How to know if your phone is hacked: Signs & Solutions

Hi guys, my phone has been hacked. Please ignore all the weird texts and calls you receive from this number until further updates.

One of the most heartbreaking bios you can add to your Instagram account is a warning like this. It’s a jumpscare you don’t want in your life. But welcome to the digital world.

Your personal information, your contacts, intimate messages and pictures are all in the hands of a stranger/hacker with intentions you’re unaware of.

We’re living in times when our brains cease to function without our phones. Contacts and calculations, memory and memories—we are not in a position to let a hacker take over our smartphones.

But God forbid, if it ends up happening to you then how would you know and what would you do? Panic, of course. But then? Let us tell you some of the basics of how to know if your phone is hacked and what you can do in a situation if it is.

Table of Contents

Can my phone be hacked?

In today’s time when the information is spread in the for of MBs, GBs and TBs like air, there are many ways for cyber criminals to steal, take control and misuse whatever is stored in your phone or even deleted from it.

Despite stronger security promised by Apple, all phone—iPhone or Android—are vulnerable.

One of the most common hacking techniques is by fooling the user into clicking on a link or downloading software from a fake app store or elsewhere through social engineering—a form of cyber attack in which criminals manipulate victims into handing over sensitive information.

Social engineering is one of the biggest headaches for cybersecurity professionals. This can happen through a phishing email. Public wifi networks that are fake can fool users too. SIM swap is also a hacking technique in which an attacker persuades a victim’s mobile provider to transfer their SIM card to a device under their control.

And there are other ways which we’ll discuss later. But know that once a hacker finds its way into your phone, all your information is exposed and at risk, regardless of whether it’s been delated or not.

How to know if your phone is hacked

“When I was using my phone today, many important apps started opening on their own very quickly and even the apps I haven’t used in past 7 days, kept popping. I had no control on my phone. After a struggle for a few minutes, I managed to restart my phone after which things worked fine. I think my phone was hacked.”

This is what a hacked phone looked like for an android user. For you it can also look like this:

1. Things you don’t recognise, appear

Apps you never downloaded, purchases you never made, text messages you never sent and calls on numbers you don’t recognise are some of the most common and basic signs.

Check for new apps in your phone’s app library.

2. Slow functioning, more battery consumption

Your phone starts working at an unusually slow speed and the battery drains more quickly. You might even notice that your phone has become hotter than normal. This happens because malware working in the background may reduce its power drastically.

To be sure you’re dealing with a malware issue, go into your battery settings and see the apps that are using extra battery life. If you notice anythin you don’t recognise, it could be malware.

In case your phone is hotter than usual: On iPhone, turn off background app refresh to see if your phone cools down and the issues are fixed. Android users can enable developer options and look into services that are running.

3. Higher than usual data usage

Red flag alert. Without any significant change from your end, data usage could spike because process of tracking what you do going on in the background is consuming your mobile data. Check into your phone settings which apps are using more of your mobile data.

4. Uncontrolled activities

Apps are switching on and off unexpectedly, not tunning at your command, are crashing and failing to load.

To be sure, try rebooting your android device in Safe Mode. This will only run limited apps and processes. If your phone is working fine with Safe Mode, you’re likely dealing with a corrupt app or file that needs to be removed. If not, it’s a malware.

5. Pop-ups

Random pop-ups ads appearing on your phone’s screen is a sign of spyware, malware or adware—malicious app hackers use to generate revenue by disrupting ads without users’ consent.

These ads can even direct you to pages designed to steal your personal information. So avoid tapping on them.

Check for adware in your mobile browser’s extensions. On iOS devices, go to Settings > Safari > Extensions and delete any unknown extensions you see.

6. Issues with online accounts

Spyware in infected phones can skim account credentials and transmit them to the hacker, leading to credit and debit fraud. In some cases, hackers may change the password and lock out the owner as well.

If you notice that you’re unable to access your accounts with your original password, consider a strong possibility of a hacked phone.

Immediately reset our account passwords and secure the services with a stronger password, two-factor authentication (2FA) and secure backup accounts.

7. Getting locked out of your Apple ID or Google account

Like your bank IDs, hackers can brak into your Apple ID or Google account with an intention to change password and lock you out. If you can’t access your ID, immediately follow the account recovery instructions from Apple and Google.

8. Receiving 2FA codes you didn’t request

If you’ve received 2FA codes, hackers already know your password and credentials. They’re attempting to change it and lock you out. But your account is safe for now. Upon receiving unrequested password reset requests or 2FAs, perform a security checkup on your iPhone or Android.

9. Your camera/microphone light turns on

This could happen when a hacker is using stalking and monitoring apps. If the indicator lights go on eandomly, consider it a sign. You may spot random photos and videos in your gallery too.

Check the app permissions on your iPhone or Android. If there are any unfamiliar apps that have access to your phone’s camera or microphone, disable them.

10. You can’t get texts or calls

Scams like SIM swapping allow hackers to take access to your phone number and divert calls and texts to their devices. If you feel you are not getting the calls and texts that you usually do, check your ohone and SMS settings. You may notice an unknown number in the forwarded section.

If so, contact your carrier to see if they’ve given access of your SIM to someone else.

11. Your personal information leaked in a data breach

This isn’t a sign of your phone being hacked. But it does expose you and your phone to hackers through Dark Web. While you can’t remove your data from Dark Web yourself but knowing that you are more likely to get cyber attacked will make you more cautious.

12. By running antivirus software

Installing and running a trusted security software package can give you surety of whether your phone has actually been hacked or not. It can also find and remove any malware or spyware that may have infected your phone. Make sure software has done its job well—delete anything suspicious, restart your phone, run the software again.

You can try these popular ones:

• Norton

• McAfee

• AVG

• Bitdefender

• Kaspersky

How easily can someone hack into your phone?

With advanced technology, your phone can be hacked in many ways and some of them don’t even require you to click any link. These are some of the most common methods used by hackers to scam you:

1. Sim swap

This attack allows hackers to transfer your phone number to their own SIM card and take over your accounts.

2. Spyware

Spyware apps are easy to get and navigate. Anyone can use it without any advanced IT knowledge. It allows hackers to remotely monitor your phone. They can install apps, transfer information and even get access to your passwords.

3. USB Cable

This is one of the popular techniques you often see in movies and shows. A USB cable or charger lead can be used to hack your device. While a phone is connected to another device like a laptop or a disk through a USB cable, data transfer can happen. A computer or disk infected with viruses or malware can automatically infect your phone when connected.

4. Fake public Wi-Fi networks or charging stations

Your phone can easily get malware via fake public Wi-Fi services or charging stations. Fake networks setup by hackers are called evil twin networks. This hacking method is called man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack where hackers intercept communications sent from devices on unsecured internet connections. They redirect you to malicious websites.

When they steal data through USB cable used at a public charging station, it’s called juice jacking. Hackers load malware into public chagrin stations.

5. Phishing attacks

A phishing text, popup, email or WhatsApp message with malicious link can be sent to you with an intention of installing malware that can snatch your data.

As reported by ZScaler, a cloud security company, in 2023, India was the third most targeted country for phishing attacks with more than 79 million reported incidents. With artificial intelligence, these attacks are becoming more sophisticated and subtle.

6. Malware infection

While downloading certain apps, you may accidentally download malware yourself by clicking on malicious popups or links. Spyware, ransomware and adware are typical types of malware that are hidden by hackers in free, bogus apps and get distributed this way.

In the first few months of 2024, ZScaler identified more tham 90 such apps with over 5.5 million download in the Google Play Store.

7. Bluetooth pairing

Hackers can take advantage of nearby devices with open-Bluetooth pairing enabled. Through Bluetooth attacks, hackers can send malicious links and software—this attack is called Bluejacking. This can be avoided by simply disabling open-Bluetooth connections.

8. How to know if your camera is hacked

A few telltale signs for this would be random photos and videos in your gallery that you never clicked. We’re not talking about the screenshots you accidentally take, these will be the ones that keep showing up and you keep finding new ones.

You may also notice flash lighting up even when you’re not using your phone.

Can a phone be hacked when it’s switched off?

No. Phone hacking, remote or physical, only works when the device that’s being targeted in switched on. This, however, doesn’t put you into the safe zone entirely.

Cybercriminals may spoof your number and make calls in your name from their device to extract important information or money from others.

If your phone is jailbroken—modified to remove restrictions and give hackers access to the device’s operating system—they can install malware that would activate as soon as your device is switched back on.

Can a hacker hack your phone by calling you?

No, your phone cannot get hacked just by attending a call from a hacker. They can’t break into into your phone’s software and modify anything through a phone call. Phone calls themselves don’t have the power to spread malware.

A hacker can call you and impersonate an official to gain your personal details, OTPs etc. With the information they dig out of you, they can hack your online accounts

What to do if your phone is hacked?

Now that you’ve discovered how to check if your phone is hacked and learnt about ways hackers can use to take over your phone and all the important details in it let’s discuss how to remove a hacker from your phone.

1. Remove suspicious apps

Uninstall anything that you don’t recognise in your phone, this could be a resource-draining app. To be sure that the app you’re deleting is the right one, Google it or read about it on your respective app stores.

Restart your phone and check if the removal was done properly.

2. Delete history

Malware can hide in places you don’t use often or even check regularly. Clear your cache, browsing history and downloads. Doing so will remove hidden malicious software.

3. Run an antivirus/anti-malware program

Download security software and run an antivirus scan. It can find, isolate and remove malware and spyware from your Android. For iPhones, there isn’t any antivirus software, if a security app markets itself as one, it might not be as reliable as you may think.

4. Clear unrecognised devices

Remove any unrecognised device from your Google Account or Apple ID. Hackers with access to your Apple and Google accounts can access them by connecting them in their devices. Logged in or not, get rid of the accounts that are new and not yours from your device.

5. Update your phone’s operating system

Upgrading the operating system and software will safeguard your phone as malware and hackers often work with outdated software. Once bug fixes are made by the developers and released in the form of software updates, apps become less vulnerable to hacks. You can also set your device to update automatically.

6. Change your passwords

Update all your passwords quickly, especially for the accounts you feel may have been accessed by the hackers. Enable 2FA. The extra layer of security becomes highly important when someone repeatedly tries to get into your online accounts.

7. Set up a password manager

The tool creates and stores your passwords securely. It also alerts you when an account is more vulnerable. Some good ones even stop you from automatically filling your passwords on known phishing sites.

8. Turn off your mobile data and Wi-Fi when not in use

Doing so will stop a malicious app from using your data and may even disrupt the activity running in the background if it relies on an internet connection.

9. Go nuclear

With a heavy heart, resent your phone to its factory settings if you don’t want to deal with any lingering issues on your phone. This step will wipe all files and settings on your phone—make sure you have a secure, virus-free backup.

How to restore your phone to its factory setting

iPhone: Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings > Enter your passcode or Apple ID password

Samsung Android 5.0 or above: Apps > Settings > Backup and Reset > Factory Data Reset > Reset Device > Erase Everything

Samsung Android 14.0 or above: Settings > General management > Reset > Factory Data Reset > Reset

10. Freeze your credit

If you’ve noticed any unusual activity in your accounts, immediately reach out to your bank and notify them. Even if you have not detected any transactions on your phone, reach out to your banks to double-check if your accounts have been accessed at all.

11. Alert your knowns

Let your friends, family and other important contacts know that your phone has been hacked as soon as possible so they can ignore and remove anything that comes from your phone. The hackers may try to reach others and scam them too in your name.

How to stop hackers from hacking your phone

Detecting malware and preventing it from entering your phone are two very different experiences. If you want to stop the hacker from entering your phone from the get-go or stop spyware from finding its way to your device again, here are all the things you can do:

1. Keep your hotspot off in public

If a need arises to turn it on, make sure you’ve secured the settings and random people can’t discover your network.

2. Skip public Wi-Fi and charging stations

If you need to use them, never do it without a VPN. Disconnect the public Wi-Fi as soon as you’re done using it.

3. Switch off your Bluetooth

As it is one of the access points for hackers, keep Bluetooth off when you’re not using it.

4. Lock your phone

Most of us have passcodes and passwords on our phones. If you didn’t, make sure you have your lock screen locked now and keep changing your phone’s passcode from time to time.

5. Never leave your phone

Unattended or with people you don’t know.

6. Keep it updated

Your apps and operating systems should be updated regularly as upgrades come from service providers with bug fixes and added security.

7. Review apps on your phone

Remove any app that you don’t use or don’t recognise.

8. Skip public USB charging stations

If you must use it, do so with a USB data blocker—a small electronic device that connects your device to a USB charging port and is designed to block data transfer allowing only power transmission through them.

9. Don’t click on anything suspicious

Messages, links or files that come across as suspicious can be malware or spyware in disguise.

10. Lock your SIM

If you suspect that your device might be compromised, ask your service provider to lock your SIM card. Once your device is safe, you can ask them to unlock it for you.

11. Install anti-malware software

These apps are designed to remove malware quickly after it’s installed and prevent viruses from infecting your system.

12. Avoid suspicious sites

Such sites are a potential source of malware. To stop it from entering your phone, avoid getting lured by unknown sites.

13. Use VPN

For both iOS and Android, a VPN is recommended so you can browse privately and safely enjoy the perks of added security.

14. Enable a SIM lock/PIN

Doing so on your device will add the requirement for a four-digit PIN before your SIM can be used regardless of which device is using it.

15. Go for an authenticator app

It’s safer than 2FA. When you receive 2FA codes via text, hackers who have access to your phone can manage to enter your account security. Authenticator apps require stronger security measures for the code like biometric identification.

16. Disable voice assistant on the lock screen

If Siri or Google Assistant are available before you unlock your phone, anyone including a stranger can physically access your phone. You can follow these steps to disable these voice assistants:

iPhone: Settings > Face ID & Passcode/Touch ID & Passcode > Turn off Siri

Android: Settings > Personalisation > Personal Results > Turn on Lock Screen Personal Results

Apps to check if your phone has been hacked

Some apps can be installed on your phone to increase device security. Such apps protect your phone by notifying you of unusual activity and ensure that you’re using basic security features like face/touch ID, 2FA and screen lock.

Spyware apps are also available to scan your phone for hidden malware and help you identify hacks on time.

Avast One: Scans devices for threats, detects malicious apps and protects against infected links.

Norton 360 Deluxe: Makes browsing safer by protecting your phone from malware.

VeePN Antivirus: Finds and removes malware used by hackers to take over your phone.

How to browse privately on phone

You can browse privately on your phone for increased security with a VPN. There are many VPN apps to try, some are even free.

NordVPN

ExpressVPN

Surfshark

TurboVPN Private Browser

PrivadoVPN

ProtonVPN

Most are designed to be used by both laymen and tech experts. VPN apps provide encryption and block suspicious ads and popups.

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