Protect Your Data
From Prying Eyes
It's
quite common to temporarily hand over a very personal device like a phone or
tablet to someone else maybe to make a call or share photos & videos.
However, if someone else has your unlocked phone, he or she can access all of
your personal data: photos, videos, email, address book, text messages &
chats. Hitesh Raj Bhagat shows how you can share your device and still keep
your data secure
RESTRICTING
ACCESS
On Android
`App Locker with Guest Mode' is the full name of the app you
should get. Developed by Pluggdd India, it gives you two levels of access to
your device: master & guest. You can set different pattern or password
locks for both. If you unlock the device with the master password, everything
is unlocked. As the owner of the device, you can set a guest password and
control all the things that the guest has access to -including the dialler,
contacts, SMS inbox, gallery, Gmail, web browser, Whatsapp and so on. You can
individually control access to every app that's installed on the device. The
app needs to be running in the background to control access. It also starts up automatically
when the device is restarted -this can be changed in the app settings. Note
that App Locker does not currently support Android L. Android L has its own
guest (multi user) mode.
On iPhone & iPad
You need to have iOS 8 for this little tweak to work. A feature
called Guided Access (available from Settings > General > Accessibility)
can be used as a sort of guest or child mode when you are going to hand over
your device to someone else. After you enable Guided Access, you can choose to
set a passcode -entering the passcode brings the device out of Guided Access
mode and back into normal. You also need to enable the Accessibility Shortcut
which lets you
enable Guided Access with a triple press of the home button. So
before you hand over the device, open the app that the guest is going to use
and triple press the home button -you can then restrict control of certain
parts of the touchscreen, volume buttons and even the sleepwake button.
Essentially, the guest will only be able to use that one app.
On Windows Phone
Microsoft was the first to implement a guest mode -well, to be
fair, they call it Kid's Corner -this feature is designed so that you can hand
over your Windows Phone to your child with restricted access to the apps and
settings. To enable this, head to Settings > System and enable Kid's Corner.
After you do that, you can choose all the content and apps that you want
enabled within Kid's Corner. Create a password (if your phone doesn't already
have one) and you're set. From the usual lock screen of the phone, if you swipe
to the right (instead of upwards to unlock), it enters Kid's Corner.This
section has it's own start screen, populated with the apps you have allowed.
While the guest or `kid' can customise to a certain extent, changes or removal
of apps are not allowed. Note that you can only have one Kid's Corner on each
device.
On BlackBerry 10
On BlackBerry 10 devices, you can enable Parental Controls by
going to Settings > Security and Privacy. Once you enable it, you are
required to set a password -this will be a fresh password (not the one you use
to access the device), You will need to enter this password when you want to
disable Parental Controls. Within this, you can restrict incomingoutgoing calls
& texts (or only allow those from the saved contacts), disallow removal or
installation of apps, browser, BBM, location reporting, social apps and access
to the camera. Note that enabling this feature does not block access to
installed apps or to the imagevideo gallery. If you're using an older device
with BlackBerry OS 7 (such as the Bold 9900), you can download the official
BlackBerry Parental Controls add-on app from BlackBerry App World.
ACTIVE PARENTAL CONTROL
Qustodio (Free, for Android & iOS + Windows & Mac)
This is a complete monitoring solution with mobile app and desktop
counterpart -the free version allows you to monitor and set number of hours of
use plus block inappropriate content. Even in the free version, there are no
limits to how much you can use it and you can set it up on multiple devices if
you like. You can also choose to go for various premium plans, paid for
annually. Plans start a `1,299 per year for 5 users. Premium plans add feature
like callsms monitoring and blocking, SOS button on the app with location
tracking, social media monitoring (to help catch social media predators) and
app control (you can decide which apps can be used on which device)
DinnerTime (Free, for Android & iOS)
A lot of children have their own digital devices these days so
a special kids mode doesn't cut it! If, as a parent, you feel that you're
losing control, give DinnerTime a try. The basic app (DinnerTime) lets you
limit access to the device at dinner time, bed time or whenever you think they
need a break from the screen (such as the dreaded exam time).t You can control
access from your own mobile device. A s countdown timer informs your child when
the device will be available to use again. An advanced version called
DinnerTime Plus (one time purchase of US$ 1.99 to 3.99) adds parental control,
app monitoring in real-time, usage . history, app blocking and app usage
limits, Privacy Screen Guards In a public space, you should be worried about
someone looking at your device over your shoulder. This has become more of a
problem as screens have improved enough to allow someone sitting to the side to
view content on your screen. The solution is the privacy screen guard -like a
screen guard, it has to be specifically cut and shaped for each device.
You can buy one for certain models of phones, tablets and laptops.
It is applied just like any regular screen guard but its primary purpose is to
limit the viewing angles of the display. As a bonus, it also protects the
screen from scratches. Plus, you can remove it at any time without leaving a
residue on the screen.
ANIRBAN BORA ET21JAN15
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