Your smartphone or tablet is smarter than you might think. It has features powered by artificial intelligence that can help keep you safe, protect your privacy, and make everyday tasks simpler. But not all of these features need to be on—and some you might want to adjust based on what feels right for you.
The good news? You don’t need to understand how AI works to use these settings. This guide walks you through the most important ones, step by step, in plain language. We’ll show you what each setting does, why it matters, and whether you should turn it on or off.
Table of Contents
- Location Services — Know When to Share Your Location
- Face ID or Fingerprint — Your Safest Lock
- App Permissions — Control What Apps Can See
- Automatic Updates — Keep Your Device Protected
- Two-Factor Authentication — Extra Protection for Important Accounts
- Privacy Settings — See What's Being Collected
- Voice Assistant — Helpful, But You Control It
- Password Manager — Store Passwords Safely
- Find My Device — Locate Your Phone If It's Lost
- Final Thoughts
Key Takeaways
- Location Services — Turn on for maps and emergencies, but limit which apps can access your location
- Face ID or Fingerprint — A safe way to unlock your device without remembering passwords
- App Permissions — Control what information apps can see (camera, microphone, contacts)
- Automatic Updates — Keep your device secure by allowing software updates
- Two-Factor Authentication — Adds an extra layer of protection to important accounts
- Privacy Settings — Review what data is being collected and shared
- Voice Assistant — Helpful for hands-free control, but you can limit what it listens to
Location Services — Know When to Share Your Location
Location Services uses GPS and other technology to pinpoint where you are. This is incredibly helpful for maps, finding nearby restaurants, or emergency services knowing where to find you.
What to do:
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services
- Turn Location Services ON — this is generally safe and helpful
- Scroll down to see which apps can access your location
- For apps you don’t use often, change the setting to “Never” or “Only While Using”
- Keep it “Always” only for apps like maps or emergency services
Why it matters: This prevents apps from tracking you when you’re not using them.
Face ID or Fingerprint — Your Safest Lock
Instead of remembering a password, you can unlock your phone with your face or fingerprint. This is actually one of the safest ways to protect your device.
What to do:
- Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Fingerprint & Security)
- Follow the on-screen steps to set up your face or fingerprint
- Make sure a strong passcode is also set as a backup
Why it matters: It’s harder for someone else to unlock your phone, and you don’t have to remember complicated passwords.
App Permissions — Control What Apps Can See
Apps often ask permission to access your camera, microphone, contacts, or photos. You don’t have to say yes to all of them.
What to do:
- Go to Settings > Privacy
- Look at each category: Camera, Microphone, Contacts, Photos, etc.
- For each app listed, ask yourself: “Does this app really need access to this?”
- Change permissions to “Never” or “Only While Using” for apps that don’t need constant access
Example: A weather app doesn’t need access to your contacts or camera. A video calling app does need your camera and microphone.
Why it matters: This prevents apps from collecting information about you without your knowledge.
Automatic Updates — Keep Your Device Protected
Software updates fix security problems and add new safety features. Turning on automatic updates means your device stays protected without you having to remember to update it.
What to do:
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update
- Turn on “Automatic Updates” or “Install System Data and Security”
- You can also set it to update at night when you’re not using your device
Why it matters: Hackers find new ways to attack devices every day. Updates patch these holes and keep you safe.
Two-Factor Authentication — Extra Protection for Important Accounts
Two-factor authentication (or “2FA”) adds a second step when you log into important accounts like email or banking. Even if someone gets your password, they can’t access your account without this second step.
What to do:
- Go to your email, bank, or social media account settings
- Look for “Security” or “Two-Factor Authentication”
- Choose a method: text message, app notification, or security key
- Follow the steps to set it up
Why it matters: This is one of the best ways to protect accounts that contain sensitive information.
Privacy Settings — See What’s Being Collected
Your device collects information about how you use it—what apps you open, where you go, what you search for. You can see this and limit it.
What to do:
- Go to Settings > Privacy
- Look at “Analytics” or “Diagnostics”
- Turn off “Share iPhone Analytics” or similar options if you’re uncomfortable with data collection
- Review “Advertising” settings and turn on “Limit Ad Tracking”
Why it matters: This reduces the amount of personal information being collected about you.
Voice Assistant — Helpful, But You Control It
Siri (on Apple devices) or Google Assistant (on Android) can help you make calls, send messages, or search the web—just by speaking. But you can control when it listens.
What to do:
- Go to Settings > Siri & Search (or Google Assistant)
- Turn on “Listen for ‘Hey Siri'” only if you want hands-free activation
- Turn off “Siri on Lock Screen” if you prefer not to use it when your device is locked
- Review which apps can use the voice assistant
Why it matters: This prevents accidental activation and keeps your voice commands private.
Password Manager — Store Passwords Safely
Your device can remember passwords for you in a secure vault. This is safer than writing them down or using the same password everywhere.
What to do:
- Go to Settings > Passwords (or Autofill)
- Turn on “AutoFill Passwords”
- When you create a new account, let your device save the password
- Your passwords are encrypted and protected by your Face ID or fingerprint
Why it matters: Strong, unique passwords are harder to hack, and you don’t have to remember them all.
Find My Device — Locate Your Phone If It’s Lost
If your phone goes missing, this feature helps you find it, lock it remotely, or erase it to protect your information.
What to do:
- Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My
- Turn on “Find My iPhone” (or “Find My Mobile” on Android)
- Make sure “Find My Network” is enabled
Why it matters: If your device is lost or stolen, you can protect your personal information.
Final Thoughts
AI settings might sound complicated, but they’re really just tools to help you stay safe and in control. You don’t need to turn everything on—just the features that make sense for your life.
Start with the basics: turn on Face ID or fingerprint, set up two-factor authentication for important accounts, and review your app permissions. These three steps alone will make a big difference in keeping your device and information secure.
Remember, your phone should work for you, not the other way around. If a setting feels confusing or unnecessary, you can always turn it off. The goal is to feel confident and safe using your device—and that starts with understanding what these settings do.