If your teenager is driving you crazy with constant questions about their new smartphone, it’s probably because you’ve effectively been their personal tech support team for the last decade. That said, with every new device that comes out, there are always going to be a few things that you didn’t get to cover in those five-minute tech sessions before they took off for college. That being said, the good news is that while most of these things are annoying and will probably drive you up the wall, they don’t actually pose any sort of danger or risk to your phone. The bad news is that if it’s driving you nuts enough to read an article on how to stop someone from mirroring your phone, you’ll probably have a few suggestions as to how best to deal with these situations moving forward.
How To Stop Someone From Mirroring Your Phone
Go Dark On Your Lock Screen
While it may seem like a harmless feature, letting someone else see your lock screen is actually a huge privacy issue. The last thing you want is for someone to be able to access your messages and emails, which is exactly what happens if they’re able to see what’s on your lock screen. Most people’s lock screen is their phone’s home screen, so anyone who is able to see your phone will be able to see everything on it. This means that if someone is looking over your shoulder and you have a text message open on your lock screen, they will be able to see who you were texting as well as the contents of the message. And while this may not seem like that big of a deal, it can actually have some serious implications moving forward. For example, if you have an ex who is still in your contacts list, letting someone see the contents of your text messages could potentially cause a lot of harm. Additionally, if someone is being cruel or threatening towards you, having them be able to see your messages can make it easier for them to track you down. Needless to say, you should keep your lock screen as private as possible.
Don’t Let People Mirror Your Phone
It’s great that you’re so eager to show your friends that hilarious video of an adorable kitten playing with a miniature police car, but there’s a better way to do it than to let them mirror your phone. While you may be under the impression that you’re just letting them show it to their friends as well, the reality is that you’re actually mirroring your phone, which means that anyone who is logged in to your WiFi will be able to see what’s on your screen. This includes your parents, your roommates, your friends, and anyone else connected to the same WiFi network. While this may not seem like a huge deal at first, consider the fact that when you mirror your phone, the person who is watching your screen can also control it. This means that they are able to scroll through your photos, open your emails and texts, and even access your entire web browser. That being said, if you have someone over who is not very tech-savvy, you might accidentally mirror your phone as you pull up that hilarious video that you want to share with your friends. As soon as you click the button to mirror your screen, there will be a warning letting you know that you’re also allowing the person you’re sharing the video with to control it. This is why it’s best to avoid mirroring your phone and instead use a different app, like Air Share.
Hide Apps You Don’t Want To Show
If you’ve ever had a friend use your phone to look for a ride home and then get offended when they start scrolling through your notes and emails, you’ve probably had this problem before. But what you may not realize is that there is a really easy fix. You see, when you go into your phone’s settings, you’ll have the option to hide any apps that you don’t want people to see when they look at your screen, even while they’re logged in to your account. That way, there will be nothing on your phone for them to click on. This is a great way to let people look at what you want them to see without having to show them all of your other stuff, like your notes and emails. Additionally, it can be helpful if you want to keep tabs on what someone is doing if they’re using your phone, but you don’t want them to know that you’re watching.
Lock Certain Apps Behind Passwords
If you’ve ever had someone ask to use your phone and then start clicking through your apps, only to have them get to a message where there’s no “read” or “delete” button, you’ve probably found yourself in this situation before. You’re curious to see what the message is, but you don’t have access to it. While this is something most people will probably never encounter, there are still plenty of other situations where you may want to lock certain apps behind a password, including apps like Facebook, Instagram, or even your email. That being said, if you want to lock certain apps behind a password, you’ll have to go into your phone’s settings and find the appropriate app. Once you do, you’ll be able to specify which apps you want to lock behind a password.
Turn Off Notifications For Certain Apps
If you’ve ever had someone look over your shoulder and see a push notification for a message you were hoping they wouldn’t see, you know how frustrating that can be. While there are a few different things you can do to avoid this, the easiest method is to simply turn off push notifications for certain apps. Unfortunately, most modern smartphones don’t allow you to turn off push notifications for every app. However, there are a few different ways to go about doing it if you’ve got an iPhone. If you’re using an Android device, there are a few different things you can do.
Conclusion
Even though they may seem like a relatively harmless nuisance, there are a few things you can do to prevent people from being able to see your phone or accessing certain apps when they’re looking over your shoulder. If you want to keep your phone as private as possible, it’s best to take these precautions before someone has a chance to use your phone. That being said, it’s important to remember that technology can be very helpful and has a lot of potential to improve your life. It’s important to understand how things like your phone and social media work so you can take advantage of the benefits without letting them become a source of frustration or stress.
FAQ:
Q: Can I use a password to unlock my phone?
A: Yes, you can. However, if you’re using a password to unlock your phone, it’s important that you make sure that the password is at least 8 characters long and contains at least one number and one letter. This will help prevent people from being able to guess your password.
Q: Can I use a fingerprint scanner to unlock my phone?
A: Yes, you can. However, if you’re using a fingerprint scanner to unlock your phone, it’s important that you make sure that the fingerprint scanner is placed in an area where it won’t be easily seen by others. This will help prevent people from being able to guess your fingerprint or use another person’s fingerprint as their own.
