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Protect your privacy at home
Set up guest Wi-Fi, review who can see your location, and clear personal information before passing on a device or discarding paperwork.
Start with your Wi-Fi
Use your router maker’s instructions or your internet provider’s app. If you change the main Wi-Fi password or security mode, plan time to reconnect household devices.
Secure the main network
Use WPA3 Personal if your router and devices support it, or WPA2 Personal for compatibility. Give your router administrator account and your Wi-Fi network separate, unique passwords. Check for router updates and enable automatic updates if available. FTC home Wi-Fi guidance
Set up a guest network
If your router supports guest Wi-Fi, give it its own password. Turn off guest access to your local network if the router offers that setting. Connect a phone to the guest network and check that the internet works and that shared devices on your main network are unavailable. Give visitors the guest password.
Check what your household shares
Review location sharing before a trip
Look at the people and apps that can see your location. Keep sharing you rely on and remove access you no longer need. Review any shared albums or social posts that reveal your location. If you want to keep travel plans private, wait until you return to post photos publicly.
Check shared speakers and displays
Look for personal results settings on any speaker or display that can show calendars or other account information. Review those settings room by room, especially where guests can use the device. Turn off personal results on devices where you want to keep that information private. Google Home personal results settings
Clear information before letting things go
Prepare a device for donation, resale or recycling
Back up what you want to keep and verify that you can open the backup. Check that you can still sign in to important accounts, especially if the device receives your sign-in codes. Follow the maker’s trade-in or disposal instructions to sign out, erase the device and handle any SIM or memory card. Check that it reaches the initial setup screen before you hand it over. If it cannot be erased, ask the maker or recycler about secure handling. FTC guide to preparing an old computer
Sort sensitive paperwork and mail
Set aside documents you need to retain. Shred discarded papers that show account numbers, tax information or other sensitive details. In the U.S., you can also opt out of prescreened credit and insurance offers. Review the FTC’s instructions for the five-year and permanent options. FTC guide to prescreened offers
You’re done when
Your Wi-Fi uses a current security mode, guests have separate access if your router supports it, and you know what to check before sharing your location or handing over a device.
Sources and review
Reviewed November 9, 2026. Setting names vary by router and device.