10 Warning Signs Your Phone May Be Spying On You

Over the last few years, there has been an explosion of malicious spyware and stalkerware infiltrating our phones through apps and links…

Undoubtedly, it is becoming easier for hackers to access our phones as spying apps are getting sneakier and harder to detect. In 2021 The New York Times reported a 65% increase in the number of spyware-infected phones. More recently, reports reveal that even the former UK prime minister Liz Truss had her phone hacked, most likely by Russian intelligence experts.

Says an expert from VPNOverview:  

But how can you detect spyware on your iPhone and Android in the first place? Below are ten common signs indicating that your phone is being monitored. If multiple of these signs are present, you very well might be dealing with spyware: 

1. Slow performance 

A possible indication of spyware operating on your phone is constant slowing down or lagging. The slow performance of your phone could result from the resource-intensive spyware constantly running in the background, uploading your data, photos, and documents to an external server. Make sure this isn’t happening by checking your phone for any unfamiliar apps and scanning any hidden apps using an antivirus program. Deleting these may improve the performance of your device.  

2. Random reboots 

Is your phone rebooting itself without your authorization? This can indicate that someone has remote, administrator-level access to your phone. The hacker can do whatever they want with your device if this is the case. To rule out the presence of spyware, you can update your phone’s operating system, and delete any malfunctioning apps. If neither of these solutions solves the random reboots, you may have spyware on your phone.  

3. Strange text messages 

Hackers can use text messages to take a screenshot, detect your location or even gain control of your phone. You should be not only vigilant of incoming texts but also outgoing texts as a hacker can send text messages from your phone to communicate with their own server.

Any message that looks unfamiliar, sounds like gibberish or appears outright strange should be ignored. This is especially the case for unfamiliar texts containing links; these links can allow a hacker access to your phone if clicked on.  

4. Overheating 

An overheating phone can indicate that a malicious app is running in the background, especially if the overheating occurs when the phone is on standby. You can rule out the threat of spyware by first checking that your phone doesn’t have a hardware issue or checking that the apps you have installed are not large resource consumers.

You can go into your phone’s settings and check your app list to see which apps use the most resources; apps are usually presented in order of most resource use. Some apps will have legitimate reasons for taking up energy on your phone, but any that use more than they should be the culprit and should be deleted. 

5. Unusually high data usage 

A hacker’s primary goal is to harvest your data, to sell it to the black market or use it to blackmail you. To gather this information, a hacker will remotely access your phone and transfer your files to their server, which requires data usage on your end. Therefore, if your cellular data usage seems unusually high, this could indicate that something suspicious is going on with your phone. It is a good idea to keep track of your monthly data use to identify any unexpected spikes.  

6. Unfamiliar apps in your app list 

Some viruses and spyware are cleverly hidden amongst your legitimate apps. It is good practice to regularly go through your installed apps and check for any apps you do not recognize or don’t know the function of. Uninstall these apps by going to the settings on your phone and locating your apps list.  

7. Battery draining fast 

Your phone’s battery life can be affected by two things: age, causing it to malfunction, or your phone is using a lot of resources that require a lot of energy. In the latter case, this could be caused by a legitimate app consuming too many resources or something more sinister, like spyware.

To rule out the possibility of a hacker spying on your phone, you can replace your phone battery by a suitable technician or by yourself if possible. If your battery life hasn’t improved, this could be due to spyware executing various tasks on your phone.  

8. Taking a long time to shut down