The iOS 11 Privacy and Security Settings You Should Check Right Now

Heads up, iPhone owners. iOS 11 comes with a batch of security features that merit your attention.

By now, if you’re an iPhone owner, you’ve probably updated to iOS 11 by now. If not, you really should, and not just for the animoji. The latest iOS update bakes in a few important security updates that you’re going to want to tap into.

What’s new? For starters, you can limit each individual app on your phone to tracking your location either all the time, only when you’re using it, or never. Just head to Settings, then Privacy, then Location Services to set how liberally you want to share your GPS info.

After that, head straight to Safari settings to flip on a few new features that weren’t available in earlier iOS versions. Go ahead and turn on Block Pop-ups, Prevent Cross-site Tracking, and Ask Websites Not To Track Me. They’ll go a long way to keep advertisers from following your every move online.

And if you got a fancy new iPhone X and you’re not sure about this whole Face ID thing—although frankly, it’s pretty darn secure—remember that you can always turn it off and just use a PIN instead. Or, if you’re worried about law enforcement forcing you to open your phone with your face, you can disable both it and Touch ID on the go by squeezing the side button and one of the volume buttons at the same time.

There’s more! Take the occasion of installing a big iOS update as an excuse to check your overall iPhone security hygiene following the steps in the video above. Whether it’s the perfect PIN, finally embracing two-factor, or preventing your home screen from spilling your secrets, there’s always a little more you can do to keep your iPhone locked down tight.