Most of us own a smartphone these days and use mobile apps on a daily basis for various reasons. Mobile apps are necessary to use smartphones because you need a mobile app to even call or text someone. Most of us download mobile apps on a regular basis but not all mobile apps are secure.
Some mobile apps can expose us to various security risks if we are not careful enough. Therefore, it is important to follow safe practices while downloading and installing apps on your smartphone. For this reason, we have discussed some tips that will help you stay safe and secure while downloading mobile apps.
Use Official App Stores
The first and most important tip for anyone downloading mobile apps is that they should always use official app stores. One of the best ways to stay secure while downloading a mobile app is to download the app through official app stores such as Google Play Store for Android and Apple App Store for iOS. These platforms are in place by the official manufacturers of the respective operating systems and have stringent sorting processes to ensure that the apps they host are secure and free from malware.
Avoid using third-party app stores to download apps, as the credibility of these app stores is not established. In addition, verify the developer’s name and history before downloading an app. In case you need to download the APK file of an app like the previous version of WhatsApp, then you can download the APK from a reputable website.
Check for App Permissions
The next thing to do in order to stay on the safe side is to check for app permissions when downloading an app. Whenever you download an app, it asks for certain app permissions such as access to your camera, microphone, location, storage, contacts, etc. Always be cautious about the permissions that you grant to an app because it might lead to something else.
If an app is requesting unnecessary access to sensitive data, such as a flashlight app asking for access to your contact or camera, then there is no need to download such an app. Periodically review the app permissions of downloaded apps and revoke any permission(s) that seem unnecessary.
Read App Reviews and Ratings
Just as you read the reviews and ratings before buying a product online, you should also read the user reviews and ratings to gain insights into the app’s performance and security. Other users who had downloaded the app and faced any issue with the app will most likely highlight it in app reviews. Therefore, always read app reviews and ratings before you download the app.
Any reviews that mention excessive ads, suspicious behavior of the app, or frequent app crashes should be taken seriously. The number of downloads of an app should also be taken seriously, as an app with few downloads might be a risky choice, especially if the app is asking for extensive permissions. In case you have to download an Android app on App Cafe, make sure that you read user reviews there too.
Install a Security Solution
Having an additional layer of security on your mobile phone is always a good thing to be on the safe side since it can protect your phone from malicious apps. You can download trusted security solutions like McAfee, Trend or Norton to get real-time protection for your device that can scan downloaded apps, files, and websites for potential threats to keep your device secure.
Monitor Your Device’s Behaviour
Monitoring your device’s behavior after downloading an app is also important to ensure that the app you downloaded is really safe and secure or not. Malicious apps might not even be detected by security solutions but if your device starts behaving strangely, such as the battery starting to drain a lot quicker, the phone is constantly crashing or restarting, or the phone has become a lot slower than it was before downloading the app, then the app itself is to blame for and you need to remove the app as soon as possible and scan your device to make it secure.
0 Comments