Tips for Safe Crypto Use on Your Tablet

Tablets are very convenient for crypto, offering a bigger screen than your phone and are more portable than laptops. For this reason, tablets are popular for trading, gaming, wallets, and quick money transfers.

Unfortunately, they also offer a larger attack surface for hackers and other risks, including malware, phishing, theft, and human error. Here are some expert tips on tablet-specific safety practices.

Keep Your Tablet’s OS and Apps Up To Date

It is such a simple thing and often overlooked, but outdated software on your tablet can mean a weak vault with broken locks, which attackers can exploit. It is therefore essential to enable automatic system updates on iPadOS or Android.

Also, make sure that all apps (including your browsers) related to wallets and exchanges use the latest versions.

This is especially important if you are using your tablet for crypto gaming or entertainment, as well as trading and transactions where you’re handling sensitive financial information.

For example, trusted coin crypto casinos and other forms of iGaming use crypto as a payment method to offer a range of gambling entertainment experiences using fast payment processes. However, hackers and phishing scams also target players, and outdated apps or browsers make for a high-risk environment.

Use Trusted Wallets 

Carrying hot wallets on a tablet is fine for small balances, but shouldn’t be used for storing big sums. Instead, use a hardware wallet like Ledger or Trezor to store keys offline, where they can be kept safe from tablet hacks.

Only install mobile wallets from official app stores via verified project website links, never through random download links. Avoid sideloaded Android Package Kits (APKs) on Android OS at all costs, unless you trust the source 100%.

Lock Physical Access and Add Layers of Authentication

A lost or stolen tablet means an instant risk to your crypto and other financial information if your wallets and vaults are not properly secured. Some precautionary measures you can take are to use strong passcodes (not 4-digit PINs) and add a biometric lock like a face ID or fingerprint (if available).

In addition to your tablet, wallet apps should require their own PIN or password. You can also disable lock-screen previews for wallet and exchange notifications. Reduce the theft window by enabling short auto-lock intervals for your screen.

Storing Seed Phrases Safely

Cloud accounts can be hacked, leaving your seed phrase(s) exposed if you’ve saved them there. This also applies to screenshots, as these are typically saved to your Photos file or app, which auto-syncs to the cloud. Only consider storing seed phrases in an encrypted vault or password manager if you fully understand the trade-offs of doing so.

Ultimately, it is best practice to write your seed phrases down on paper and keep them in a safe place, or protect your crypto by storing it on a hardware device. Even better, engrave them on a metal backup plate for safekeeping that’s both fire and water-resistant.

Avoiding Phishing Scams

Fake wallets and exchange apps still show up in app stores, and phishing sites can often look very much like the legitimate login pages or airdrop promotions they mimic.

Always check and confirm the developer’s name when downloading apps, and bookmark official websites for easy reference. Do not click on email or chat links.

Never type or paste your seed phrase into a website on your tablet, as only hardware wallets will ask you to do this. Note also that tablets often display simplified URLs in their browsers: a feature that may hide a phishing link. Eliminate this risk by enabling the “show full address” in your browser to ensure you click on the correct link.

Use Secure Networks and Avoid Public Wi-Fi

Using a public Wi-Fi network leaves you open to “man-in-the-middle” (MITM) attacks. This is when someone inserts themselves between your tablet and the Wi-Fi router and can spy on or alter your data before it reaches the intended wallet or exchange.

The safest is to use your mobile data or a trusted home network. If you must use public Wi-Fi, run a VPN app for encryption. Disable autojoin for open or public networks on your tablet’s Wi-Fi settings and turn off Bluetooth and NFC when in public and not actively in use to limit wireless attackers.

Minimize App Permissions and Protect Your Tablet’s Clipboard

Some malicious apps can access clipboard data. Such clipboard hijackers replace a copied wallet address with theirs, so that when you make a transfer, the money is sent to them instead of where you intended it to go.

You can avoid this by regularly checking and revoking app permissions and comparing the first and last few characters of pasted addresses before clicking send.

Opt for wallets with clipboard-tamper detection functionality where you can. Ideally, limit copy-pasting and rather go for QR-code scanning or use wallet resolution technology, used to substitute easy-to-remember names for impossible 42-word seed phrases.

Cultivate Safe Transaction Habits

Human error is one of the top causes of lost crypto, and not even the best of us is immune! Protecting your crypto assets from your own error or oversight is, however, easy if you cultivate some best practices.

Confirm wallet addresses carefully (it might be best to double-check on a hardware device screen) before sending.

Always send a small “test” amount before doing large transfers. Finally, check blockchain explorers (like Etherscan for Ethereum or Blockchain.com for Bitcoin) for confirmation before considering funds “settled”. You can also enable push notifications or email alerts for outgoing transactions.

Plan for Recovery and Consider Multisig for Higher Security

Tablet failure, theft, loss, or death should not mean losing crypto forever. Create an inheritance or contingency plan to avoid coins being lost permanently if the worst happens. Make sure to keep offline backups of seed phrases or keep multiple copies in different safe locations.

For further security measures, you can also consider using multisig wallets, rather than having your tablet as the only signer. A multisig wallet requires multiple devices and/ or keys for approval of transactions, thereby adding stronger protection for bigger holdings.

Conclusion

Tablets are convenient for crypto use but require extra caution and disciplined transaction habits. Keeping your tablet’s OS and apps up to date, avoiding shady apps and links, and sticking to secure networks can help minimize the risk of transacting online.

Then, add an extra layer of security by using hardware wallets for storing large amounts of coins and protect your recovery data offline.

Follow these best practices, and your tablet will be a safe gateway to crypto use. Happy transacting!