Digital Safety Checklist – Phones, Social Media, and Devices

A practical digital safety checklist to help survivors reduce tech-based risks from abusers, including phones, apps, and online accounts.

Digital Safety Checklist

Phones and Messaging

Basic phone safety

• Check who knows your phone number and whether you feel safe keeping the same number.
• Consider whether the abusive person has had access to your phone (even briefly) to install apps or change settings.
• Review your phone’s lock screen settings so that message previews and notifications do not show sensitive content.
• Turn on a strong screen lock (PIN, password, pattern, or biometric) that the abusive person does not know.
• Disable “smart lock” features that unlock your phone based on location, trusted devices, or facial recognition they might spoof.

Location settings and tracking

• Check whether Location Services / GPS are on, off, or limited for each app.
• Review apps with location access and turn off access for any you do not use or trust.
• Check for “Find my device” or similar services and confirm who has access to see your location.
• Look for shared locations in map apps (for example, “Share my location” features) and turn off any you do not want active.
• Check if your location is shared through family plans, phone carrier apps, or parental control tools.

Phone carrier and account

• Confirm that your phone account password or PIN is private and not shared with the abusive person.
• Ask your carrier if account changes, call logs, and text logs can be viewed by anyone else on the account.
• Consider whether you are on a shared family plan that allows the other person to see your data or location history.
• Ask the carrier to add a note to your account asking them to require ID or a passcode for any changes.

Texting and messaging apps

• Consider using messaging apps with end-to-end encryption for sensitive conversations.
• Check whether your messages are syncing to other devices (tablets, computers, smartwatches) the abusive person might access.
• Turn off message backups to shared cloud accounts if that feels safer.
• Review your contact list for any numbers saved under misleading names that could cause confusion or risk.
• Decide whether you want to block certain contacts or silence notifications rather than blocking them.

Call logs and voicemail

• Check who can see your call history, especially on shared devices or shared phone accounts.
• Update your voicemail PIN if the abusive person might know it.
• Delete voicemails that contain sensitive or identifying information if safe to do so.
• Ask your carrier whether call forwarding or call recording has been activated on your line.

Social Media

Privacy settings

• Review the privacy settings on each social media account (visibility of posts, stories, photos, and friend lists).
• Adjust who can send you friend requests, follow you, or message you.
• Limit who can see your past posts, not just future ones.
• Turn off location tagging or “check-in” features on posts if that feels safer.
• Review who can see your “online” or “active” status and change it if needed.

Friends, followers, and connections

• Scan your friends/followers list for anyone connected to the abusive person who might share your information.
• Consider quietly unfollowing, restricting, or muting people rather than blocking them if you want to avoid drawing attention.
• Check if the abusive person is using fake accounts to follow you.
• Limit what new connections can see about you (such as full profile details or older posts).

Posting and tagging

• Review who can tag you in photos or posts and whether tags need your approval.
• Ask trusted friends not to post your location in real time, especially if you are worried about being found.
• Consider delaying posts until after you have left a location.
• Check your photo albums for images that reveal addresses, landmarks, work uniforms, or school names.

Account security on social media

• Change your passwords if the abusive person may know or guess them.
• Turn on two-step or multi-factor authentication with a method they cannot access (for example, not their email address).
• Review devices and sessions logged in to your social media accounts and log out of any you do not recognize.
• Update your recovery phone number and email to accounts the abusive person cannot access.
• Review your “trusted contacts” or similar recovery features and remove anyone you do not fully trust.

Safety and reporting features

• Learn how to block and report users on each platform if that feels right for you.
• Explore options to restrict or limit an account so they can see less of your activity without knowing they are restricted.
• Save or screenshot abusive messages or posts if you might want them as evidence later.
• Check whether the platform allows you to download your data and what that might include.

Email & Accounts

Email security basics

• Identify which email addresses the abusive person knows about and which they may access.
• Consider creating a new, separate email account for sensitive communication or account recovery.
• Use strong, unique passwords for each email account.
• Turn on two-factor authentication using a device or method they cannot access.
• Review your email account recovery options (backup email, phone number, security questions).

Inbox privacy

• Check if your email is signed in on shared devices, workplace computers, or old phones.
• Sign out of email on devices you do not control or recognize.
• Look at “recent activity” or “logged in sessions” in your email settings, if available.
• Consider organizing sensitive emails into folders with neutral names or archiving them if that feels safer.
• Decide carefully before deleting emails that might be useful as evidence or for your own records.

Other online accounts linked to your email

• List important accounts (banking, social media, shopping, cloud storage, health portals, utilities).
• Check which email address is used for each account, especially for password resets.
• Update to a safer email for important services if you think your current email is monitored.
• Review the phone number on file for each account and change it if the abusive person can see your texts.

Passwords and authentication

• Avoid using easily guessed passwords (names, birthdays, pets, or words the abusive person might guess).
• Use different passwords for different accounts so that one breach does not open everything.
• Consider a reputable password manager if safe for you and not shared with the abusive person.
• Check for “backup codes” or recovery keys and store them in a safe place the abusive person cannot access.

Monitoring and shared access

• Think about any passwords you have shared in the past, written down, or entered while the abusive person was watching.
• Review any “shared access” roles you may have granted in apps (for example, shared calendars, shared drives).
• Remove or limit sharing where it no longer feels safe.
• Check browser “saved passwords” on shared or family devices and clear any that you do not want stored there.

Devices in the Home

Shared computers and tablets

• Identify which devices are shared and which are private.
• Create your own user account on shared computers with a separate password, if possible.
• Log out of your accounts after use, especially on shared devices.
• Clear browsing history, cookies, and saved logins if that feels safer in your situation.
• Avoid using “private” or “incognito” mode if you think the abusive person closely monitors the device; sudden changes can raise questions.

Smartphones, tablets, and wearables

• Check for apps you do not recognize or did not install, especially those with access to location, microphone, or texts.
• Review app permissions and remove any that do not make sense.
• Check smartwatches or fitness trackers for shared activity, location, or notifications that might expose your movements.
• Consider whether the abusive person set up the device originally and might still control accounts or settings.

Smart home devices

• List any smart devices in your home: speakers, cameras, doorbells, thermostats, plugs, lights, locks, TVs, and appliances.
• Check which accounts control these devices and who has the login details.
• Review settings for cameras, microphones, and motion alerts.
• Look for unusual changes in temperature, lighting, or devices switching on/off, which can sometimes indicate remote control.
• If it feels safe, adjust notification and access settings so that fewer people can monitor the devices.

Internet router and Wi‑Fi

• Find out who controls the Wi‑Fi router and knows the admin password.
• Be aware that someone with router access may see connected devices and certain traffic details.
• Decide whether using mobile data (instead of Wi‑Fi) for sensitive tasks feels safer.
• Check for any unfamiliar device names connected to your network.

Possible spyware or monitoring tools

• Notice if your device battery drains quickly, runs hot, or behaves unusually after the abusive person has used it.
• Look for apps with generic or misleading names installed around the time control increased.
• Check security settings to see if “unknown sources” are allowed or if device management apps are installed.
• Consider getting the device checked by a trusted professional or support service if you suspect monitoring.
• If you believe your device is heavily monitored, it may be safer to use a different device (for example, at a library or trusted friend’s place) rather than trying to remove suspected spyware yourself.

Planning next steps

• Decide which changes feel safe to make now and which might need to wait.
• Keep important information (such as account details or screenshots of abuse) backed up in a safe location if you choose.
• Consider talking with a trusted person or a local support service if you want help thinking through digital safety options.

Recommended Articles

• Online Privacy Basics
• Recognizing Digital Surveillance
• Stalking and Harassment Overview
• Evidence and Documentation Checklist
• Safety Planning Basics