10 warning signs your phone could be SPYING on you – here’s what to look out for
THERE are 10 warning signs to look out for if you think your phone might be spying on you.
If your battery is draining quicker than normal or your phone is getting unusually hot, you could be the victim of some unwanted attention.
Users of iPhones can grant permission for their friends and family to track their whereabouts, but there are plenty of spy apps available to download that do not require your consent.
Some of these apps can track your location, access your bank details, see your chats and send copies of your messages or media to other devices.
reports that there are 10 ways in which you can tell if someone is tracking your every move.
Unfamiliar applications on your phone
If you see applications on your mobile phone that you have not downloaded yourself and are not familiar with, this could be a sign that someone is tracking your device.
Read more on Tech
Search your phone's storage to check through the apps on your phone, and be suspicious of any that you do not remember downloading.
Some to look out for are Kaspersky Safe Kids, Norton Family, Net Nanny and Qustodio.
Most read in The Sun
Does your phone run out of charge more often than usual?
The more applications you have running, the quicker your battery will drain.
If you have noticed that your phone is not holding charge as well as it used to, check if any recently used apps are responsible.
It could be that a spyware application is continuously running in the background.
Is your phone hot to touch?
If you are not using your phone and have noticed that it is becoming hot to touch, this is also a clue that applications are continuously running in the background.
This could be a sign that someone is tracking you, so check your applications.
Is your phone second hand?
If you buy a second hand phone it is always advisable to restore the device to its original factory settings.
"Jailbreaking" or "rooting" a phone means that users can download apps onto the device that are not available from the official store.
If your phone appears "jailbroken" this could be a sign that someone is doing something they shouldn't be.
If you are suspicious of this there are apps you can use to check: For Android phones use Root Checker and for iOS devices use Cydia.
How much data is your phone using?
If spyware is running on your device, your phone's data could be being used up too.
It is possible that the person spying on you is using your phone's connection to send your information to them.
iPhone users can check data usage in settings on the "Mobile Data" page.
Android users can do this by going to Settings - Network & Internet - Data Usage.
You will be able to tell which applications are using an unusually high level of data.
Can you switch your phone off?
Spyware apps could stop your phone from being switched off to allow constant access to the perpetrator.
These apps could also lead to your phone taking an unusually long amount of time to switch off.
Is your phone lighting up randomly?
If you have noticed some unexplained behaviour, such as your phone lighting up on standby mode or pinging when you don't have any notifications, this is also a sign that there could be something untoward happening.
Have you checked sent messages?
If you are noticing text messages that you never wrote or sent, someone could be accessing your device, the same could be the case if you are receiving messages that you were not expecting.
Perpetrators can use applications to send commands to the device such as screenshotting, sending emails or taking a picture.
Is your autocorrect working properly?
If your autocorrect is not working properly this could be a sign that someone is watching your messages.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Spyware such as "keyloggers" can allow someone to see what you are typing on your phone.
Are your screenshots of good quality?
If you have noticed that your screenshots are poorly pixelated, someone could be tracking your device.
How can you clear your phone if you believe someone is spying on you?
Here are 7 helpful tips to clear your phone
- Install anti-virus software on your device
- Backup your phone's storage and then factory reset it
- Uninstall any apps you do not recognise
- When downloading apps check the company that made them is legitimate
- Ensure that your phone has the latest system update
- Remove anything you do not recognise from your phone - like monthly subscriptions
- Don't give permission to all apps to track your location or usage