After a huge number of nude celebrity photos were leaked over the weekend, you should take a moment to ensure the photos that you have on your phone are safe.
A bug in Apple's iCloud, the company's cloud system that automatically backs up some phone data, may have played a part in the hack. Apple is investigating.
There are a few steps you can take to protect your own photos, whether they're racy selfies or just shots of family and friends you don't want hackers accessing. Here are the three most important things you can do, and how to do them:
1. Take your photos off of iCloud
If the photos you take on your iPhone are automatically uploading to iCloud, they could be at risk. Here's how to stop that from happening.
a. Go to Settings and hit iCloud
b. Scroll down and hit Photos
c. Turn off My Photo Stream and Photo Sharing
2. Delete anything you don't want in your Photo Stream
If your photos were previously being uploaded to iCloud automatically, you should make sure you don't have anything incriminating in your Photo Stream. To do that, just click Photos on your iPhone, then hit Albums, and take a look at My Photo Stream. Delete any photos you don't want in there.
3. Set up two-step verification for iCloud
You should also set up two-step verification for your iCloud account. With two-step verification, someone needs to input a special code that is texted to your phone or your individual Recovery Key (a separate password) to log in to your iCloud account.
a. Go to iCloud.com and sign in to your account
b. Click Account Settings
c. Click on your Apple ID
From there you'll be taken to a new page.
d. Click Manage your Apple ID
e. Click Password and Security
Apple will now ask you the security questions you put in when you created your iCloud account (things like your mother's maiden name). Once you're logged in, you'll give Apple a phone number to set up two-step verification. Apple will send a code to your phone, and you'll put it in online. You'll also get a special code called a Verification Key that you should print out and keep. If you don't have your phone and need to sign in to iCloud, you can type in your Verification Key.
Anytime you try to sign in to your iCloud account, Apple will text you a code to put in. This way, a hacker would need both your iCloud login and your actual phone to get to your content.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.