The idea that your phone might be being tapped by undesirable parties is not absurd in a time when our mobile gadgets have evolved into surveillance tools. A lot of personal information is stored on modern cellphones, including your financial information and official documents like a driver’s licence. Your data could be at danger if there is a security breach. This is why it’s important to be informed of any indications of odd activity that might indicate a breach. In this article, we’ll show you how to verify if someone is tapping your phone and how to stop it.
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Summary of Contents
How to check if your phone is being tapped?
While there are a number of signals that frequently appear when a phone is being watched, there are no surefire ways to determine whether your phone is being tapped. Take the required actions that we discuss later in the article if you see any of these indications on your phone.
Unusual overheating
If your phone starts to get hot when you’re not using it, there may be a lot of background activity going on with your device. Malicious malware is made to continuously gather data from your phone. This covers call logs, text messages, the position of the device, and even audio captured by the microphone. The effort of gathering this much data is highly onerous and might drain the battery severely, causing overheating. The likelihood of spyware being present on your phone increases if this problem suddenly arises.
Spike in data usage
The spyware must transmit all of the personal data it has obtained from your phone back to the organisation that put it there. Data usage will unexpectedly increase as a result of this. Check your phone’s data use frequently to ensure that no unnoticed programmes are utilising the mobile or WiFi connection. By going to Settings>Connections>Data Usage, you can check how much data your phone is using.
Strange noise during voice calls
If you hear any odd noises while on the phone, it’s possible that a programme is tapping into your phone and recording the call. First, you must confirm that neither end of the call was the source of the noise. As soon as the call connects, you typically hear a few beeps when a phone is being tapped. This is a very clear indication that someone else is listening in on the call. You should consider taking further action if you frequently hear any strange noises.
Excessive battery usage
When the battery on your phone seems to be depleting more quickly than usual, background processes are likely to blame. Any unusual decline in battery life necessitates further investigation. Go to Settings>Battery>Battery Usage and check to see if any apps are consuming an excessive amount of battery life. Look for any unidentified apps as well. If no app indicates unusual usage, your phone may have hidden spyware installed.
Unwanted apps pop up on your phone
Invasive spyware frequently disguises itself as a safe app on your phone. It can be installed as the Calculator or Calendar app, which you don’t use very frequently and which doesn’t draw much attention. Sometimes, spyware can be installed as a totally different app altogether and you may not notice it, thinking it s bloatware. Always be mindful of the apps on your phone and make sure you delete any apps that you don t remember installing. If the icons of any of the regular apps look different, inspect further and find out whether it is because of a recent update or something else.
Webpages look different
If you have been using yoursmartphonefor a while, you must be familiar with the size and style of font used by the web browser. A lot of the time, thespywareon your phone is used to gather your bank account info. This is usually done by phishing. Whenever you open a payment gateway, you will be presented with a fake banking webpage. The moment you enter your account info in that webpage and hit enter, the scammers get your bank account data. Usually, the fake web pages look slightly off, so always be on the lookout when making payments online.
Phone performance drops down
If your phone starts lagging out of the blue or slows down considerably, it could mean that a background function is draining its resources. Usually, a drop in performance alone isn t a strong sign of your phone being tapped, but along with other symptoms it can be used to confirm whether your phone is being spied on.
Use a forwarding code to check if your phone is being tapped
Using a forwarding code is one of the best ways to check whether your Android smartphone is being tapped. By dialling*#21#, *#67#, or *#62#, you can find out whether your phone data is being forwarded to another entity. This is one of the best ways to confirm whether your phone is being tapped by a third party. This method works only for Android smartphones, so if you re an iOS user, you will have to rely on the other methods on this list.
How to stop your phone from being tapped?
There are a few ways to ensure your phone s security andsafeguardit against anyspyware. Even when you ve confirmed that your phone is being monitored, there are a few instant measures you can take to limit the damage. Here are some things you can do to stop your phone from being tapped.
Dial ##002#
If you used the MMI codes mentioned above to find out your phone s data is being forwarded to a third party, immediately dial ##002# to stop the data from being relayed forward. Upon dialling the code, you will receive the message Erase successful .
Find the spyware app manually
If you re certain that your phone is being monitored, go to the file explorer on your phone and look for any suspicious apps. If you don t find any suspicious apps, manually open every installed app on your phone (including native apps) and look for any unusual activity. Uninstall any weird apps you come across.
Perform a factory reset
Performing a factory reset will delete all data from your phone, including any hidden spyware. This is the quickest way to secure your phone, but you will lose your personal data. In order to perform a factory reset go toSettings>General Management>Reset>Factory Data Reset.
Install an antivirus app
A good antivirus app can help you prevent a data breach on your phone. It can also instantly recognise any malicious apps that want access to your device. You can find several highly-ratedantivirus appson theGoogle Play Store. Once you ve installed an antivirus app, schedule regular checks for your smartphone.
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Conclusion
These are some of the best methods to check if your phone is being tapped. Make sure you follow the steps we ve mentioned to stop your phone from getting tapped. While the chances of your phone being tapped are extremely slim, it is always better to be on the side of caution. Always make sure that the apps you download on your phone are from trusted sources and come with the necessary safety certificates.
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