Hackers have ways to track your phone, and you might not know it. Here’s how to know if someone is tracking your phone.
Is Your Phone Doing Things When It Shouldn’t?
Notification sounds, screens, and light activation are standard. However, somebody might be tracking your phone if things happen when they shouldn’t. For instance, your device can show signs of an ongoing activity, yet you aren’t doing anything with it. The screen can turn on, or the phone can produce unusual background noise. At the same time, the cell phone might not give a notification. In that case, somebody might have installed a spy app to monitor your activity on the device.
Physical Signs That Someone Is Tracking Your Phone
It may not be easy to know if someone has installed spy software on your phone. Here’s how to see if your phone is being tracked:
Faster Battery Drain 🔋
Even if the mobile spy app runs in stealth mode, you can detect it by checking your device’s battery life. If your smartphone’s battery drains faster than usual, even in standby mode, a spy app could be running in the background most of the time. Here are more signs that someone is tracking your phone.
Problems with Device Performance 🤬
Most spy apps affect how Android devices perform. That’s because they use their resources and compel them to work harder in the background. Also, a change in your device’s data usage indicates that someone could be spying on your device. Essentially, a device performance slowdown could signal that sneaky software is running in the background. Therefore, be worried if you notice a sudden decrease in your device’s performance for no apparent reason. But this problem can arise from other reasons.
High Mobile Internet Consumption 📴
As hinted, mobile tracking apps use data to update the attacker constantly. That means the correct functioning of most location tracking services involves increased data usage. Therefore, a sudden change in data usage by your device could indicate a possible installation of tracking software on your device. And you can verify this by ensuring your device isn’t near an active hotspot.
Problem Rebooting or Turning Off 🔃
Does your Android or iOS device have difficulties rebooting or turning off? If so, that’s how to tell if your phone is being tracked. Some hackers use apps that make restarting or turning off a cell phone complex. Some tracking apps can even make such actions impossible until you perform a factory reset. Ideally, attackers want to control your device without problems. Thus, they limit when you can turn off or restart your device.
Unknown Sites in Phone Browser History 🦊
Another reason for increased data usage is that the spying person may have used your device to visit a specific website to download and install the phone tracking app. Therefore, somebody is tracking your device if you notice something weird in your browser history. Additionally, somebody can look around sites to see if there is private data they can steal from you.
The Run Time of Your Android or iPhone Phone Is Decreased 📱⬇
Maybe you’ve noticed a decrease in your device’s run time. Perhaps, your device has a faster battery drain than when you bought it. In that case, somebody could be tracking your device with an unverified application. Essentially, sudden drops in a smartphone battery life are not typical.
Most tracking apps cause sudden battery drains by working harder in the background and running the GPS, among other things. Sometimes, these apps run all the time, causing unexpected drains on the battery. Therefore, a sudden decrease in your device’s run time should worry you because it might mean that somebody is tracking your phone.
Poor Hearing During Calls, Including Instant Messengers 📞
Poor hearing isn’t about paranormal activity. However, it sometimes sounds like it. Sometimes, a phone location tracker can cause weird noises when making a call. Also, you may notice unusual noises whenever your device receives text messages. And this can include beeping, white noise, or echoing. While everybody can have a lousy reception, it should not be habitual.
Authorization in Social Media from Unknown GEO 📸
Somebody is eavesdropping on your phone if you notice social media authorization from unknown GEO. Therefore, investigate the activity carefully to ensure that you didn’t authorize anything to determine whether someone is spying on you.
The Phone Turns On and Off 📳
Random shutdowns and reboots could be signs of a compromised smartphone. However, a buggy phone can do this also, meaning you don’t have to go crazy with it. But please monitor your device; somebody might be watching you if you notice odd behavior.
Private Data Is Changed or Distorted ♻️
If you notice changes in private data that you don’t recall making, somebody is probably monitoring you. However, check whether your device provider has changed its privacy policy before concluding anything. Otherwise, private data distortion could signify a newly installed monitoring app.
Device Temperature Rises for No Reason 🔥
Maybe you’ve noticed an unusual and sudden increase in your device temperature. If your phone gets abnormally too hot when not charging or playing hard-core games with it, the device might have a spy app running in the background. And you can notice this when performing light tasks or keeping the phone in your pocket.
Strange Messages and Notifications 📟
Some phone location trackers and malware use text messages to prompt device users to send them specific information. So, if you notice outgoing messages and don’t recall sending them, be worried because somebody might be tracking you. Also, pay attention to odd incoming messages. That’s because spy apps use to communicate with services via SMS messaging.
Unknown Apps Installed with Daily Activity 📲
If you notice an unfamiliar or unverified app, somebody might be using it to spy on you. Somebody can use a parental control app that hides in the device to spy on the targets. However, you can search for such applications using third-party apps.
Your Phone Is Jailbroken or Rooted
Rooting Android or Jailbreaking iOS devices enables users to bypass their official app stores. That way, the user can install unapproved applications.
For iPhone
You can look for a third-party app like Cydia to know whether somebody has jailbroken your iOS device. Most people use this app to install apps on jailbroken phones.
For Android
An app known as Root Checker can help you find out whether somebody has rooted your Android device.
If you notice someone has jailbroken or rooted your device and you didn’t do it, it means they are spying on you.
Use a Code to Check If Phone Is Hacked #️⃣
If you notice any of the above signs, you may want to confirm that somebody is tracking your device. In that case, use a code to check if your phone is monitored. Some of them include *#61#, which shows whether someone catches your unanswered calls, and *#62#, which indicates whether somebody tracks your data when you’re unavailable.
How to Stop Phone Tracking and Stay Safe
You can stop phone monitoring and stay safe by implementing the following tips:
#1 Install an Antivirus App on Your Phone
Antivirus installation prevents a device from getting malicious software. Thus, antivirus apps can protect your device from tracking and spying software.
#2 Find the Spyware App Manually
If you believe somebody is monitoring your phone, you can find the spy app manually using a file manager. Alternatively, you can check the app drawer. Remember, spy apps disguise themselves as what they are not, including a notepad app. Therefore, look for anything unusual that you don’t recall installing on your phone and uninstall it. That way, you can remove spy threats by uninstalling the app.
#3 Reset Your Phone to Zero
If you’re unable to find the spy app, reset your device. Performing a factory reset wipes the device, meaning you will start afresh. However, this wipes out everything, including your photos. Therefore, create a good backup before resetting the device.
Steps to Stop Someone from Accessing Your Phone Remotely
If you’re concerned about privacy or someone hacking and accessing personal information via your phone, you can follow these steps to stop them:
- Sign out of your Google account whenever you use other people’s devices.
- Change passwords whenever you suspect someone is remotely accessing your phone, social media, or Google accounts.
- Check for spy software and suspicious apps and uninstall them from your devices.
- Disable the call forwarding feature.
- Factory reset the device if you suspect that someone has compromised your safety.
- Install trustworthy apps.
- Use solid passwords.
- Use an antivirus.
Your phone has vital information that hackers might use against you. Instead of wasting your precious time wondering, “who is tracking my phone,” follow these tips to safeguard your device from hackers that may use spy apps to monitor you.