This one is not for everyone, but it is a sure way to know when someone is trying to poke their nose into your device. It’s a great way to catch somebody pants down once, because no one will ever make the same mistake twice. Would you like to catch your jealous husband checking on your emails and phone calls while you are in shower? Or catch your rebellious teens buying games while you cook? Check this out.
The situations when you might leave your device unattended arise daily – at home, at your friends’ place, in a public changing room in gyms and swimming pools, at the office when you simply go to the restroom. If your device is only protected by a simple 4 digit PIN code or a lock pattern, you may never feel too secure because your co-workers may easily snoop the code by looking over your shoulder when you least expect it. Students sharing their dorms and renting places with their friends, spouses and co-workers, everybody tries to take a look at your images or text messages at least once in a while. It’s human nature – curiosity. Put an end to bad habits of your friends, relatives and colleagues by sending cold shivers down their spine if they try to eavesdrop on you.
Touch alarm protector takes on quite an approach that reminds me of an electric shocker – when enabled, it will make your Android emanate shriek alarm sounds when the device is moved. The alarm sound will continue ringing until you enter a secret unlock key. The default unlock code in Touch Alarm Protector is pressing the Volume Up button three times consecutively, but you can configure your own unlock combination.
Once you install the app, it is of course in disarmed state, and the developers recommend you study the controls thoroughly before you first arm it, and the Touch Alarm Protector’s Preferences tab has the following functionality for you to toy with.
Features
Besides arming/disarming the alarm itself, you can adjust the alarm’s volume, which is set to maximum by default. Additionally, you can select a custom ringtone to use as an alarm sound when your device is moved. You can also have the app beep when you activate the alarm and choose if you would like the alarm to ring in a continuous loop until you disarm it with a secret key.
The sensitivity level enables users to adjust the alarm’s sensitivity to the touch, and exclude some occasions of false alarm going off. Thus, you have 4 sensitivity levels and you should try them all to see which suits you best.
Moreover, you can enable the vibration and blinking LED signals to the initial alarm ringtone.
Thankfully, you have an option to change the disarm code from the default one, so that it is unique and unknown to others, even those using the same app.
The best feature in my humble opinion is the capability of recording a video once the alarm is activated. The file is stored in /sdcard/Pictures/TouchAlarmProtector directory, and this sort of proof base can give you an insight as to who, when and why tried to access your device.
Important notice: even though the app will emanate a highly pitched alarm tone (if you choose for it to do so) when someone tries to pick up your device, it will not prevent this someone from accessing your data. Even when the app is armed and the alarm is ringing, whoever wants access to your data can easily have it unless you have extra protection, such as AppLock or an overall device encryption. If you are not using it, the curiosity cat can simply disarm the app from the app’s settings. It is important you understand – the app does not prevent unauthorized access to your device as such. Instead, it lets you know the fact of snooping might have taken place.
Touch Alarm Protector download link
To make your Android more secure generally, refer to the following guides:
- How to encrypt your Android device
- AppLock
