iPhone: the settings that actually matter
Eleven settings, in the order I would do them. Each with the exact path, what it changes, and why it is worth it. Twenty minutes in all, less if you have already done half.
- 01
Move to a six-digit passcode at minimum
The pathRéglagesFace ID et codeChanger le codeOptions de code
A four-digit code falls in minutes with hardware that costs the price of a phone. Six digits takes months. Pick “6-Digit Numeric Code”.
In the roadmap : Lock your phone’s screen - 02
Turn on erase after ten failed attempts
The pathRéglagesFace ID et codeEffacer les données
Against brute force, the phone wipes itself. One condition: your backup must be running, otherwise forgetting your code costs you everything.
In the roadmap : Enable auto-wipe after too many failed attempts - 03
Set auto-lock to 30 seconds or 1 minute
The pathRéglagesLuminosité et affichageVerrouillage automatique
This closes the few-minute window where the phone sits unlocked on a table, out of your sight.
In the roadmap : Set auto-lock to a short delay - 04
Set every app back to “While using the app”
The pathRéglagesConfidentialité et sécuritéLocalisation
A navigation app needs your position while you use it. None needs it permanently. Also turn off “Precise location” for weather and social apps.
- 05
Turn off “Allow apps to request to track”
The pathRéglagesConfidentialité et sécuritéSuivi
No app will even be able to ask to track you across other apps. One switch, and the question disappears.
- 06
Turn off personalised ads
The pathRéglagesConfidentialité et sécuritéPublicité
Apple does it too. The setting sits at the very bottom of the section, which tells you something.
- 07
Take the mic and camera away from anything that does not need them
The pathRéglagesConfidentialité et sécuritéMicro
Go through both sections. A torch app has no business there. The orange dot at the top of the screen will then tell you when the mic is live.
- 08
Check the backup runs, and how recently
The pathRéglagesCompte AppleiCloudSauvegarde
Look at the last backup date. If it is three months old, it is not running: usually the storage is full.
In the roadmap : Back up your device automatically - 09
Turn on Advanced Data Protection
The pathRéglagesCompte AppleConnexion et sécuritéProtection avancée des données
Without it, Apple holds the keys to your backups and can hand them over on request. With it, nobody but you can read them. Write down the recovery key carefully: nobody can rescue you.
- 10
Block third-party cookies and turn on tracking protection
The pathRéglagesAppsSafariConfidentialité et sécurité
Third-party cookies exist to follow you from site to site. No properly built site needs them to work.
In the roadmap : Block third-party cookies in your browser - 11
Set previews to “When Unlocked”
The pathRéglagesNotificationsAfficher les aperçus
Otherwise your messages, login codes and appointments show in plain sight on the lock screen, readable by anyone behind you.
You have been through all of them.
These settings do not need redoing every month, but they are worth checking after every major system update: that is when some of them quietly return to their original value.