Digital Safety Checklist

Immediate steps to secure phones, accounts, apps, and home devices.

Digital Safety Checklist

1. Quick-start actions

These are small, fast steps that can reduce some digital risks. You can complete them in any order.

• Turn off location sharing on your main phone and tablet.
• Log out of all accounts on devices you rarely use (old phones, shared computers).
• Delete apps you do not recognize or no longer use.
• Take clear photos or screenshots of anything that might later be useful as evidence (texts, calls, posts, emails).
• Check that your main email account recovery options (backup email, phone number) are current and belong only to you.
• Review who has access to your cloud storage (photos, shared folders, documents).
• Create a simple list of your key accounts:
  • Email(s)
  • Banking / money apps
  • Mobile phone account
  • Social media
  • Cloud (Google, iCloud, OneDrive, etc.)
  • Work or school logins

2. Phone safety

Use this checklist for smartphones and basic mobile phones.

2.1 Lock screen and access

• Set a lock screen if you do not have one:
  • Use a PIN or passcode that is not a birthday, anniversary, or address.
  • Avoid patterns that could be guessed by watching your hand.
• Turn off lock screen previews:
  • Hide message content from SMS, messaging apps, and email on the lock screen.
  • Allow only “Notification from [app]” without full message text, if possible.
• Review biometric unlock:
  • Consider whether fingerprints or face unlock can be used without your consent.
  • Option: switch to PIN-only if that feels safer for now.

2.2 Call, text, and app review

• Scan your call history for:
  • Unknown numbers that appear often
  • Calls you did not make
• Scan your text message threads for:
  • Verification codes you did not request
  • “New login” alerts from apps you use
• Review installed apps:
  • Look for apps with generic icons or names (e.g., “System Services”, “Wi-Fi Tool”) you do not recognize.
  • Note any “parental control”, “family safety”, “phone finder”, or “device admin” apps you did not set up yourself.
  • Search the app store for the app name to see what it is designed to do.

2.3 Permissions and backups

• Open your phone’s app permissions list:
  • Check which apps can access your location, microphone, camera, contacts, and SMS.
  • Remove permissions that do not seem necessary for how you use the app.
• Check backup settings:
  • Confirm what is backed up (photos, messages, call logs).
  • Confirm which account owns the backup (Google, Apple ID, other).
  • Check who has access to that backup account.

3. Account/password lockdown

This section focuses on your most important accounts: email, phone carrier, banking, and cloud services.

3.1 Prioritize which accounts to secure first

• Email accounts (especially the one used for password resets).
• Phone carrier / mobile account (controls numbers, SIM, and sometimes call/text logs).
• Banking and money transfer apps.
• Cloud accounts (Google, Apple ID, Microsoft, Dropbox, etc.).
• Key work or school accounts that hold personal information.

3.2 Password reset checklist

• Create a plan for changing passwords:
  • Decide whether to change them gradually or all at once.
  • Consider starting with email and financial accounts.
• When changing passwords:
  • Use unique passwords for each account.
  • Avoid anything the person might guess (pet names, kids’ names, favorite sports, simple patterns).
  • Consider a passphrase (several random words with numbers and symbols mixed in).
• Check account recovery options:
  • Change recovery email to one not shared and not known to the other person, if that is safe.
  • Review recovery phone numbers and remove any that are not yours alone.
  • Review security questions and answers. Use answers that are not easy to research.

3.3 Sign-in and security settings

• Check “recent devices” or “active sessions” for each major account:
  • Note any unfamiliar locations or devices.
  • Sign out of all other sessions if that feels appropriate.
• Consider two-factor authentication (2FA):
  • If safe, turn on 2FA using a method the other person cannot access (for example, an email or app they do not control).
  • Be cautious using SMS-based 2FA if they control your phone or phone account.
• Review connected apps and third-party access:
  • Remove access for services you do not recognize or use.
  • Check if any shared calendars, drives, or notes are linked.

4. Social media lockdown

This section covers platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X/Twitter, and similar services.

4.1 Privacy and visibility settings

• Set your profile to the most private level that still works for you.
• Limit who can:
  • See your posts and stories
  • Comment or message you
  • Tag you in posts or photos
  • See your friends list or followers
• Review “search” settings:
  • Check if your profile can be found by phone number or email.
  • Turn off options that make you easy to find, if desired.

4.2 Friends, followers, and connections

• Scan your friends/followers list:
  • Identify mutual contacts who may share your information.
  • Note any accounts you do not recognize or that look fake.
• Options you might consider:
  • Limit what certain people can see using “restricted”, “close friends”, or similar lists.
  • Quietly unfollow or remove connections, if that feels safe.
  • Use separate accounts: one for public/neutral content and another more private account.

4.3 Posting and history

• Review your past posts:
  • Look for posts that show your regular locations, routines, or new relationships.
  • Decide if you want to hide, limit, or delete some of them.
• Check photo tags:
  • See where you are tagged by others.
  • Remove tags or limit who can see tagged photos if that is useful.
• Control new tagging:
  • Turn on manual review of tags where possible.
  • Limit who can tag you in new posts and stories.

4.4 Direct messages and contact options

• Check who can send you messages:
  • Consider limiting to friends or contacts only.
  • Move unknown or concerning accounts to “message requests” or block if appropriate.
• Review read receipts and online status:
  • Turn off “last seen,” “active now,” or read receipts where possible.
  • Limit which apps show when you are online.
• Save important messages:
  • Take screenshots of messages that may be useful to keep.
  • Back them up somewhere the other person cannot access.

5. Smart devices + home tech

This section covers devices like smart speakers, cameras, doorbells, thermostats, smart locks, wearables, and vehicle apps.

5.1 Identify what is in use

• Walk through your home and list devices that connect to:
  • Wi-Fi (routers, cameras, doorbells, TVs, plugs, bulbs, appliances)
  • Bluetooth (headphones, trackers, speakers)
  • Car systems (apps that start or track a vehicle)
• Note which devices:
  • Have cameras or microphones
  • Can track location or movement
  • Can control doors, locks, or alarms

5.2 Accounts and app control

• Identify which accounts control each device:
  • Smart home hubs (e.g., Alexa, Google Home, HomeKit-type apps)
  • Manufacturer apps (e.g., for cameras, doorbells, thermostats)
  • Car apps for locking, unlocking, or locating a vehicle
• Check who:
  • Owns the main account for each device
  • Has “family” or “household” access
  • Receives alerts or activity logs
• Consider options:
  • Adjust just the most concerning devices first (for example, cameras or trackers).
  • Turn off certain devices temporarily, if safe.
  • Remove your profile or limit data sharing in shared home systems.

5.3 Cameras, microphones, and logs

• Check camera settings:
  • See where footage is stored (cloud account, local device, memory card).
  • Check who can view live feeds or recordings.
  • Review access logs if the system has them.
• Check voice assistants and smart speakers:
  • Review history of voice commands if accessible.
  • See which phones or profiles are linked.
  • Consider muting microphones or unplugging devices at certain times, if that feels appropriate.
• Check activity logs:
  • Smart locks: who is unlocking and when.
  • Thermostats or sensors: unusual use or remote access.
  • Car apps: location lookups, remote starts, or lock/unlock events.

6. Location tracking scan

Location tracking can be through apps, devices, or accounts. This section helps you scan common sources.

6.1 Phone and app location settings

• Open your phone’s location settings:
  • See which apps have “always” or “precise” location access.
  • Change to “while using” or “never,” depending on what you need.
• Check built-in location sharing:
  • Look for features like “Find My,” “Location Sharing,” or “Family Location.”
  • Review any people who can see your live location.
  • Turn off sharing with anyone you do not want tracking your movements, if that feels safe.

6.2 Social media and messaging apps

• Check if your messaging or social apps:
  • Attach location to posts, photos, or messages by default.
  • Allow live location sharing in chats (for example, time-limited map sharing).
• Actions you might take:
  • Turn off location tagging for posts and stories.
  • End any active live location shares.
  • Avoid posting in real time from locations you regularly visit.

6.3 Devices and trackers

• Check vehicles:
  • See whether your car has a connected app or built-in GPS account.
  • Check who has login access for that app.
• Check wearables:
  • Smartwatches and fitness trackers may share live location.
  • Review location and sharing settings in their apps.
• Consider checking for small tracking devices:
  • Look inside bags, glove compartments, wheel wells you can safely reach, and commonly carried items.
  • Some phones can scan for certain types of tracking accessories in Bluetooth settings.

7. Emergency digital exit

An emergency digital exit is a plan for quickly reducing someone’s access to your digital life if you choose to act.

7.1 Prepare a basic exit plan

• Decide which device you trust the most for sensitive steps (for example, a work computer, library computer, or a device the other person never uses).
• List your top-priority actions in emergency order, such as:
  • Secure primary email
  • Secure banking and money apps
  • Secure cloud storage and backups
  • Adjust phone carrier account
• Store this list somewhere the other person cannot access, or memorize the main steps.

7.2 Rapid account changes (if you choose to use them)

• On your trusted device:
  • Change passwords on your most important accounts.
  • Update recovery email and phone numbers to ones that are not shared.
  • Turn on two-factor authentication where it feels safe.
• Log out active sessions:
  • Use each account’s “log out of all devices” or similar option.
  • Review connected devices afterward for anything unfamiliar.

7.3 Adjust communication and visibility

• Consider:
  • Blocking or muting numbers in your phone settings or messaging apps.
  • Limiting who can contact you on social media.
  • Temporarily disabling or hiding accounts that feel high-risk.
• Review automatic logins:
  • Turn off “remember me” or saved passwords in browsers on shared or old devices.
  • Clear browser history, cached logins, and autofill data where needed.

7.4 Save evidence before making big changes

• Before deleting or blocking, consider:
  • Saving screenshots of concerning messages, emails, or posts.
  • Backing up call logs or voicemails that may be relevant.
  • Noting dates, times, and usernames where possible.
• Store evidence:
  • On an account the other person cannot access.
  • On a secure external drive or USB kept in a safe place.

Recommended Articles

• Safety Planning Checklist
• Gathering Evidence
• Protecting Your Phone
• Social Media Safety
• Technology and Stalking