There's no easy way of ending a relationship; it's a hard situation to get through, whether you're the one who ended it or not. Even though a typical breakup is brutal, it can be particularly vicious if your ex is dangerous or manipulative.

In today's digital world, you have to take the correct steps to make sure they don't track, contact or access your personal information. Here are a couple of helpful tech tips, so you can start to move onward and upward.

1. Change All Passwords

After a breakup, you may feel too angry or upset to do anything of importance, but it's vital to change all of your passwords immediately! This step is especially important if your ex-partner has exhibited malicious behaviors.

The best way to go about this is to change all of your passwords for absolutely everything, whether it's your online banking account, Instagram, or email. You never know when you might've used your ex's laptop or phone in the past to log in to an account of yours, so it's better to be safe than sorry.

2. Reclaim Your Smart Devices

Back when ending a relationship meant throwing away mementos, you'd also have to change your door locks or retrieve the key from your ex. With all the smart devices people use these days, changing the locks implies cutting them off from all smart devices.

Whatever smart devices you use, and even if you think your ex never used or connected to them, change the password. While a lot of smart tech devices work as home protection, they can sometimes do the opposite, especially if an estranged partner has access to them.

3. Get Rid of Bad Memories

It's tempting to log on to Facebook or Instagram and look at all your happy holiday snaps together. However, this act is only going to cause you more harm than good!

The best way to move is to delete all the photos of you and your ex together—both on your phone and your social media accounts. If you want to take extreme measures, you can even block them on Facebook or Instagram, delete their phone number, and remove all past conversations.

4. Restrict Them on Social Media

If you still want to stay civil and not completely block them, you can restrict what they can see and do on your Instagram or Facebook account.

To add someone to your Restricted List on Facebook, open their profile, tap Friends, tap Edit Friend Lists, and then select Restricted. When someone is restricted, they'll only be able to view your public information and anything else you choose to make public.

The same goes for Instagram restrictions, but it's a little different. Their comments and messages are hidden from you, but they can still view whatever you post. Here's how to restrict someone on Instagram.

5. Turn Off GPS Tracking

Because our smartphones follow our every move, it's important to know how you can cut someone off from potentially tracking you.

Firstly, don't willingly tag your location or check in on social media posts. Additionally, did you know that if you share your live location on WhatsApp, it still shares where you are even if you're not using the app? Even though this can only last as long as a few hours, it's still not safe—so it's best to change the settings from Always to While Using or Never.

6. Change Your Security Questions

If you were together with your ex for several years, they probably know a lot about you. And that includes your childhood street address, your mother's maiden name, and the city you were born in. All of this knowledge makes it super simple for an ex to guess the answers to your password security questions.

For a lot of accounts, it's impossible to avoid security questions, even though it's a pretty inadequate security system. If you can't bypass them, answer your security questions with a lie or change the answers on a fairly regular basis.

7. Check Video Streaming Services

Netflix has made it incredibly easy to share accounts; all you have to do is create a new profile and give them your password. But this reiterates why it's so important to change all of your passwords when you end a relationship. If you've ever shared your Netflix account with your ex-partner, which you likely did, they might still be sneakily using it.

If you use Netflix and you've just been through a breakup, here's what to do. If you're the account owner, check your Netflix account's viewing activity to see who has been using it. If you see something suspicious, immediately change the password. Moreover, make sure it's something they can't easily guess!

8. Switch On Two-Factor Authentication

When you've been close to someone for a long period of time, sometimes changing your password is not enough. There is no better time than after a harsh breakup to add an extra layer of security, but what is two-factor authentication (2FA)—and how does it protect your accounts?

It's straightforward. Instead of only typing in your password, you have to use two methods of verification to log in. For example: when you log in to your Gmail account, you'll receive a verification text with a code on your personal phone, or you'll have to scan your iris or fingerprint.

9. Look Out for Stalkerware or Spyware

In more severe circumstances, estranged partners can use stalkerware or spyware to watch your every move without you knowing. Depending on the software used, your ex can do anything from accessing your personal information and tracking your location to even watching you through your phone's camera!

How do you know if stalkerware is on your phone? Unexplained data use, an overheating battery, and strange apps are just a couple of the signs. If you do discover stalkerware or spyware on your phone, report it immediately and consider a full factory reset.

Coping After a Breakup Is Difficult in a Digital World

While you might want to keep things polite and courteous after a breakup, your estranged partner might have other ideas. In some cases, perhaps your ex does nothing except leave comments on your old Facebook photos, but it can escalate to a more dangerous situation—like the other individual using software to stalk you.

To survive the end of a relationship, always take the necessary steps to cut as many digital ties as you can.