All users more attentive to privacy they will have asked themselves at least once, how to prevent the smartphone from listening to us.
A more than legitimate question and, especially in times of data profiling e advertising wild could make a difference. To be honest, the issue is not as simple as we think and the discussion on targeted advertising is quite complex and could depend on multiple factors and not just theactive listening of our phone.
However, solving (at least in part) is possible, let’s see how to understand if the cell phone is listening to us and how to act accordingly.
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1. Preliminary considerations
Anyone who has asked themselves the above question will also have wondered whether the problem of the smartphone listening to us could depend on virus e malware.
The answer is yes and, often, if you decide to download applications from unknown sources or taken outside your reference store, the risk of running into a malicious software it’s definitely tall.
Therefore, first of all, to protect your privacy it is always advisable to download applications from reliable sources and especially legal.
On the other hand, however, alongside malicious apps there are all those programs that we commonly use that could exploit the microphone to collect our conversations.
After all, who has never happened to talk about some product and immediately find the sponsorship of that specific article on social media or on the web?
Targeted advertising, in fact, does not just depend on searches carried out on the web o dai like messi sui socialbut it often also depends on the conversations and what the phone’s microphone picks up while the user speaks.
The issue, as already mentioned, is not exactly 100% crystal clear and reports against technology giants for such behavior are not uncommon.
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2. How to block listening to an iPhone
Although Apple is one of the companies most attentive to the privacy of its users, it is not uncommon for owners of iPhone are faced with the question of how to prevent the smartphone from listening to us.
Solving it is possible and the first thing to do, therefore, is disable Siri, the famous voice assistant of the Cupertino giant.
To do this you have to go to the iOS settings and tap on the item Siri and Search. Here you have to look for options Enable Hey Siri and disable the option award il key lateral per Sirithat award il key Home per Siri and finally that Usa Siri when blocked.
To make your device even more secure you can also go through the Settingstap on Privacy and safety, then up Analyses and improvements and disable the option Improve Siri and dictation.
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3. Remove microphone permissions
To manage your own in detail privacy and block active listening on your iPhone you can remove i permissions to use the microphone of the individual apps.
To do this just open Settingstap on Privacy and safety and then up Microphonetaking care to remove from the list the applications from which you want to revoke permission to use the microphone.
By doing so, iPhone owners will no longer have to fear unwanted listening from their smartphone, even if, as already seen, this will not affect searches on the web or on social media.
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4. How to block listening to an Android smartphone
Owners of one smartphone Androidthey have all the services of Google and, clearly, also the well-known voice assistant of the technology giant who is always listening, patiently waiting for the user to call him with the classic phrase Hey Google.
Quest does not exclude the fact that the tool can listen to what the user says and (potentially) profile his statements to show certain advertisements.
To block the thing, it is possible stop operation Of Google Assistant and have a little more privacy.
First you need to tap on the Google app and then press at the top right where your account profile photo is.
At this point you need to select the Profile settings and scroll to the tab Google Assistant and move the tab to Off Voice Matchso that the voice assistant can no longer be called via the phrase Hey Google.
At this point you can go back Settingslook for the wording Assistant Google and then that Screenshot Of block taking care to deactivate the voice Answers of the assistant in the screen Of block.
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5. Remove microphone permissions
To definitively eliminate the fear of cell phone that listens to usyou can remove the microphone usage permission on installed applications.
To do this just go to the Android Settings, tap on the item Applications and, selecting each individual installed software, go to Management permissions and revoke permission to use the microphone.
The procedure is extremely simple, however to ensure a flawless result it must be repeated several times on every single software installed.
Furthermore, please note that these indications may change depending on the smartphone model or the version of Android installed. For more information you can search for more specific guides that refer to your device.
Clearly, it must be remembered that this operation will only affect the microphone therefore, in the case of searches on the web or its social networks, Google will still be able to extrapolate personal data to targeted advertising.
To know more: Computer security: guide to safe browsing on the web