10 signs someone could be spying on you

Are YOU being spied on? 10 warning signs someone is tracking your phone

  • iPhone users can grant friends and family location-tracking capability on device
  • But there are plenty of nefarious ways unwanted parties can track you too 

Have you ever suspected someone might be tracking your phone?

While iPhones allow the friends and family to track users, if permitted access, there are also a range of spy apps available to download from the App Store, some that assume permission has not been granted.

Some apps can secretly track your location, see your conversations, access your bank details and send copies of your messages or media to another device. 

MailOnline has produced a 10-point guide on spotting the tell-tale signs someone may be tracking your every move.

Spy apps are readily available in your phone’s application store, but how can you find out if someone is using them on you? File image

Are you seeing unfamiliar applications on your phone?

If applications are appearing on your device that you have never seen before, be suspicious. 

Search your phone’s storage to find out if there are any apps you do not remember downloading that could be disguised as something else. 

Some to look out for are Kaspersky Safe Kids, Norton Family, Net Nanny and Qustodio.

Does your phone need charging more often than usual?

If there are applications continuously running, your phone’s battery will drain very quickly. 

If you notice that your phone is running out of charge at a quicker pace than normal, check if any recently used apps are responsible.

If a spyware application is continuously running in the background, your phone’s battery may be draining quickly. File image

Is your phone is hot? 

Like with a quickly draining battery, your phone’s heat is a clue that applications are continually running in the background. 

If you are not even using your phone and it is becoming hot to the touch, there could be someone tracking you.

Is your phone second hand, or was it given to you as a present? 

‘Jailbraking’ or ‘rooting’ a phone allows users to download apps that aren’t available on the official app store. 

If your phone appears ‘jailbroken’ without your consent there may be someone up to no good. 

If you are suspicious of this there are apps you can use to check: For Android phones use Root Checker and for iOS devices use Cydia. 

If you are buying a second-hand phone it is advised to restore the device to its original factory settings. 

How much data is your phone using?

If spyware is running in the background, your phone’s data could be being used too. This is because the person looking at your information is using your phone’s connection to send it to them. 

On an iPhone you can check your data usage on settings by clicking on the ‘Mobile Data’ page. 

For Android users go to Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage.

From there it is possible to identify if any of your applications are using an unusually high amount of mobile data. 

Have you tried switching your phone off?

Spyware apps could stop your phone from turning off so that the perpetrator always has access to it. 

These apps could also lead to your phone taking an unusually long amount of time to switch off. 

Back in 2014 tech expert Edward Snowden said he thought the NSA could listen in to the microphone of an iPhone even if it switched off.

Someone could be using your phone to listen to your conversations. File image

What about unexplained behaviour like your phone randoming lighting up?

If your phone is doing weird things on standby mode like lighting up or pinging without any notifications, there could be some dodgy activity happening.

Have you checked your sent messages?

If your phone is sending text messages that you never wrote or sent, there could be someone accessing your device. This also applies to received text messages that you were not expecting. 

Perpetrators can use applications to send commands to the device such as screenshotting, sending emails or taking a picture.

Does your autocorrect work properly?

There is such thing as keyloggers, spyware that can allow someone to see what you are typing on your phone. 

If you are typing and you notice that the autocorrect is misbehaving, there could be someone watching your messages. 

How do the screenshots on your phone compare with those on a trusted friends? 

This one is simple. If your screenshots appear to have poor quality such as pixelation, someone might be tracking your device. 

How would you know if someone is tracking your phone? File image

How can you clear your phone if believe someone is spying on you?

Experts at Vodafone told MailOnline: ‘We recommend customers to always exercise caution when accessing links on emails and when browsing the internet. 

‘We advise to not use “jailbroken” devices as this removes all restrictions on the device imposed by the manufacturer and allows unapproved software to be installed.

Additionally, we recommend customers to use the Apple or Google App Stores to obtain and install applications and regularly check their device permissions to applications. 

‘Installing Mobile device Anti-malware software or subscribing to a service like Vodafone’s Secure Net can also provide real-time threat protection with 24/7 ID monitoring from malicious websites and phishing attacks.’

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