iPhone hacks: Use these privacy-centric iOS features to get the most out of your phone

Here are some of the top privacy-focused features on iPhone that help protect your privacy online.

Privacy is one of the most important things you need to protect when using the internet. Whether for work, personal use, or other activities, safeguarding your online presence is crucial. This is where iPhones excel, as they offer some of the most privacy-centric features, all built into iOS. That being said, some of these features require a subscription, while others are available by default. Here are some of the top privacy-focused features on iPhone that help protect your privacy online.

iOS now comes with a range of privacy-first features built-in. Here are the details. (Unsplash)

Shaurya Sharma

1. Private Relay

If you subscribe to iCloud+, you get access to a feature called iCloud Private Relay. This hides your IP address and browsing activity in Safari while also protecting your unencrypted internet traffic. As a result, no one, not even Apple, can track your browsing activity.

You can enable this by going to iCloud settings on your iPhone.

2. Hide My Email

This is a paid feature available with iCloud+. As the name suggests, it generates unique email addresses that forward messages to your personal inbox. Simply put, Apple creates random email addresses that you can use with various services, ensuring that your real email ID remains private.

3. Remote iPhone Erase

If you lose your iPhone and are worried about your data falling into the wrong hands, you can use the Find My service to remotely erase your device. However, note that this will delete all data on the phone. If you haven't backed up your information, you won’t be able to recover it. Still, in cases where security is a concern, wiping the data is the best option to prevent it from being misused.

4. Locking Apps

With iOS 18, you can now lock apps using biometric authentication. If your iPhone has Face ID or Touch ID, you can enable this feature to secure apps individually.

For example, to lock the Photos app:

1. Long-press the app icon.
2. Select Require Face ID or Require Touch ID.
3. Once enabled, the app will require biometric authentication to open.

This is useful when handing your phone to someone while ensuring they cannot access your personal data, saving you undue stress.

5. Recording Indicators

Your iPhone includes privacy indicators to show when your camera or microphone is in use:

• A green dot appears at the top of the screen when an app accesses the camera.
• An orange dot appears when the microphone is in use.

This ensures you are always aware of when your device's camera or microphone is being accessed.

6. Link Protection in iMessage

If you use iMessage, Apple protects you by blocking preview access to links sent by unknown senders. Unless you reply to the sender, the links remain locked. This feature helps prevent phishing attempts and malicious website access.

7. Hiding Your IP Address in Safari

In Safari settings, you can hide your IP address from trackers and websites. You can choose to: Hide your IP from trackers only, hide it from both trackers and websites, or turn the feature off.

8. Lock Private Tabs In Safari

You can lock your private browsing tabs in Safari. By enabling "Require Face ID to Unlock Private Browsing" in Safari settings, you ensure that if someone opens your browser and navigates to private browsing, any previously opened tabs will not be visible. Instead, they will remain hidden until you authenticate using Face ID or Touch ID.