There was much hullabaloo about phone hacking in the country recently when political names, including the likes of Shashi Tharoor, Mahua Moitra and Raghav Chadha, claimed Apple had sent them warnings that there were state-sponsored attacks on their iPhones. While it may seem unlikely to most people that they are being tracked or spied upon, there are a few unusual behaviours from your smartphone that can give it away if that indeed is the case.
Do note that these are only symptoms and not necessary indications that your phone is indeed being spied upon. Always watch out for a multitude of these signs and not solitary symptoms.
1. Decreased battery health
Go to your phone’s battery health and if you see it degrading faster than normal, it could be one of the signs that some spyware is installed on your phone. A tracked cellphone could be recording conversations and sending data to third parties, thereby resulting in increased battery usage.
Your smartphone battery health can degrade faster for a variety of reasons, and phone tracking is just one among them.
2. Phone shows activity when not being used
In case your phone lights up randomly or emits sounds even when it’s not being used, it’s a sign that some spyware could be installed on it. You should ensure that your phone’s screen is off and not just dark when it’s in standby mode.
3. Battery temperature feels warms
While this may seem a bit ambiguous, one indication of someone spying on you is your phone’s battery feeling warm even when the device is not in use. This is because of spyware or hidden apps running in the background. Further to this, if you feel your phone’s processing speed is becoming unusually slow and battery health declining faster than usual, it’s worth keeping a lookout for other symptoms too.
4. Reboots automatically / takes a long time to shut down
Devices that reboot on their own could also be a sign that someone is remotely accessing your device. Similarly, phones that may take unusually long to shut down may also have spyware installed on them. This is because phones usually complete processes before shutting down and if it’s sending your data to another device, it will finish that first before shutting down.
5. Unusual texts/weird popups
Look out for text messages in your outgoing folder that you didn’t send. Also, primitive spyware works by sending SMSes with odd characters to communicate with their base.
Services like Cerberus send commands hidden within text messages which can automatically make your own take a picture, wipe out your data, screenshot information and many other intrusive activities.
Further, threatening popups and fake virus alerts could be the need for input from spyware, which should not be reacted to.
6. Increased data usage
An unexplained increase in your monthly data usage is also an indicator of spyware on your phone. The information being sent to third parties consumes extra data, so it’s worth keeping a lookout on your monthly usage. However, do note that you’ll need to keep a tab on your WiFi data too, because apps can use cellular or broadband data to leak information.
7. Misbehaving autocorrect
As per Top10VPN, one major indication is a malfunctioning autocorrect system. This happens if keyloggers are installed on your phone. Keyloggers essentially track your keypad presses to decode your messages and steal login credentials, and in case one is installed on your phone, it is likely to mess up the autocorrect system. Even if the autocorrect is working slower than usual, it could be an indication.
8. Screenshot quality
If your phone is taking hazy or poor-quality screenshots, it could be one of the indications that there is some spyware or malware loaded onto the phone.
9. Unknown apps
While the most sophisticated of spyware would never appear in plain sight, some apps like Net Nanny, Kaspersky Safe Kids, Norton Family, and Qustodio are misused to spy on others. Keep a check on the apps downloaded on your phone and remove anything that seems suspicious to you or you don’t remember downloading.
10. Unidentified photos in the gallery/flash switched on abruptly
Regularly scan through your photo gallery to ensure that there are no photos that you have not taken. Hackers with remote access to your device can cause your phone’s shooter to snap images. A flash that automatically turns on is also an indication of that.
How to stop hackers from hacking your phone?
Here’s what you should keep in mind to prevent hackers from hacking your phone:
- Make sure you turn off your hotspot when you’re in public spaces. This is something that can often be forgotten but you must turn off the hotspot on your Android phone or iPhone if you don’t need it.
- Avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi you don’t trust. This is perhaps one of the biggest ways you can protect yourself from getting hacked. Public Wi-Fi networks are an attractive playing field for hackers as these networks.
- Hackers can also use the phone’s Bluetooth to hack, so it is wise to turn off your phone’s Bluetooth when not in use.
- Make sure your phone has a numeric or biometric lock. Leaving your phone without a lock of any kind is an easy way for hackers to hack the phone.
- Don’t leave your phone unattended. Ensure your phone is with you at all times when you’re in a public space to prevent hackers from accessing your phone.
- Do not open suspicious links in emails or messages as they could be phishing links designed to steal your personal information or hack into your phone.
- Using a VPN is always a good bet especially if you’re connected to public Wi-Fi or hotspot.
Can a hacker hack your phone by calling?
No, a hacker cannot hack your phone just by calling. However, you must ensure you never give out your personal information to an unknown caller. Hackers can disguise themselves as company representatives to dupe the victim into revealing sensitive information, which then gives the hacker access to your online accounts.
