Blog

Scam texts in the UK: how to tell, what to do and where to report them

Scam texts in the UK: how to tell, what to do and where to report them

November 15, 2026

-Archie Crossland

A text that asks you to pay a small fee, claim a refund or confirm your details through a link is very likely a scam. Do not tap the link.…
Read More
Which apps are tracking me? How to check and stop it on Android and iPhone

Which apps are tracking me? How to check and stop it on Android and iPhone

November 14, 2026

-Archie Crossland

Your phone’s own settings show which apps have used your location, camera and microphone. They do not show the hidden trackers inside apps, which report what you do to advertising…
Read More
How to check if a website is a scam (UK)

How to check if a website is a scam (UK)

November 13, 2026

-Archie Crossland

Before you buy from a website you do not know, paste its address into Get Safe Online’s free Check a Website tool, look for a real company name and address,…
Read More
Is my phone listening to me? What is really behind those adverts

Is my phone listening to me? What is really behind those adverts

November 12, 2026

-Archie Crossland

Almost certainly not. Researchers at Northeastern University tested 17,260 Android apps in 2018 and found none sending recorded audio. The adverts feel uncanny for a different reason: the apps on…
Read More
On-device VPN explained: why a tracker blocker asks for VPN permission

On-device VPN explained: why a tracker blocker asks for VPN permission

November 11, 2026

-Archie Crossland

An on-device VPN, also called a local VPN, uses your phone’s VPN permission to check every connection your apps make against a blocklist stored on the phone. Nothing is sent…
Read More
Scam website blocker for your phone

Scam website blocker for your phone

November 11, 2026

-Archie Crossland

BLOKK blocks known scam and phishing websites before they load, in every browser and every app on your phone. It checks each address against a list of more than 7…
Read More
BLOKK vs DuckDuckGo App Tracking Protection

BLOKK vs DuckDuckGo App Tracking Protection

November 11, 2026

-Archie Crossland

Both block trackers inside the apps on your phone, and both do it on the phone itself. The differences: DuckDuckGo’s App Tracking Protection is a feature inside its Android browser,…
Read More
Is BLOKK safe? Who makes it and how it works

Is BLOKK safe? Who makes it and how it works

November 11, 2026

-Archie Crossland

BLOKK is a privacy app made by Revoke Limited, a company based in Jersey in the Channel Islands. Its free Privacy Shield blocks known trackers and scam websites on your…
Read More
Free VPN test results: what five apps did in their first minute

Free VPN test results: what five apps did in their first minute

November 11, 2026

-Archie Crossland

Many free VPNs are not safe. When BLOKK tested the first five apps that Google Play shows for “free VPN”, they contacted 1,164 domains in their first minute, including advertising…
Read More
Best tracker blocker apps for Android and iPhone in 2026

Best tracker blocker apps for Android and iPhone in 2026

November 11, 2026

-Archie Crossland

A tracker blocker app stops the hidden connections that apps and websites use to report what you do. The main choices in 2026 are BLOKK, DuckDuckGo App Tracking Protection, TrackerControl,…
Read More