Mashable: 7 Privacy Settings iPhone Users Should Enable Today

Most people want to get the most from their smartphones. That includes using their devices wisely and with privacy. Mashable recommended seven privacy settings for Apple iPhone users. I found the recommendations very helpful, and thought that you would, too.

Three privacy settings stood out. First, many mobile apps have:

"... access to your camera. For some of these, the reasoning is a no-brainer. You want to be able to use Snapchat filters? Fine, the app needs access to your camera. That makes sense. Other apps' reasoning for having access to your camera might be less clear. Once again, head to Settings > Privacy > Camera and review what apps you've granted camera access. See anything in there that doesn't make sense? Go ahead and disable it."

A feature most consumers probably haven't considered:

"... which apps on your phone have requested microphone access. For example, do you want Drivetime to have access to your mic? No? Because if you've downloaded it, then it might. If an app doesn't have a clear reason for needing access to your microphone, don't give it that access."

And, perhaps most importantly:

"Did you forget about your voicemail? Hackers didn't. At the 2018 DEF CON, researchers demonstrated the ability to brute force voicemail accounts and use that access to reset victims' Google and PayPal accounts... Set a random 9-digit voicemail password. Go to Settings > Phone and scroll down to "Change Voicemail Password." You iPhone should let you choose a 9-digit code..."

The full list is a reminder for consumers not to assume that the default settings on mobile apps you install are right for your privacy needs. Wise consumers check and make adjustments.