You might not give the personal information on your iPhone much thought. But what would happen if someone malicious got hold of your device and hacked past your password?

Thankfully, there are several ways to improve the security of your iPhone and keep your data even better protected. We'll show you the best iPhone (and iPad) security tweaks and settings you need to change.

1. Keep iOS Up to Date

A vital way to keep your iPhone or iPad secure is to install the most recent version of iOS or iPadOS. This is important because Apple frequently patches security holes with new software updates.

To keep your iPhone up to date, you can install software updates over the air or on your computer. Unless you need to use a computer for some reason, installing updates right on your iPhone is the most convenient method:

  1. Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
  2. If there's an update to install, tap the Download and Install option. If you're already up to date, you'll see a Your software is up to date message.
  3. We recommend enabling all the options under Automatic Updates so you don't have to manually check in the future.

2. Use Find My

Not only does the Find My app help locate your lost iPhone, but you can also use it to remotely wipe your data in case it falls into the wrong hands.

To make sure you have Find My activated:

  1. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My.
  2. Tap Find My iPhone.
  3. Make sure that Find My iPhone is enabled.
  4. If you like, enable the Find My network to participate in Apple's crowdsourced network that helps people find their devices even when offline.
  5. Optionally, you can enable Send Last Location, which automatically sends the location of your iPhone to iCloud when the battery is extremely low.

If you lose your device, follow our guide to finding your iPhone and locate it with Find My.

3. Protect Your Account With Two-Factor Authentication

Since your Apple ID is the gateway to much of what's on your iPhone, it makes sense to protect it with all the tools available. Two-factor authentication is one particular feature you definitely should activate on your account to increase its security.

Using two-factor authentication, when you sign in to your account, you'll see a prompt for a verification code, which appears on your trusted devices.

To turn on two-factor authentication using your iPhone:

  1. Head to Settings > [Your Name] > Password & Security. You may need to confirm your credentials.
  2. Select Two-Factor Authentication to set the feature up.
  3. Below this, you can make changes to your trusted phone numbers, if needed. Make sure you have access to these numbers.

See our overview of Apple ID two-factor authentication for more information.

4. Use a Stronger Passcode

Older versions of iOS made you create a four-digit passcode, which only allows for 10,000 possible combinations. In modern versions, a six-digit passcode (with one million possible combinations) is standard instead. But you can also set an alphanumeric password for even more security.

To change your passcode, including the length and type:

  1. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode if you have an iPhone with a Home button).
  2. Confirm your current passcode to open this page.
  3. Select Change Passcode, then enter your current passcode again.
  4. Enter a new passcode. If you want to use a different type, tap Passcode Options. These include Custom Numeric Code (letting you choose any set of numbers) and Custom Alphanumeric Code (a password with letters and numbers).
  5. After entering the passcode you want to use, verify it and you're all set.

5. Wipe iPhone Data After 10 Failed Attempts

Another security feature, called Erase Data, is also available on the Face ID & Passcode page. With this enabled, after 10 failed attempts to enter your passcode, everything on your iPhone gets erased. This protects against brute-force attempts to figure out your passcode.

Note that the chance of accidentally erasing your phone with this feature is small. After five incorrect attempts, your phone times out for an increasing span of time before you can try the passcode again. This means it would take hours for someone to enter the wrong passcode 10 times, which is unlikely even for children or annoying friends.

To enable Erase Data:

  1. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode if you have an iPhone with a Home button).
  2. Enter your current passcode.
  3. Scroll all the way down and enable Erase Data.

6. Disable Siri and Other Tools on the Lock Screen

While Siri is definitely helpful, it can also give out personal information to strangers when accessed from your Lock Screen. There are other features accessible on the Lock Screen that can give away your personal info, too.

To disable what people can access on the Lock Screen:

  1. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode if you have an iPhone with a Home button).
  2. Confirm your passcode.
  3. Scroll down to the Allow Access When Locked section and turn off anything you don't want accessible on the Lock Screen. Siri is the main one you should turn off, so people can't ask about your contacts and other personal details.

7. Require Attention for Face ID

While you're in the Face ID & Passcode menu, if you have an iPhone that uses Face ID, you should also make sure to enable a few extra options that make it even more secure.

Require Attention for Face ID will make sure that you're actually looking at your iPhone before it unlocks. This helps reduce the chance of someone holding your device up to your face to unlock it while you're asleep, for example.

Meanwhile, the Attention Aware Features option is mainly for convenience features, such as lowering the volume of your alerts when you're looking at your phone. But enabling it also requires your iPhone to check for your attention before expanding alerts on the Lock Screen. As a result, it's a good idea to use this as well.

We've also rounded up some iPhone apps that work with Touch ID and Face ID if you want to protect individual apps even further.

8. Turn Off Safari AutoFill

Apple's Keychain feature stores your account login passwords and even credit card information in your iCloud account. You can then use the AutoFill functionality to have iOS automatically fill in your information in the relevant fields in Safari.

While it's convenient for information you struggle to remember, AutoFill can spell trouble if someone else ends up getting into your iPhone. There's also the risk of auto-filling sensitive information on an insecure website.

To disable AutoFill:

  1. Go to Settings > Safari > AutoFill.
  2. Turn off the toggle for each setting that you don't want Safari to fill automatically.

9. Use Apps That Protect Your Data

The tips above are some of the most important built-in ways to protect your iPhone's data. But it's also important to make sure your data is safe when browsing the internet and using your phone for other daily activities.

As we've discussed before, iPhone antivirus apps are essentially useless. But you may want to look at using a VPN on your iPhone, instead for better security.

Stay Safe and Secure on iOS

Keeping your sensitive information secure on your iPhone may sound overwhelming, but it's easier than you think with these built-in tools.

Other small habits can also help keep any device safe. These include not opening links you don't trust, revoking unnecessary app permissions, not jailbreaking your device, and more.

And in addition to security tools, there are plenty of ways to make your iPhone more private as well.