You are standing on the street when a stranger walks by and asks if he can borrow your phone so he can call you. They died, you know, and they had to tell anyone they met to sit in the back. Or you're talking to a friend about the person you started dating, and when you pick up his Instagram to see the picture, your friend will take your phone and start rolling.

Tense. Someone else's hands on your unlocked device can cause your heart to pound. We store so much data and personal information on our small handhelds that sharing it with others, even voluntarily, may seem like a potential invasion of privacy. But it doesn't make sense to feel that way - Android and iOS have useful built-in options that prevent what your smartphone visitors can and can't do. Even if it is unlocked.

How to securely share an Android phone

When Android 5.0 Lollipop was released in 2014, the operating system included a feature called Screen Pinning, which has been the basis ever since. This mode basically locks the phone user in a particular application, so if the visitor is holding the screen phone, they can't open other applications or change settings if they can't open the phone. It's perfect if you lend your device to someone to call you or give it to your children so they can watch YouTube videos.

To set a screen pin, go to Settings and tap Security, then Advanced settings and Application pin. Rotate the toggle next to Use app pin and make sure Always require a PIN or unlock gesture is always set to On before unlocking.

Then open the application that your visitor wants to access. Swipe up and hold from the bottom of the screen to open the Overview carousel. Click the icon at the top of the application you want to pin and a drop-down menu will appear. Select the Pin that should be first in the list, and this app will be the only one available to users. To restore all phone functions, swipe up and hold your finger again, and then enter your PIN or gesture.

If you want to equip other equipment or have a friend or relative with whom you regularly rent your device, try the Android guest mode. This feature allows a regular phone service provider to create their own user account complete with standalone applications, browser settings and more. Imagine computers being able to host different users, each with their own settings, files, and layouts. The guest mode on your Android phone is the same, and the person using it will no longer be able to return to your account or access your files without opening your device.

To find the guest mode, open Settings, select System, Multiple Users, and enable the radio button. If a particular person has borrowed a lot of your phone, you can give them their own named account by clicking Add User. Otherwise, just click Add and switch to a cleaner version of Android, where there are no open accounts. In guest mode, users cannot send text messages, make calls, or access common backup and reset features. However, visitors can sign in to the apps with their own accounts, and if they have proof from Google, they can access apps like Gmail and the Google Play Store. To return to your account, go to the same multi-user screen as before and enter your password.

Although visitors may try to access your account without your knowledge, they should break the lock screen protection. If you haven't already mentioned this (if so, change your password or set your biometrics), you're still the only one who can go back to your personal applications and have full control over your device. If these options aren't enough for your needs, download Norton App Lock (free), which allows you to protect any application on your phone with a PIN, even if the phone is already unlocked. For example, if you want to rent someone your device but hide it on Snapchat, Facebook, and Google Photos, Norton App Lock can help.

How to securely share an iPhone

On Apple smartphones, Guided Access helps protect your iPhone from anyone who borrows it. This mode acts as an Android screen pin and restricts visitors to only one desired application if they do not have the correct PIN, Touch ID, or Face ID permission.

To set up the Accessibility Wizard, open Settings and select Accessibility and then Accessibility Wizard. The following screen allows you to enable or disable the function and set whether to use PIN, Touch ID or Face ID to enter the mode. If you set timeouts in the Access Guide, you can also set them here.

Open the app you want to block a visitor from, click the sidebar or Home button three times (depending on your iPhone model), and the accessibility pop-up menu will appear. Click the Access Guide to get circles or frames around any area of   the screen you want to deactivate. Do this and a gray box will appear - you can clear it by clicking the X in the upper right corner or resize it by touching and dragging the circles at their corners. You can also tap Options and set timeouts to disable or enable certain features, such as the side button and touch input.

Before you hand over your phone to a friend, tap Start to enter controlled access mode (you can create a password to continue). Double-tap the side or home button again with the correct PIN, fingerprint, or face to deactivate the Access Guide.

Unlike Android, iOS does not offer multiple user accounts or third-party locking applications. However, if your Access Guide doesn't work very well, there are a few other options that may be worth your while. The first is a long list of parental controls, which you can find in Settings under Screen time and Privacy and privacy restrictions. These options control user access to the web, cameras, certain types of age-sensitive content, and more. Sure, you don't want to experience all this every time you give your phone to a friend, but if you always give your iOS device to your 5-year-old cousin, you can make money. op. Back on the Screen Time menu, click Use Screen Time Passcode and enter a PIN to prevent anyone else from changing these settings.

Finally, if you want some photos and videos to remain private - and you don't have to worry about everything on your phone - you can hide pictures and clips from the Photos app for iOS. Just click the Share button and then select Hide. This will remove the selected photos and videos from the Moments, Years, and Collections views, although fixed search can still access them via search or the Albums screen.

Whether you lend your phone to a stranger, friend or family member, some combination of these tips should be part of every Android and iOS event. But if you're not calm yet and people don't really trust your property, there's a simpler, more analogous way - just don't give them your phone first.