Your iPhone could be one tap away from being hacked if you’ve not taken the right precautions, an expert has warned. In our modern era, we rely on our phones for almost everything, from banking and emails to storing some of our most personal data, with a single device often acting as the key to your entire digital life.
According to figures from the Metropolitan Police, 71,391 mobile phones were stolen in London alone in 2025, with crime survey data showing snatch thefts of phones and bags rose by 70 per cent year-on-year in 2024, reaching a 20-year high. Over the past four years, more than 224,000 phones have been reported stolen in London, with a street value estimated at over £20 million by UK Parliament figures.
Azza Kidiwala, iPhone tech expert at TechWala (techwala.co.uk) , has shared five simple changes that take just minutes to make and could significantly reduce the risk of being hacked. He said: “The danger isn’t just losing the handset. Two-factor codes, banking apps, saved passwords, and personal photos are all at risk if a thief can get past your phone’s basic security. The good news is that the strongest protections take just a few minutes to set up.”
Switch your 4-digit PIN to a 6-digit (or longer) custom code
A standard 4-digit PIN has just 10,000 possible combinations and can be cracked by a thief watching over your shoulder in seconds. A 6-digit PIN has 1,000,000 possible combinations, and a custom alphanumeric code is virtually unguessable.
Azza said: “If a thief sees you type in your PIN at a cafe or on the train, they can have your phone in their pocket and your bank accounts emptied within minutes. The single biggest upgrade you can make is switching from a 4-digit PIN to a 6-digit or custom alphanumeric code.”
On iPhone, head to Settings, Face ID & Passcode, Change Passcode, then tap Passcode Options to choose Custom Numeric Code or Custom Alphanumeric Code.
Turn on ‘Find My iPhone’ immediately
According to phone theft research, only 25 per cent of phone theft victims remotely wipe their devices, meaning three-quarters leave their personal data accessible to thieves. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) specifically recommends every smartphone user has device tracking enabled.
Azza said: “Find My iPhone is one of those features people switch on once and never check again. But it lets you track your phone if it’s lost, lock it remotely so a thief can’t access anything, and wipe all your data if you can’t get it back. Without it, a stolen phone is an open book.”
On iPhone, go to Settings, tap your name at the top, then Find My, then Find My iPhone, and turn on all three options.
Enable Stolen Device Protection
Introduced by Apple in iOS 17.3 in early 2024 and still found in all current versions of iOS, Stolen Device Protection is one of Apple’s most powerful security features, and yet most iPhone users have no idea it exists. When enabled, it requires Face ID or Touch ID, with no passcode fallback, for sensitive actions like viewing saved passwords or changing your Apple ID password. It also adds a one-hour security delay before critical changes can be made.
Azza said: “Stolen Device Protection is the single best protection Apple has ever released against the phone-snatch scams happening across London. Even if a thief has watched you type in your passcode and grabbed your phone, they still can’t access your bank passwords or change your Apple ID. Yet most iPhone owners I speak to have never even heard of it.”
To enable it, go to Settings, Face ID & Passcode, scroll down to Stolen Device Protection, and turn it on. Anyone using online banking or saving passwords on their iPhone should consider this essential.
Audit which apps have access to your microphone and camera
Most people know to check what’s accessing their location, but few think to audit microphone and camera permissions. Rogue or compromised apps with access to these can effectively turn your phone into a surveillance device.
Azza said: “Ask yourself if that random shopping app you downloaded once really needs access to your microphone. The answer is almost always no. I’d recommend doing a quick audit of microphone and camera permissions every three months, and revoking access for any app that doesn’t have an obvious reason to need it.”
On iPhone, go to Settings, Privacy & Security, then check both the Microphone and Camera sections.
Avoid public WiFi for anything sensitive
Public WiFi networks in cafes, airports, and hotels are one of the easiest places for hackers to intercept your data. If you log into your banking app or email while connected to an open WiFi network, anyone on that same network with basic hacking knowledge can potentially see what you’re doing.
Azza said: “For anything involving banking or passwords, just use your mobile data rather than public WiFi. It’s safer and your bank will thank you. If you absolutely have to use public WiFi for something sensitive, use a reputable VPN app to encrypt your connection first.”
For more information, please visit: https://techwala.co.uk/