Privacy has become an increasingly discussed topic with the increasing use of various technologies in everyday life.
In this direction, a concern of users is about capturing the microphone of smartphones, especially when what we are doing at the moment dispenses with its original function.
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After all, are our cell phones listening to us all the time even when not activated?
Either way, we've put together some tips that can help you if you have this concern.
Tips to avoid being “heard” on your cell phone as much as possible
1. Disable voice assistants (Google Assistant and Siri)
In the same way that you can cover your webcam with the fear of being spied on, it is possible to do similar processes with the microphone. The first tip is to disable voice assistants such as Google Assistant or Siri, as they are always listening to us to detect voice commands to get activated effectively by the users.
2. Review your apps permissions
Some apps don't need to have the microphone enabled to work properly. You should only revoke permissions that you think are unnecessary, as well as other potentially dangerous permissions to give away, such as audio recording, location, or contacts.
From now on, it is worth emphasizing that there is no point in deactivating your microphone in the Whatsapp or in another messaging app. As a result of a possible deactivation, it would no longer be possible to send audios. The same would happen with camera permission and your gallery.
3. Avoid apps from suspicious sources
For the sake of your cybersecurity and your device, do not download any apps outside of popular online stores, such as Google Play Store and the Apple Store.
These suspicious sources could contain malware or other viruses. In addition, similarly to the second item, they may request permissions that are disproportionate to their purpose.
In case you have some of them, uninstall them. Criminals work on ways to make their contaminated apps look legitimate so as not to attract any kind of suspicion.
4. Keep your operating system up to date
In addition to features, the updates also involve vulnerability fixes that can generally preserve your privacy. Finally, repeat the same process with your mobile apps.
