How to make sure your Android phone is secure

Android offers tons of options to keep your device secure and private; it's well worth exploring them all.

According to a 2025 study by the Pew Research Center , nearly 75% of Americans have experienced some form of online scam. These are becoming increasingly complex, as the spread of sophisticated AI tools have made online attacks more diverse , effective and harder to detect.

Vishing, for instance, has seen crooks using AI-powered deepfakes to mimic the voices of a victim's loved ones to scam them over the phone. Meanwhile, malware attacks are more dangerous and adaptive than ever. And that's not to mention the often-overlooked privacy risks that many popular apps pose.

Luckily, on Android, you can address many of these security and privacy risks directly. From AI-powered scam detection tools to advanced theft protection measures, Android offers many features to keep you safe .

One of the easiest ways to protect yourself is to update your Android phone, ensuring you receive the latest bug fixes and security features. To check what version you're using, open your phone's Settings app and tap About Phone , where you'll find a section titled Android Version . This shows the status of your operating system, security settings, Google Play system status and build number.

Android sends a notification when an OS update is available; tap it and follow the prompts to update right away. If you accidentally clear the notification or want to update later, go to Settings > System > Software Updates . Fully updated phones will display a checkmark, while a yellow arrow indicates an update is available. Install any available ones by tapping System Update .

To update apps, open Google Play and tap your profile picture at the top-right. Then, go to Settings > Network preferences > Auto-update apps . Here, select from several options depending on whether you want to update apps over Wi-Fi or mobile data; the best option depends on your phone's data plan.

To check for app updates on-demand, tap your profile picture in Google Play and choose Manage apps and device . Under Updates available , hit Update all to run all pending updates or See details to review each app individually and install updates as desired. Some app may require new privacy permissions for updates, prompting you to confirm these new settings.