How Do You Know If Someone Is Tracking Your Phone?

Are you worried that someone might be spying on your every move? Here’s how to find out and how to put a stop to it.

We all feel safe behind the shelter of our closed doors; when we’re scrolling through our socials while lying in bed or sending important emails. But what if I told you that someone could be watching you do it? Peeping through your camera, or reading every intimate message, or collecting all of your sensitive data and financial information. 

But why would someone spy on someone like you? Well, there are a few reasons why someone may want to know what you’re up to. Most commonly, tracking apps are used by hackers. This could be your significant other (or ex), trying to gather information about you, or someone could be trying to gain access to your important business-related information stored on your device.

Even if you always keep your smartphone nearby and protect it with a strong password, it’s still possible that you could be hacked. It has been discovered that even seemingly benign Android apps include malware, and if you have jailbroken your iPhone, it leaves it vulnerable, meaning someone can install spyware on your device.

Tracking apps and spyware pose a significant risk and a very intrusive infringement of privacy for many people. Here are our suggestions for determining whether you have a tracking app on your phone and what to do about it.

How to tell if you’re being tracked?

Fortunately, there are a handful of warning signs that can help you figure out whether or not you’re being tracked. While some signs are harder to detect than others, in this article, we’ll guide you through the most common indicators that someone might be monitoring your smartphone. Ask yourself the following questions:

Is your mobile data usage unusually high?

If you’ve noticed a hike in the prices of your phone plan, it could be worth reviewing your bill and identifying where these extra charges are coming from, especially if you haven’t changed your online browsing habits.

Lower-quality spy software will attempt to send as much information about your device back to the hackers as possible. This requires a vast amount of data. On the other end of the scale, some spyware developers are pretty competent at it, and their stealthy programs are far more choosy in terms of what information they seek and send back home. This makes detection more difficult.

It all boils down to staying mindful of your monthly data consumption and paying close attention to any sudden spikes in usage that you may notice. You may check on your device as well as your wireless provider to see how much data you've consumed.

This means you can immediately check your data usage without having to search around on your provider's website or app or a breakdown of your data usage.

How to check data usage on an Android smartphone:

• Open up the Settings app.
• Tap “Network and Internet” then tap “Mobile Network.”
• Next, tap “App Data Usage.”
• You should now be able to see your current data plan and usage.

How to check data usage on an iPhone (iOS 14):

• Open the Settings app
• Tap “Cellular.”
• Then, tap on “Usage.”
• Once you reach the Usage screen, you should be able to see your current data usage.

Does your smartphone come to life, even when you don’t touch it?

When you receive a notification on your smartphone such as a text message or a phone call, it’s normal for the screen to light up and come to life.

However, if this has suddenly begun happening for no reason and without a notification, then it could be a sign that something is wrong. Your cell phone screen should not light up for no apparent reason while in standby mode- don’t ignore it!

Does your smartphone randomly restart?

Unexpected reboots may signal that someone has remote admin access to your device and can reboot it whenever they want. This would also imply that they have additional types of access to your device and the personal data stored on it.

It could also indicate that the most current app or operating system you downloaded contains a flaw. Examine the OS or app for any new updates. Check to see if you can replicate the device reboot by running the app that was open at the time. You can scan your Android smartphone by installing and running antivirus or anti-malware security software.

iOS users will discover that antivirus scanners are not available, and with the sandboxed iOS operating system, it is more likely that the reboots are caused by a flaw in an app, or even the operating system itself.

Do you hear strange noises during calls?

If you’re hearing strange sounds, muffled voices, or any sort of interference when making or receiving a call, it’s possible that someone is monitoring your smartphone. This is common when hackers record phone conversations.

Does your battery run flat in no time?

If you begin to notice that your smartphone’s battery life is deteriorating at a much faster speed than it normally should, this may be a sign that you’re being monitored. However, it could also just mean that your battery is old and you need to get a replacement.

Spyware monitors all of your on-device activity and feeds this information back to the hackers who infected your device. Shortened battery life is frequently associated with higher data usage as a result of spyware activity.

Does your smartphone get really hot, even when you’re not using it?

While rising battery temperature can suggest a variety of technical concerns, it can also indicate that illegal activities, such as hacking via spyware, are taking place in the background.

If you haven't used your phone in a while and it's been sitting idle on your desk, it shouldn't feel warm or hot to the touch. If the temperature is very high, spyware may be at work behind the scenes, where they collect your information and send it back to their “home-base” of hackers.