Few things are more important these days than safety. If your phone is lost or stolen, you want to make sure your information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. And one of the easiest ways to do this is with basic password protection on your phone.
With Android 2.2, you have new options for locking your phone. There is a tested and unlocked unlock scheme (which is used on pre-Froyo phones). And now we also have the option of locking with a personal identification number (PIN) or an alphanumeric password.
To access security options, press the menu button on the home screen, then select Settings > Security > Screen lock. (Exact words may vary slightly from phone to phone.)
By setting security options, you can specify how quickly you want the phone to lock itself. Maybe right away, maybe in five or 10 minutes.
However, if your phone is connected to a corporate Exchange system, you may be subject to its security policies, so some of these options may be required, or you may not be able to set a lockout time, so check with your IT department.
But for everyone else, there is no excuse not to protect your privacy with this one.