5 tips to keep your Android smartphone secure in 2025

Attacks on mobile devices are on the rise, according to a recent report. This means that more mobile users are being targeted by attackers. These attacks attempt to steal credentials, siphon personal and private data, spy on our smartphone usage habits, and more. This is why it is important to keep your Android smartphone secur, so hopefully, these tips will come in handy!

Install the latest updates

One of the tips that you can use to keep your Android smartphone secure is to make sure you have the latest updates installed. Smartphone makers usually release security updates every month. These updates contain the latest patches and fixes for security flaws and bugs. These flaws and bugs are usually what attackers exploit in order to gain access to your phone, or use malware that might otherwise go undetected. According to this blog post, it is estimated that the amount of damages caused by cybercrime in 2025 could go up to $10.5 trillion! 

While these security updates aren’t that exciting compared to new OS features, or even if you think you’re being smart and careful already, they are critical. So whenever your smartphone OEM pushes out one of these updates, it’s a good idea to install them ASAP to keep your phone as secure and up-to-date with the latest threats.

Using biometric security

Biometric security is another way that we recommend you use to keep your Android phone secure. Unlike pattern or PIN unlock, biometric security makes it considerably harder for your phone to be attacked. This is because PINs can be guessed, especially if you choose something simple like your birthday. Pattern unlocks can also be figured out by someone looking over your shoulder.

Biometric security, like fingerprint or facial recognition, would be harder to replicate without you being there physically. So where possible, make sure that you are using biometric security to enhance the security of your Android smartphone.

Use a VPN

Using a VPN is another method to secure your smartphone or laptop, especially when you’re out in public. As convenient as it may be, hooking onto a public WiFi network can be incredibly risky. You never know who might be snooping in and intercepting traffic.

We would advise you against performing financial transactions while on a public WiFi. This is because it wouldn’t be too hard for an attacker to sniff out your bank’s login credentials. As such, using a VPN to protect yourself can be extremely beneficial.

VPNs work by essentially placing a buffer between you and your traffic. Data sent from your device, like your Android smartphone, is sent through the VPN client. This data is typically encrypted and masks personal details like your IP address. This in turn prevents attackers from seeing or stealing your data.

In addition to security, using a VPN also ensures that your data is private. It also allows users to bypass certain georestrictions that some websites and services have in place.

Choose a strong password

In spite of the countless warnings issued over the years, it’s surprising that one of the worst passwords of 2024 is still “123456”. We get that it might be hard to remember a different password for every single login you have, but if it means keeping your device safe from attacks, why not?

You can always opt to use a password manager if you don’t want to remember your passwords. Most password managers even have the option to help users generate a strong and complex password that’s hard to guess. Alternatively, more online services and websites are starting to implement Passkeys.

Passkeys are a password-free alternative to traditional passwords. This allows users to log into a website and authenticate themselves using a device like a smartphone, which will authenticate the user using biometric security.

Enable 2FA

The last tip we can give you to help secure your Android smartphone is to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) where possible. 2FA is where even after you login using a username and password, a one-time PIN will be sent to your phone to further verify your login. This OTP can only be used once and expires after a fixed period of time.

This means that even in the event a hacker guesses your login credentials, unless they have access to your phone or email, they cannot proceed with the login. This extra step should help make your devices and online accounts even more secure.