How to Prevent Snoops from Accessing Private Messages, Photos, Videos, & More on Your Nexus 7

My friends can be pretty shitty sometimes, but they're my friends nonetheless. On various occasions, they've secretly taken my device and made me look foolish by posting crude and embarrassing posts to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. With friends like these, who needs enemies, right? And it's because of these types of friends that we need to substantially upgrade the app security on our devices.

There are plenty of security apps available for you Nexus 7, including Smart App Protector and AppLock, which let you password-protect apps on an individual basis, but both are a little confusing. I'm going to show you different app for your Nexus 7 that'll get the job done faster and easier.

The app in question is called ZDlock by ZDworks, free on Google Play, which lets you easily set passcodes for specific apps to keep them snoop-free.

Setting Up Your Passcode on ZDlock

On the app's first run, you'll need to make a passcode and set up a security question. Once in ZDlock, there are two main tabs, Unlocked and Locked, which makes things easy.

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Simply tap an application from the Unlocked tab and watch it glide over to the Locked tab. Now, when someone tries opening the locked app, they'll need to input your passcode.

Make Your Apps "Crash" When Accessed

If you want to make it less conspicuous that you're locking people out, then try the Fake Cover feature. Once on the Locked side, press and hold the app, then slide to the left. If done correctly, you will see an iguana logo.

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Much like "Fake Lock" in Smart App Protector and "Fake Error Message" in AppLock, this feature essentially gives your friends the impression that the app they're trying to access secretly has crashed, instead of them thinking you've locked them out.

To bypass the fake message, just press and hold OK, then input your passcode.

Prevent Friends from Uninstalling Your Apps

Finally, you can prevent outsiders from uninstalling an app with the Prevent Uninstall option. This will require a passcode whenever an app is uninstalled on your device.

And that's all there is to it. You've just prevented your nosy-ass friends from accessing your private conversations, photos, and social media with one easy, free app.

Chain and lock image via Shutterstock