Phone users are being warned there is a little-known setting on most handsets that easily exposes your secret information to scammers, experts have warned, but there is a way to turn it off. The advice comes after fraud in the online gaming sector surged by 64% year-on -year on average, putting millions of players at risk of having their data compromised.
But the ‘flaw’ exposes all phone users – whether they use their phone for gaming or not.Neal Taparia, Founder of Unwind Media, which owns1000 Mines, said: “Most players are completely unaware of how easily their personal information can be accessed.”
When most people think of gaming scams, they picture obvious phishing attempts or fake in-game purchases. However, according to Taparia, one of the most dangerous threats is much more subtle.
“The clipboard on your phone is something you use dozens of times a day without thinking about it,” Taparia said. “When you copy a password, your address, or payment information, that data sits in your clipboard. Most people don’t realise that apps can access this information without any visible indication.”
This vulnerability is particularly concerning for gamers who might copy and paste login credentials, in-game codes, or even cryptocurrency wallet addresses while switching between apps. Malicious games can be designed to continuously monitor your clipboard in the background, harvesting sensitive information even when you’re not actively using them.
“This setting exists on both iOS and Android devices, but it’s buried deep in the privacy settings where most users never look,” said Taparia. “It takes less than a minute to adjust, but it can save you from potentially devastating fraud.”
For iPhone users:
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Open your Settings app
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Scroll down and tap on “Privacy & Security”
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Select “Paste from Other Apps”
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For each gaming app (or all apps), select “Ask” or “Deny”
For Android users:
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Open Settings
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Go to “Privacy” or “Privacy and security”
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Select “Permission manager” or “App permissions”
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Find and tap on “Clipboard” (on some devices, you may need to look under “Additional permissions”)
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Review the list of apps and disable clipboard access for gaming apps
Despite its importance, this clipboard privacy setting remains unknown to most phone users. According to Taparia. He said:“Developers want to make the onboarding process as frictionless as possible. They don’t highlight security features because they don’t want to raise concerns that might prevent installation. As a result, players rarely reconsider the permissions they’ve granted after the initial setup.”
The industry has been slow to address clipboard vulnerabilities, focusing instead on more visible security issues like account hijacking and fraudulent purchases. This leaves the responsibility of clipboard protection largely on the players themselves.
Taparia said: “This single setting adjustment acts as an invisible shield for gamers of all ages. The beauty of disabling clipboard access is that it addresses a vulnerability most security articles never mention. While antivirus software and two-factor authentication get all the attention, this simple toggle can prevent data theft before it even begins.
“I’ve seen how devastating gaming scams can be to players. From lost accounts to financial theft, the consequences extend far beyond the game itself. What’s most effective about the clipboard privacy setting is that it works proactively – you don’t have to recognise a scam to be protected from it. The setting simply blocks a major attack vector, regardless of how sophisticated the scam might be.
“As mobile gaming continues to grow, we need to balance convenience with security. This setting strikes that perfect balance – it takes seconds to activate but provides constant protection.”