The default passcode for iPad and iPhone uses a fairly simple four digit numerical password, these are fairly easy to guess because statistically many people use common passwords or some variation of a simple theme, like a repetition, countdown, or birth year.
An easy way to add more security to an iOS device is to disable simple passcodes and utilize the full keyboard, here’s how to enable this setting.
- Tap on “Settings” and tap “General”
- Tap on “Passcode Lock” and enter the current passcode
- Next to “Simple Passcode” slide the ON button so that it’s off
- Enter the old simple 4 digit passcode, and then enter the new password based on the full keyboard and special characters
You can now use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters, though using the latter can be difficult to remember since their placement is different on the iOS keyboard than a standard QWERTY layout.
Don’t set something so complicated that you can’t remember it yourself, though it isn’t too difficult to reset if you need to, assuming you have access to a computer.
For those especially concerned with security, you can also set the iPhone or iPad to “self destruct” and automatically erase all data after 10 failed password attempts. This is also a fairly good anti-theft countermeasure, just make sure you don’t forget it yourself or you could accidentally wipe your device.