Are the apps installed on your phone safe? Here's how to check.

Smartphone App: In today's digital era, everyone has hundreds of apps installed on their smartphones for games, social media, banking, shopping, and even health tracking.

Smartphone App: In today's digital age, everyone has hundreds of apps installed on their smartphones, for games, social media, banking, shopping, and even health tracking. But have you ever wondered if all these apps are safe? Often, we download apps without checking them thoroughly, which can pose a threat to our data and privacy. So, let's learn how to check the safety of apps on your phone.

Beware of unknown apps.

Often, we download apps from websites or links that aren't available on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Such apps may contain viruses or malware that can steal personal data from your phone. Therefore, it's crucial to always download apps from trusted platforms. If the source of an app is unknown, uninstall it immediately.

Please check the app permissions.

When installed on your phone, apps ask for various permissions, such as access to the camera, microphone, contacts, or location. But not every app requires all of these. For example, why would a calculator app need your location or camera? Therefore, if an app is asking for excessive permissions, it may be suspicious.

How to check

• Android users can check the access of each app by going to Settings > Apps > Permissions.
• iPhone users can control app access by going to Settings > Privacy.

Scan with Google Play Protect

If you are an Android user, then your phone already has Google Play Protect feature which keeps scanning the apps in the background.

How to check

• Open Google Play Store.
• Tap the profile icon in the top right corner.
• Go to “Play Protect” and click “Scan”.
• This will let you know whether any app in your phone is harmful or not.

See app reviews and downloads

Before downloading any app, be sure to check its reviews and download count. If an app's reviews repeatedly mention words like "adware," "malware," or "data theft," avoid installing it. Furthermore, apps with high download counts are generally trustworthy.

Monitor your phone's behavior

If your phone suddenly slows down, the battery drains quickly, or you're consuming excessive data without any reason, there may be a problem with an app. In this case, check your phone's App usage or Battery usage section to see which app is using unusually high resources.