Go through this together, with the phone owner’s agreement, and tick each step as you finish it. The ticks stay only while this page is open: print the list to keep a record.
Calls
Texts and messages
Money and accounts
Family and help
Starting…
Your files stay on this device
The page reads your files into memory in this tab and does the work there. Nothing is uploaded, emailed or copied to a server. The page’s security setting (a Content Security Policy) also stops it from sending anything out, and its libraries load from the same site as the page.
- No waiting queue and no cloud folder.
- Press Reset or close the tab, and the files are gone from memory.
- You can test it: switch the internet off once the page has loaded, and it still works.
Why do it together
Settings help, but the agreements matter most: a safe word, the bank’s real number in the contacts and one rule for any request for money. Doing it side by side means the phone’s owner knows what changed and why, and keeps control of their own phone.
What this page cannot do
It does not change any setting on a phone. It points to where each setting is, using Apple’s and Google’s own help pages. The guide Set up a phone against scams explains each setting in more detail.
Questions and answers
How do I set up a phone to protect an older relative from scams?
Turn on screening for unknown calls, check that spam protection is on for texts, remove saved cards that are not needed, turn on two-step login for email and banking, agree a family safe word and save the bank’s real number. This checklist takes you through each step.
Does this checklist save my ticks?
No. Nothing is stored, so the ticks clear when you close the page. Print the list to keep a record.
Who made this?
UtilForge makes it. UtilForge is a website of free cybersecurity tools and small calculators. The About page explains why the tools were made, and the Contact page is the way to reach us.
Is this a scam site?
A person does not have to take UtilForge's word for it, so here are things to check. This page does not ask for payment, an account or card details. The checklist is free. UtilForge also sells optional packs of tools separately, on Gumroad, and this tool works without them. The page carries a security setting (a Content Security Policy, a rule the browser enforces) that forbids it from sending anything out, so your files cannot be uploaded from here. To test it, open the page, switch the internet off and use the tool. It carries on working, because the page and its libraries are already on your device.
What happens when I close the page?
Nothing is kept. While the page is open, your files sit in the memory of the browser tab. The page does not use cookies, local storage, session storage or IndexedDB (the browser's built-in database), and it puts nothing about your files in the page address. Closing the tab, or pressing Reset, drops them from memory. The one thing that stays is a file you save yourself with the Download button. Your original files are never changed.
Does it cost anything, and do I need to sign in?
No. The checklist is free, and you can start straight away. UtilForge also sells optional packs separately, such as Redaction Studio ($29 to own) and Family Safety Tools (pay what you want, including nothing). This tool does not need either.