Manage security and privacy settings on your Pixel phone

You can help protect your phone by updating your security and privacy settings. Learn how to check and manage your security status with our step-by-step tutorial.

Important:

• Some of these steps work only on Android 10 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.
• Some of these steps require you to touch the screen.

Manage your security settings

1. Open your phone's Settings app.
2. Tap Security.
3. At the top, you’ll see the security status of your device and Google Account. If there are important actions to take to secure your device or accounts, a warning message will appear.

Understand your security status

No problems found: No security issues are present on your device or Google Account.

Security can be improved: You have security recommendations.

Security may be at risk: Please review the security recommendations and take action to secure your account or device. 

Security is at risk: There are critical security issues that require your attention. Please review the security recommendations and take action to secure your account or device.

Security settings that you can manage

• App security:
  Play Protect regularly checks your apps and devices for harmful behaviour. You’ll be notified of any security risks found.
• Find My Device
  Make sure that your phone can be found if it gets lost. Learn how to be ready to find a lost phone.

• Security update
  See whether your system is up to date. Learn how to check and update your Android version.

• Screen lock
  Lock your phone with a PIN, pattern or password. Learn how to set a screen lock.
• Face and Fingerprint Unlock
  Use your fingerprint or face to unlock your phone and authorise purchases. Learn how to set up fingerprints or Face Unlock.
• Google Security Check-Up
  Review signed-in devices, saved passwords, recent activity and more related to your Google Account.
• Google Play system update
  Check for updates to your Android operating system.

Advanced security settings

• Smart Lock
  Set your device to stay unlocked in certain circumstances. Learn how to turn on Smart Lock.
• Device admin apps
  Find or remove apps that can administer your phone.
• SIM card lock:
  Require a PIN to use your device.
• Encryption and credentials
  If your phone isn't encrypted by default, learn how to encrypt data on your phone. To manage certificates, learn how to add or remove certificates.
• Suspicious message alerts
  Get alerts for text messages that may include a suspicious request, fake link or potential scam.
• Trust agents
  Let your phone use automatic unlock options like Trusted places or Voice Match. Learn how to turn on automatic unlock.
• App pinning
  You can pin a screen to keep it in view until you unpin it. Learn how to pin screens.
• Confirm SIM deletion
  Verify that it’s you before erasing a downloaded SIM.
• Open-source licences
  View the Android open-source licences associated with your device.

Work profile security

If you use a work profile on your device, you can also manage these settings:

• Use one lock: Use the same device screen lock as your personal account on this device.
• Work profile lock: Set up a different screen lock than your personal account on this device. 
• Face and Fingerprint Unlock for work: Only access your work profile by unlocking your device with your face or fingerprint lock. 

Manage your privacy settings

1. Open your phone's Settings app.
2. Tap Privacy.

Privacy settings that you can manage

• Privacy dashboard
  Show which apps recently used permissions.
• Permission manager
  Control app access to your data.
• Camera access
  Control camera access for all apps and services.
• Microphone access
  Control microphone access for all apps and services.
• Show passwords
  To help you use passwords that are more complex and secure, you can see what you type.
• Notifications on lock screen
  Decide which notifications to show on lock screen.
• Private Compute Core
  Get suggestions based on the people, apps and content that you interact with. Learn more about device learning.
• Personalise with app data
  Allow apps to send content to the Android system.
• Show clipboard access
  Show a message when apps access text, images or other content that you’ve copied.
• Auto-fill service from Google
  Manage saved passwords, credit cards and addresses.
• Google Location History
  Save where you go with your device.
• Activity controls
  Choose the activities and info that you allow Google to save.
• Ads
  Personalise ads and manage your advertising ID.
• Usage & diagnostics
  Share data to help improve Android.