Privacy starts with
the everyday settings

List the accounts that unlock the rest of your digital life: your main inbox, device account and password manager, if you use one. Review these before spending time on less important settings. Recovery is part of privacy: losing access can leave you unable to remove old data or end unwanted sharing.

Use a distinct password for each account. Where available, enable an additional sign-in factor and check how account recovery works. Keep backup codes in a secure place you can reach if your usual device is unavailable. Avoid storing your only recovery route inside the account it is meant to recover.

Review active sessions and remove devices you no longer recognize or use. If a session looks suspicious, follow the service’s account-security process rather than only signing that session out.

On a shared computer, use a separate operating-system account where practical and lock the screen when you step away. A browser profile can organize bookmarks and sign-ins, but it is not a substitute for a separate device account when someone else can open the same profile.

Private browsing can limit what remains in that browser’s local history after the private session ends. It does not make you invisible to a website you sign in to, or to a network operator. Files you download can also remain on the device.

Before handing over or selling a device, back up what you need and follow the manufacturer’s current reset instructions for that model. Check that you can open the backup on another device before erasing the original.