If you haven’t performed Safety Check on iOS 16, do so right away. Apple has always been about privacy first, irrespective of the tier plan that is being used. The latest OS release for the iPhone comes with a few features that will help protect data, one is Safety Check while the other is Lockdown Mode. And then there is Emergency SOS.
Safety Check
Safety Check is a command centre on your phone that will give you an in-depth picture of whom you are sharing data or files with, be it an individual or app. The user can go through each and every permission that has been given in the past and, if required, these permissions can be revoked. The feature comes at a time as more governments purchase powerful commodity spyware to target individuals. iOS now allows the user to keep pace with such specialised threats. For example, you will be shown the list of people you share certain files with or apps that have access to your data. You can cut them off so that you will no longer be trackable.
Emergency SOS
It’s something we hope you never have to use but it’s a feature you need to know about. Emergency SOS allows you to make an emergency call by either pressing and holding the side button and one of the volume buttons or pressing the side button five times. It will automatically send alerts to the numbers you have saved under “emergency contacts”.
Lockdown Mode
It’s different from Safety Check and it blocks out commercial spyware vendors. Once turned on, the settings apply strict limits to your apps. Link previews in Messages, shared albums in Photos, and FaceTime calls from phone numbers and accounts you haven’t called before are all blocked. It’s an extreme step that you can take. Wired connections with computers and other accessories will also be blocked when the iPhone is locked, and configuration profiles cannot be installed with Lockdown Mode switched on.
How to get these done?
- To access Safety Check features, go to Settings, then Privacy & Security, and then Safety Check.
- Turn on Lockdown Mode in iOS 16 by going to Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Lockdown Mode.
- For Emergency SOS: Go to Settings > Emergency SOS. Activate Emergency SOS by toggling on either Call with Hold or Call with 5 Presses.