How to protect your privacy on your smartphone

Today, our smartphones follow us everywhere – from the workplace to our most private moments.

But many people don’t realize that smartphones collect significant amounts of personal data in the background.

In the this article, we share useful privacy tips how to limit your data exposure in your everyday life – with insights from our team’s experts, including Aude, Product Owner and Romain, Engineering Manager at Murena.

Learn how to protect your privacy on your smartphone and keep sensitive information safe!

1: Protect your privacy on your smartphone by not sharing your phone number with companies

If you want to protect your privacy on your smartphone, a simple but effective first step is to stop giving out your phone number so freely. It might sound obvious, but these days, even buying a curtain might involve someone asking for it. Just say no.

“Can I have your number?” – “Sorry, I’d rather not share it.”

Will they still sell you the curtain? Most likely, yes. This kind of reaction might avoid everyday outbound calls – you know, the people who try to sell you solar panels for your house, when you’re actually a tenant and not owner. 

It’s not a myth that personal data is sold to third-party companies: businesses often collect and aggregate user information, then sell or share it with advertisers, data brokers, or other companies looking to target specific audiences.

2: Protect your privacy on your smartphone by carefully selecting apps and permissions

Just like the curtain seller, most mobile apps simply don’t need your phone number or access to your contacts to function. If you want to protect your privacy on your smartphone and an app insists on these permissions, ask yourself: is it really necessary? If you must allow access, grant it only while you’re using the mobile app and disable it again as soon as you’re done to avoid unnecessary data exposure.

And for the apps on your smartphone you no longer use – why keep them at all?

“Regularly review the apps installed on your phone and uninstall those you’re not using. Many of us try out apps and then forget they’re even there – yet these can be data-hungry, drain your battery, and take up valuable storage space. A quick clean-up not only protects your privacy but also keeps your device running smoothly.” advises Romain.

Aude also encourages you to take a closer look at the apps on your device. There might be some you can replace entirely.

“There are several FOSS* apps that work really well and keep the GAFAM** (or whatever they’re called now) creep off your device,” she says. “Try NewPipe instead of YouTube, RiMusic to stream music, and AntennaPod to subscribe to and listen to podcasts – you can even download them instead of streaming.”

These mobile apps don’t just work – they protect your privacy.

“By using NewPipe, you avoid being tracked by YouTube’s algorithm,” adds Romain.

Why is that important? Algorithms like YouTube’s are designed to keep you engaged – often by feeding you more of the same. Over time, this can trap people in filter bubbles and even reinforce extreme opinions. We’ll soon be writing more about how algorithmic echo chambers are shaping the way we think, vote, and relate to each other – and thereby restrict our freedom.

3: Protect your privacy on your smartphone by verifying which apps put you at risk

How can you even tell if a mobile app is putting your privacy at risk – especially if you’re not a tech expert?

“If you want to protect your privacy on your smartphone, regularly check which mobile apps are causing the most leaks using Advanced Privacy,” says Aude.

Advanced Privacy is a powerful tool built into /e/OS (the privacy-focused operating system Murena phones run on by default) that helps you control what your mobile apps know about you. It blocks trackers, can hide your real IP address, and even fake your location to protect your privacy.

Once you know which mobile apps are leaking data, you can decide what to do:

•  Delete them.
•  Replace them with safer, open-source options.
•  Or at the very least, let Advanced Privacy block their ads trackers.

You might decide to turn on Fake geolocation in Advanced Privacy to hide your real movements and protect your privacy on your smartphone. 

“If there are mobile apps you trust or that truly need to know your location, you can simply untick them. This way, they get access to your real location, while all others stay in the dark. But when you install a new app, don’t forget to ask yourself whether you really need to whitelist it or not,” reminds Aude.

4: Protect your privacy on your smartphone by choosing the right messenger

Messaging is another major privacy pitfall and by changing some of your habits, you can easily protect your privacy on your smartphone. 

“Instead of WhatsApp or traditional phone calls and SMS, choose Signal or Delta Chat,” recommends Jonathan, Principal Developer at Murena.

These apps prioritize privacy: Signal and Delta Chat offer end-to-end encryption by default,  and they do not sell your data.

But privacy is about more than just encryption – it’s also about metadata. Even if your messages can’t be read, apps can still log who you talk to, when, and how often. This kind of data can paint a detailed picture of your social life.

That’s why apps like Signal go a step further: they minimize metadata and don’t store contact graphs or message history on their servers.Delta Chat takes a different approach altogether: it uses email as its messaging protocol, which means you don’t need to create a new account or give your phone number at all.

5: Protect your child’s privacy on your smartphone by using Murena’s Parental Control

Finally, if you’re handing your device to a child – even just for a short while – make sure to enable Parental Control to protect their privacy. This mode protects them from inappropriate content and also gives you the option to block access to certain mobile apps entirely while it’s active.

How can restrictions reinforce privacy?
Now imagine, for a second, your child exposing their everyday private life on mainstream apps like TikTok – simply because Parental Control wasn’t enabled.

Parental control isn’t about strict surveillance – it’s about guiding your family and helping them learn to protect themselves in a digital world full of risks.

“You can enable it temporarily while you lend your phone, or indefinitely if your child has their own device,” explains Aude. “Just don’t forget the PIN code you set!”

Now that you know how to protect your privacy on your smartphone: share your knowledge – not your data!

Leave your favorite privacy-tips in the comments and share this article with friends and family and on your favorite socials! 

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*Free Open Source Software is software that respects your freedom: you can use, study, share, and improve it without restrictions, because its code is openly available to everyone.

**GAFAM refers to the five tech giants: Google, Apple, Facebook (Meta), Amazon, and Microsoft. They dominate the digital world, shaping how we communicate, shop, and access information – all while observing our online habits and trying to influence them.