How do I know if my phone is being hacked – 8 alarming signs

How to tell if your phone has been hacked

Android devices may appear more susceptible to hacks, but iPhones aren’t entirely safe either. So stay on the lookout for the signs below:

1. Your device is slowing down, heating up, or draining the battery

There are several reasons why your phone could slow down, heat up, or start gobbling up energy. This may be a sign that there’s malware running in the background. If you notice any of these signs, you should:

• Consider whether you’ve carried out any operating system updates recently and are not running any resource-intensive apps;
• Check which apps are running, how much memory they’re using, and how much free space exists on your device.

If you can’t find the explanation for these things happening, your phone might have been hacked.

2. Your contacts receive messages you never sent 

Hackers may leave malware on your phone that uses your email or messaging apps to spread itself to your contacts, including a link or a file that would infect their devices. If someone reports suspicious messages:

• Investigate immediately — your phone has probably been hacked.

3. Your data usage or phone bill indicates a spike

An unexpected increase in data use could mean that your phone was hacked to mine cryptocurrency, steal your photos, or spy on you. Increased phone bills might indicate a hacked phone — for example, criminals are using it as a proxy. If you notice data usage or phone bill spikes:

• Check your app data usage and see which app could be the prime suspect; 
• Check your records for numbers that you didn’t call;
• Be aware of strange background noises and interference during phone calls.

If there are any anomalies, you can tell that your phone has been hacked. We have a more detailed guide on the signs that someone might be using your phone number without your consent.

4. Your phone has suspicious apps you didn’t install, and/or its antivirus software is missing

Finding suspicious apps means that somebody has installed spyware on your phone. Malware also sometimes uninstalls antivirus software. If you notice apps you haven’t downloaded or that your antivirus is gone:

• Delete the unrecognized apps;
• Install antivirus software and run a scan.

5. Your phone acts weird

Your phone rebooting without a reason, shutting down, or changing its settings, apps opening on their own, or lots of pop-ups appearing — could be minor software errors, but it may also be a sign that your phone is hacked. If you notice that:

• Don’t ignore these signs — look through your apps and settings, and restore the factory settings (only if needed).

6. Your credit history shows unknown purchases

If you start seeing unauthorized purchases in your credit card history, it may be some form of credit card fraud. This could spell bad news, especially since Americans have lost over $914M in more than 135,000 separate credit card scams in the past decade.

However, a hacked phone is also one way a thief can get around fraud protection:

• Check if your bank informed you that they blocked a suspicious transaction;
• Call your bank, credit card, or other financial institution to confirm any fraudulent activities, and freeze your accounts if needed;
• Turn on transaction notifications.

7. Your phone has unrequested 2FA codes pop up

Getting unrequested 2FA codes may indicate that one of your online accounts has been compromised, and your device might have a hacker’s monitoring app — the hacker may monitor your device with an app that records your keystrokes:

• Don’t enter the unrequested code and change the account’s password;
• Use a password manager to increase your mobile security and minimize the risk of exposing your password.

8. Your camera or microphone indicator turns on without a reason

If you’re not using the camera or the microphone on your phone, but the indicator/icon is on, someone else is using them to stalk you. You may also find random recordings and photos in your gallery you don’t remember taking — a sign that your phone is hacked, and you should:

• Review your camera/microphone permissions and delete any unrecognized apps.

How can your phone be hacked?

There are quite a few ways to hack a phone, some of which aren’t even that complicated. So, let’s take a look at some of the most common phone hacking techniques:

1. Social engineering

Phishing is one of the most common social engineering techniques used by hackers. Hackers send legit-looking emails or messages and try to trick people into clicking on a malicious link and downloading malicious software.

2. Fake Wi-Fi networks or charging stations

Your device can get infected with malware by connecting to fake Wi-Fi networks, also referred to as evil twin networks, that redirect you to malicious websites. It can also happen by connecting to fake charging stations set up by hackers, where your data can be stolen via a USB cable. 

3. SIM swap attack

In a SIM swap attack, hackers can trick your mobile carrier into transferring your phone number to their own SIM card. This then allows the criminals to receive two-factor authentication messages and take over your accounts.

4. Infected USB cables

If you connect your phone to an infected device via a USB or charger cable (even just to charge your phone), your phone could potentially become infected with malware or viruses, too.

5. Spyware 

Some spyware could be easily installed on your phone if someone has direct access to your device. This doesn’t require advanced IT knowledge, and your phone could be remotely monitored or managed.

6. Malware

Your phone can become infected with malware when you visit suspicious sites, download apps from them, or click on malicious links and pop-ups.

How to know if your phone camera is hacked

Few things are as invasive to your privacy as having your phone’s camera hacked. Here’s how you can tell whether it happened: 

• Perform the camera test: open the camera and zoom the image in and out. Notice the speed of the zoom. If it’s slower than usual, it may be because the camera was hacked;
• Monitor the battery level: a battery dying too fast for no apparent reason may be a sign of a camera hack, among others. The hacker is the one at fault for the additional consumption; 
• Inspect the camera folder: photos and videos you didn’t take appearing in your gallery may be a sign that spying malware is at work;
• Look at the camera permissions: you probably know which apps on your smartphone may need camera access to function. Any suspicious app on the list should be checked to see if it’s not malware.

As always, having just one symptom doesn’t necessarily mean that your webcam is hacked. Nevertheless, it doesn’t hurt to check. 

How to know if your SIM card is hacked

Here are some ways to tell if your SIM got hacked:

• You received a request to restart your phone: SIM hacking techniques eventually require you to restart your phone, so be suspicious of any outside requests to do so;
• You’re no longer receiving calls or texts: a network will not register two identical SIM cards, so if yours is hacked, you won’t get calls or texts anymore. Just ask a friend to text or call you. If they come through, your card hasn’t been hacked;
• Unknown numbers on your bill: you can check your phone bill to see if there are any outgoing calls to numbers you don’t know. Their existence may indicate that your SIM card has been hacked;
• Losing access to your accounts: quite a few two-factor authentication services need you to verify that it’s you by entering a code you receive via text. So, if you can’t access these accounts and texts aren’t coming through, your SIM card has been hacked;
• Location tracker shows different locations: a rookie hacker may not disable Find My iPhone for iOS or Google’s Find My Device for Android. In these cases, these services will show your phone to be somewhere entirely different than where you are.

What to do if your phone is hacked

If your phone gets hacked, your immediate action should be changing your passwords — make sure they’re strong and have never been used before.

Then, you should install and run anti-malware software. For Android phones, you could use Surfshark Antivirus. If any malicious files or apps are detected, delete them, restart the phone, and double-check that they’re gone. If the problems persist, reset the phone to factory settings, and in the worst-case scenario — reinstall your OS.

It’s also a good idea to inform your contacts that your phone’s been hacked and tell them to ignore any suspicious messages received from you.

Factory reset on iPhone

Factory reset deletes data on your mobile device and returns the settings to the factory baseline. Here’s how to do it on iPhone:

1. Open Settings.

2. Select General.

3. Scroll down to Transfer or Reset iPhone.

4. Tap Erase All Content and Settings.

For a more detailed guide, read Apple’s support page on restoring your Apple device to factory settings.

Factory reset on Android

Resetting factory settings for Android users will differ depending on the manufacturer, but the general steps are as follows:

1. Open Settings.

2. Tap General management.

3. Choose Reset.

4. Select Factory data reset.

5. Tap Reset.

Since many Android manufacturers exist, remember to check their websites for more direct guides.

Reinstall your OS

Experienced threat actors can plant malware even deeper — next to the data that’s vital to your phone’s operation. Reinstalling the operating software may help remove such apps, but it’s more drastic than a factory reset.

Reinstalling involves wiping everything from your phone — settings, apps, the operating software, and even the firmware. It’s like the “nuclear” version of formatting your device back to factory settings.

Scan your phone with anti-malware software

Some malware avoids “Factory Reset Detection,” meaning it may be there once you reinstall your OS. Simply put, if malware has access to major executive controls, then no number of resets or OS reinstalls will help.

To combat this issue, scan your phone with an antivirus app and make a habit out of it. An antivirus software will scan your device, recognize malware, and delete it. 

Note: Surfshark offers Antivirus for Windows, Android, and MacOS.

Inform your contacts

A man-made virus works a lot like a pathogen — it needs to spread to other hosts. In this case, a malicious app is transferred through a message or a phishing link sent from your device. So, to prevent anybody from opening a fatal email or link, you have to do your part and inform your contacts.

How can I protect my phone from hackers?

So now you know the signs of being hacked, but how do you prevent this from happening in the first place? Here are some safety tips:

1. Avoid public Wi-Fi networks or unfamiliar Bluetooth sources.
2. Stick to apps from official stores.
3. Don’t click on suspicious links or download questionable attachments.
4. Install antivirus software and update it often.
5. Only charge your phone via a secure charger.
6. Use a PIN, and never leave your phone unattended.
7. Use an email masking service.
8. Use an alternative phone number.
9. Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network).
10. Switch off Bluetooth when not in use.
11. Regularly review the apps on your phone.
12. Use a USB data blocker for public charging.

And, now, in a little more detail.

Avoid public Wi-Fi networks

A free public Wi-Fi hotspot may be a trap. Hackers set up fake hotspots to steal data all the time, so be careful and make sure that you’re connecting to the actual Wi-Fi. However, even a genuine Wi-Fi connection could be compromised (for example, by a less-than-moral employee with access to the router), so stay vigilant and use additional security measures (like a VPN).

Install apps only via the official app store and back up your data 

Official app stores are less likely to include malicious apps or apps infected with malware. Although some privacy risks may still exist, they can be avoided by being selective.

Either way, backing up your data is generally a good idea. If you download an infected app, it’s easier to do a factory reset when you have backed up your data and contacts.

Don’t click on suspicious links in emails or social media, and never download suspicious file attachments

If a file or link looks suspicious, it probably is. Remember that some malware spreads automatically, so strange links from your friends and relatives may be a virus trying to get in. Knowing that, don’t open those files or links, and inform the person it came from.

Install antivirus software and update it often

Routine use of antivirus apps can defeat common threats. But they have to be regularly updated, just like any other app, because those updates often include fixes to recently uncovered security issues. 

Charge your phone only via a secure charger 

USB chargers use wires and ports that can be used for data transmission. Hackers are fully aware of that, planting malware onto these chargers and “accidentally” leaving them lying around, hoping you plug them in and infect your device. 

So, try only using your own charger, and be careful with chargers in rental cars. If you must use a charger you can’t trust, choose the “Only Charging” option on your phone.

Use a PIN and never leave your phone unattended

A pattern lock is mostly a nuisance, and a PIN or a fingerprint scanner is a much better way to secure your phone if you let it go out of sight. Even better, don’t let it get out of your sight, and don’t leave it unattended.

Use an email masking service

An email masking service, like Alternative ID, can help enhance your phone’s security, but it does so indirectly — it prevents overexposing your personal details, which also affects your phone.

When signing up on a not-so-trusty-looking website, use Alternative ID’s generated online personality and email. This will help avoid being involved in data leaks.

Use an alternative phone number

Some services require you to input your phone number to register and access them. Not all of them may be trustworthy, and you may not want to reveal your personal number. That’s when having a virtual phone number comes in very handy. You can get one by extending Surfshark’s Alt ID subscription.

Use a VPN

A VPN is a security software that encrypts your internet traffic. So, if a hacker were to steal your data by using, say, a fake Wi-Fi hotspot, they wouldn’t get anything useful. It also keeps your IP (Internet Protocol) address — your device’s address online — safe by changing it to the IP address of the VPN server.

Turn off Bluetooth when not in use

To prevent accidentally exposing your personal information in public, turn off your Bluetooth when you’re done using it. Also, switch off the Wi-Fi auto-connect feature and your personal hotspot. Disabling these wireless features can reduce the risk of malicious parties accessing your device.

Review your apps regularly

You should periodically review your apps. This will help you notice any suspicious apps you haven’t installed yourself, hopefully before they cause damage to your device, accounts, and personal information.

Use a USB data blocker

Whenever you need to charge your phone in a public space using a USB port, make sure to use a USB data blocker. This small plug-in device disables the data pins in your charging cable, blocking out any data (including malware), but leaves the other pins working for the power to come through, allowing you to charge your phone safely.

In conclusion: don’t sleep on your phone’s security

At this point, you should know how to tell if your phone has been hacked. But it’s best not to allow hackers or mobile malware onto your phone in the first place. One of the most reliable ways to do that is to secure your connection with a VPN for your phone. As a bonus, you can get the Surfshark One subscription, which includes Alternative ID and Surfshark Antivirus.

FAQ

What happens if your phone is hacked?

If your phone gets hacked, you’ll notice “irregular behavior” like strange activity on your online accounts, unfamiliar calls, messages, and texts, as well as your phone working really slowly and quickly losing battery.

Can your phone get hacked?

Yes, like any other software, your phone can get hacked, too. It can happen via a phishing attack, malicious apps, an “infected” USB cable, and many other ways. So, it’s important to keep yourself informed on how that happens and how to prevent it.

Can you “unhack” your phone?

Yes, you may be able to “unhack” your phone by deleting any recently downloaded files or apps. There is a big chance that the hacker has downloaded malicious apps that are running in the background, so be sure to have an antivirus scan the phone. If insufficient — manually look into the system and look for files that don’t belong.

Who do I contact if my phone is hacked?

If your phone is hacked, you should contact a phone repair shop or the place you bought the phone, as well as your service provider. Afterward, you should also inform your contacts, as they may be receiving messages meant to infect their devices.

How can I stop my phone from being accessed remotely?

To prevent your phone from being accessed remotely, you should update your software, use 2FA, check your phone for suspicious apps, and uninstall them. You should also avoid jailbreaking (for iOS) and rooting (for Android) because they can expose your phone to security risks.

How can I find out who hacked your phone?

Finding out who hacked your phone depends on the hack. If it was a link in an email or if you were hacked using vulnerabilities of jailbroken iPhones and unofficial Androids, then it is impossible to tell who did it.

If you found a spy app installed on your phone from either the Google Play Store or Apple Store, it had to be someone with physical access to your phone. But it’s hard to tell if the culprit did it without logging in to any of their accounts.