How to set up a lock screen on all your devices

It can feel frustrating having to enter your password every time you sit down at your laptop or having to scan your fingerprint every time you want to access your phone, but these security measures are the most important ones on the device your.

Lock screen security is what separates strangers, thieves, snooping co-workers, nosy housemates, and all other unauthorized accesses to your personal data. Think about it: Once your phone is unlocked, it takes just a few taps to access your social media, emails, documents, photos and more.

Thankfully, the manufacturers of the major operating systems have worked hard to strike the right balance between protection and convenience when it comes to the lock screen. Here’s how to stay safe without having to sign in to a daunting task.

Android

Different Android devices have different unlocking methods, including face scanning and fingerprint reading, so the options you see will vary depending on your make and phone model. Furthermore, each Android vendor offers a slight variation in terms of the software installed on their handsets.

When it comes to the latest version of Android that Google rolls out on its Pixel phones, you can find the lock screen options by opening the main Settings pane and selecting Guard And after that Lock screen—The various options available on your phone will then be displayed. Most phones use a PIN as the default or a fallback option, but it’s up to you.

Once the screen lock has been configured, you can customize it by tapping the gear icon next to it Lock screen above Guard screen. Here you can choose how long your phone waits before auto-locking: A shorter time is better as it is less likely that someone else will pick up your phone and access the data on it before screen lock is enabled.

Are from Guard menu, select Advanced settings And after that Smart lock Get a little more creative with your lock screen settings. Here, you can set your phone to unlock automatically when it’s connected to a trusted device (like a car Bluetooth stereo) or when it’s in a trusted place (like your home — where it’s less likely that strangers swipe your phone and try to access it).

iOS

As on Android, your options on iOS will be different: For example, some iPhones have Touch ID and some don’t. We’ll give you instructions on the latest iOS software that runs on the latest iPhones with Face ID, but the process is very similar to iPhones with Touch ID instead (and indeed to iPads).