This week, a reader asks: “I would like to know if I should enable advanced data protection on my iPhone 16Pro? This sounds like a lot of “scary” steps, so I would appreciate your input.

I like the reader’s take on this: enabling Advanced Data Protection means you’re asking Apple to encrypt your iCloud data end-to-end. You’ll find this option in Settings/iCloud at the bottom of the page.

Apple clearly warns you that enabling this “highest level of cloud data security” means no one else – not even Apple – will be able to access your data.

Once enabled, your protected data can only be decrypted on your trusted devices.

Advanced data protection encrypts your iCloud backup, messages, photos, notes, Safari bookmarks, voice memos and more.

To enable Advanced Data Protection, you’ll need to do a few things, including setting up two-factor authentication on your Apple account and setting a password for your iPhone.

Next, you will need to set up a recovery contact or create a recovery key.

A recovery contact is simply a trusted person who can verify your identity and help you regain access to your account if you ever get locked out.

The recovery contact must be someone with an iOS device with iOS 15 or iPadOS 15 or later, or a Macintosh computer.

The recovery contact will not have access to your data. If you ever need to use your recovery contact, they will receive a code from Apple to send to you to unlock your account.

Apple will guide you through setting up your recovery contact when you enable Advanced Data Protection. If you have family members set up on your Apple account, they are good candidates for your recovery contact, but you can choose anyone with their own Apple device.

If you prefer not to set up a recovery contact, you have the option to create a recovery key, which is a 28-character secret code that you must provide if you ever lose access to your account.

You use one of your trusted devices connected to your Apple account to set up the recovery code. Apple says you should print a copy or write it down and keep it in a safe place. You can give a copy to a trusted person.

So, enabling advanced data protection is the best way to protect your data, and it doesn’t have to be scary. Just know that if you ever lose or forget your password, you can regain access to your account with the help of your recovery contact or by producing the saved recovery code.

Jim Rossman is a technology columnist for Tribune News Service. It can be attached to [email protected].