iPhone Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

How to remotely erase a lost or stolen smartphone to protect your sensitive info

Posted on February 24, 2026

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Have you ever stopped to consider just how much of your digital life is stored on your smartphone?

First, there are the names and phone numbers of all your contacts (and possibly their email addresses and other sensitive info as well).

Then there are apps for accessing your bank account, your social media accounts and the accounts for all the other online services you use (and possibly the usernames and passwords to those accounts as well). [Read more…]

How (and why) to stop mobile apps from tracking your location

Posted on February 21, 2026

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Did you know that at least some of the apps on your phone are probably tracking your location even if the app doesn’t need location data in order to perform the task it was intended for.

Of course a Maps app has a legitimate need to track your location, for obvious reasons.

So does an app that keeps you up-to-date on where to buy the cheapest gasoline in the area you happen to be driving through. [Read more…]

How to prevent your phone from ringing at a bad time

Posted on January 22, 2026

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Have you ever fallen asleep only to be awakened in the middle of the night by a phone call from someone who had no idea how late it was (or who simply didn’t care)?

Or perhaps you’ve signed up for a class and you’d rather not disturb everyone in the room with an endless barrage of notification sounds?

You can easily avoid situations like that by enabling “Do Not Disturb” mode on your phone. Just follow the steps below that apply to your phone. [Read more…]

Q&A: Does my iPhone need an antivirus app?

Posted on January 17, 2026

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Question from Lilly: Hello, Rick. I just have a very quick question.

Do I need to install an antivirus app on my iPhone? One friend says I do and another friend says I don’t.

I’d really like to know for sure so I can make sure my phone is protected. I just don’t want to install another app if I don’t need it. But if I do need to install one, which one would you recommend? [Read more…]

Q&A: Can a phone catch a virus from an infected email?

Posted on December 26, 2025

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Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Theresa: Rick, I was wondering if it’s possible for an infected email to load a virus onto a smartphone?

Last night I was using my iPhone to check my email and I accidentally opened an email that appeared to be from China while I was trying to delete it. When the email opened up it said it was downloading a file.

I haven’t noticed any problems with the phone so far. I’m cautiously optimistic because I’ve always been told that only Windows computers are subject to virus infections.

Do you think I have anything to worry about? [Read more…]