Area 1 of 7 · Mobile and device safety
Protect Your Device
Your phone holds your bank, your photos and your identity. Ten minutes of setup keeps strangers out of all three.
Learn: five habits
Bit explains what to do, and why it works.
Lock the screen
Use a PIN of 6 digits or more, or your fingerprint. Set the screen to lock by itself after 30 seconds.
Why: A phone without a lock hands a thief your UPI apps, your OTPs and your email in one go.
Update the phone and its apps
Turn on automatic updates for the system and for apps. Install them the same week they arrive.
Why: Updates close security holes that attackers already know about.
Install apps only from the official store
Use the Play Store or the App Store. Never install an .apk file that arrives in a chat, an SMS or an email.
Why: An app from outside the store can read your SMS, your OTPs and your screen.
Check what your apps are allowed to do
Open Settings, then Privacy, then Permission manager. Remove SMS, contacts, microphone and location from apps that do not need them.
Why: A torch app has no reason to read your messages. An app that can read SMS can read your OTPs.
Be careful on public Wi-Fi
Use mobile data for banking and payments. Turn off "connect automatically" for open Wi-Fi networks.
Why: An open network can be a fake hotspot set up to watch what you do.
Red flags to remember
- A message that asks you to install an app to fix a problem
- A pop-up saying your phone has a virus and you must "clean now"
- An app asking for SMS or accessibility permission it has no use for
- The phone suddenly running hot or slow, or showing apps you did not install
Play
Clear at least one. The games are short, and every answer is explained.
Start here · Detective
Not playedDigital Cleanup
Dada's phone and accounts have not been tidied in years. Tap everything that needs fixing, and leave what is already fine.
With Bit · 16 cluesPlay Match
Not playedSafety Habits Match
Link each everyday safety habit to the trouble it saves you from.
With Bit · 6 pairsPlay Memory
Not playedCyber Safety Words
Flip cards to pair everyday cyber safety words with what they mean.
With Dadi · 6 pairsPlay Practise
Optional, and worth it: a longer exercise that asks for your name and email so that your result is saved.
Check
Five situations from this area. Score 80 or more to complete it.
Mini test: 5 quick situations
Pick what you would really do in each one. Score 80 or more to complete this area. There is no timer, and you can try as many times as you like.
- About 2 minutes
- No sign-up
- Nothing leaves your phone
Lost money to a scam? Call 1930 at once, then your bank, then file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in. The first hour matters most.
Call 1930