To keep your phone secure, use a screen lock when it goes to sleep:

• Set up a pattern, PIN or password to unlock your phone.
• Add a Smart Lock to unlock automatically when connected to a trusted device, when you're at a trusted place (such as home or work), with facial recognition, or until you set your phone down.
• You can access notifications and quick settings, start a call and open the camera from the lock screen.
• You can make emergency calls on a locked phone. A locked phone still rings; you don't need to unlock it to answer.
• If you forgot your pattern, PIN or password, follow these steps.

You can customise the lock screen by adding your contact info. You can also control which notifications appear on your lock screen.

NFC (Near Field Communication) is a short-range wireless technology that lets you quickly exchange information between your phone and other NFC-enabled smartphones, smart accessories, and smart posters.

When you use NFC to communicate with other devices, you do so securely:

• NFC only works over a short range (a few centimetres), so it's unlikely that you'll connect by mistake. In order to snag your NFC signal, an eavesdropper would need to be uncomfortably close to you. And you would still have to accept the connection before sending or receiving information.
• Your phone uses the latest security, encryption, and authentication features to protect your personal information.
• You can turn off NFC when you're not using it. But even when NFC is ON, it's automatically disabled when your phone display is locked.

Along with these safeguards, only exchange information with others you know and trust.

• Protect your phone in case it's lost or stolen. Use Find My Device.
• Connect to a virtual private network if you need to access files on a secure network.
• Add a SIM lock to prevent others from using your mobile plan and accessing account information if your phone is stolen.
• Encrypt your phone. Encryption protects the accounts, apps and files so that people cannot access them if your phone is stolen.
• Prevent viruses and other attacks on your data and privacy with Google Play Protect.