users should make sure they have these settings clicked off to ensure their phone is safe when downloading new apps.

Here are some things people should watch out for when downloading new apps to keep their data private.

Check your app permissions to make sure you keep your data private

Check for “Always On” Permissions

Some apps prompt you when first downloading them to check off a list of permissions that the developers deem necessary for the app to run.

However, checking all of them may not be in your best interest.

You would be surprised to just how many apps have access to your camera, microphone, location and contacts, to name a few – and some of them have “always-on” access that allows access to that data and more.

You can check which apps have such permissions on your phone. On Android, you can visit app settings and tap permissions, while on Apple, you can hit privacy settings and select a category like photos, microphone or camera.

Don’t Connect Facebook to Everything

Just about every app nowadays is offering Facebook connectivity in lieu of making an account or using your email.

While that might work with some apps that require access to your social network, it’s best to steer clear of connecting your Facebook to third-party to keep your social data private.

Third-party sites will have access to not only your profile photo and whatever public information you’ve posted on your account, but can also access your contacts, your likes and other data, and can soon start sending you targeted content.

Also it’s a security risk – when you connect only your Facebook to a handful of accounts, a hacker just needs to figure out your Facebook password and gain access to all of these tertiary accounts.

Keep your Contacts private

Some apps might ask for your private contact list, which is essentially allowing you to give away other people’s contacts.

If a friend of yours is anti-social media or other apps but you are, you essentially are giving away your friend’s number to that app, maybe even their email and home address all without their consent.

Here’s an even scarier fact: you often give an app permission to change or add contacts to your address book to enable your feature.

Don’t download unwanted apps

Some apps can have malware installed in their downloads that actually send malicious code to the user’s smartphone.

Things like PDF editors and photo editing software often have suspicious content that will find yourself downloading more than just an innocuous app.

Other apps that users should avoid downloading include flashlight apps and QR code scanners because your phone already has these features built in.

Check reviews

While not all app reviews are helpful, some might give an inside look as to why people deleted them or are warning others to steer clear.

The review section of an app can be a good place to suss out any malicious apps or malware that other users have found.

There are specific phrases and words people should look out for when going through reviews.

They include strange pop-up ads, slowing phone down, unexpected charges or strange behaviors.