(Credit: Getty Images/Ponomariova_Maria)
We do everything on our phones. Whether it's scrolling Instagram, shopping online, sending emails, or communicating our deepest secrets. This can make your phone a high-valued target for malware, but what if the nefarious actors are sticking around, capturing your data, and listening in on what you have to say? How can you tell if your phone is being tapped?
While difficult to detect, there are several ways to tell if your smartphone device is being monitored by a hacker, controlling ex, or even a micromanaging boss. It should be noted that experiencing any one of these signs infrequently can be normal. It's only when you see several of them consistently that you may need to investigate.
1. Unusual Sounds on Calls
If you hear a high-pitched hum, pulsating static, clicking, or beeping, these could be signs that your calls are being recorded. Someone could have set up call-forwarding without your permission or call-recording malware may be on the device. Hearing weird sounds every so often is likely normal—you may just need to fix a bad signal—but if it happens consistently, check the phone.
2. Your Battery Drains and Phone Overheats
Does your phone overheat and battery drain quickly for no obvious reason? This can happen when streaming video or playing games for long periods of time. But if it's happening when the device should otherwise be at rest, it could be malicious software that constantly sends data back to whomever is tracking your phone. Navigate to settings on the phone and see which apps are running down the battery the most. (And here are other techniques for preserving battery life on iPhone and Android.)
3. Websites Don't Look Right
Some forms of malware can infiltrate your browser by displaying fake web pages that look legitimate, then harvesting your login credentials when you enter them. Phishing scams like this are common because social engineering schemes work! If the website you're on acts strange or looks different than it did before, close the page.
4. Your Phone Won't Shut Down
If the phone has trouble shutting down, that could be a sign that it is being tapped. When turning off your phone, check to see if the backlight stays on even when the phone is powered off or if shutdown attempts fail altogether. Randomly turning off or rebooting is another sign of trouble.
5. Unusual Text Messages
Text messages that are full of gibberish or contain questionable links can be a sign that spyware on the device has been incorrectly installed. The program is trying to send instructions to your apps and instead are coming through as SMS messages.
6. Hijacked Cameras and Microphones
Watch out for your camera or mic turning on randomly. If the camera light turns on when you didn’t open an app that uses the camera, the phone could be hacked. Some malicious software lets hackers access the camera even without turning the light on, so always dig deeper.
7. High Data Use You Can't Explain
Since spyware and malware routinely send information back to the hacker, it can use up a lot of your device's data. Higher-than-normal data usage can result in additional costs, especially if you don't have an unlimited data plan. Check your phone bill at the end of the billing cycle to see if costs jump unexpectedly.
To check data usage, head to Settings > Cellular on iPhone. Android users can find the same options under Network & Internet or Connections settings. You can also set the phone to send warnings if data usage goes over a certain threshold.
8. Check For Device Management Profiles
If someone is remotely accessing your phone, a device management profile may be buried in the phone’s settings menu. It's not something you'd normally notice, unless you’re especially tech-savvy, so bad actors count on that to stay hidden in plain sight. On an iPhone, head to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management.
Nothing there? You’re in the clear. If there is a profile here, see if it can be removed. The hacker may have set it up so that the profile requires a password to delete. If that’s the case, a factory reset should solve the problem. However, take note that if you received the device from school, work, or the local library, this profile was likely installed by the organization and should be harmless. If there are any additional profiles, take measures to remove them.
How to Check If Your Calls Are Being Forwarded
If your phone has been tapped, it could mean that calls and messages are being forwarded to another device. See if this has been set up by using Man-Machine Interface (MMI) codes, which will help discover and cut off any unauthorized forwarding. To use them, dial the desired MMI code (they vary by carrier), then hit the call button.
For AT&T and T-Mobile customers
*#61# - Lists all call and data forwarding settings
##61# - Clears all call and data forwarding settings
For Verizon and US Cellular customers
*92 - Lists all call and data forwarding settings
*93 - Clears all call and data forwarding settings
You can also check through the phone's settings. iPhone users can go to Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding to control the feature. Android users will need to go through their Phone app. Tap the three-dot icon and choose Settings. Go to Supplementary Services > Call Forwarding (Samsung) or Calls > Call forwarding (Google) and make sure nothing is set here.
How to Protect Your Phone From Being Tapped
Want to avoid dangerous apps? We recommend sticking to programs from major developers on Google Play and Apple's App Store. Researchers are finding new malicious apps all the time. Even apps that are legitimate can eventually become malicious. Here's what to do to protect yourself:
1. Turn On Airplane Mode: The first thing to do is take the phone offline by putting it in Airplane Mode. This will cut off the hacker's remote access to the phone since it disables the use of cellular data and Wi-Fi. You can then poke around to see if anything is amiss.
2. Remove Suspicious Apps: Search through your apps list and uninstall anything you don't recognize. Check the device's battery settings to see which programs use the most power. If there are any third-party apps that shouldn't be using so much power, uninstall them immediately.
3. Invest in Good Antivirus Protection: Don't want to get infected by a nefarious program? Invest in a good antivirus app or a security suite that covers all the devices you own.
4. Update Your Device Regularly: Apple and Google push out new iterations of iOS and Android every year, but don't ignore your phone in the interim. Important security patches are consistently released to fix vulnerabilities. Head to Settings > General > Software Update (iOS), Settings > Software update (Samsung), or Settings > System > System updates (Google) and make sure you have the latest OS version. And update individual apps from the App Store or Play Store.
5. Try a VPN: A good VPN can help conceal you from anyone trying to track your location or steal your IP address. While some browsers or antivirus have one built in, it may be worth getting a dedicated VPN for iOS or Android alongside separate malware protection.
6. Enable Lockdown Mode: If you believe the device is the target of a coordinated attack, you can take extra security measures. iPhone users have Lockdown Mode, which can be enabled under Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode to disable certain features. Android users can enroll in Google's Advanced Protection Program.
7. Reboot Into Safe Mode: Put the phone into safe mode to boot up the device without starting any third-party apps. This lets you search for and remove suspicious apps without alerting the hacker. Launch into safe mode on iPhone or Android by restarting the phone and holding down the Volume Down button until the Apple logo appears, the Google logo animation ends, or when the Samsung logo appears.
8. Reset Your Phone: If all else fails, try a total factory reset of the device to wipe out any program that might be infecting the device. If you choose to go that route, make there are backups of all your phone data, but know that this is not guaranteed to work if you've been infected with particularly sophisticated malware.
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