This article will guide you in protecting yourself from someone hacking your cell phone and spying on you.
It may surprise you, but phone spying is more likely to be carried out by those closest to us than a few anonymous hackers.
Changing your passcode prevents anyone else from looking through your phone and makes it harder for them to install spy apps that steal your passwords, chat history, emails, photos and videos..
When you change your passcode, make sure you choose a strong passcode that is at least 6 characters long.
2. Restart your phone
This sounds so incredibly simple that it seems like it wouldn’t do anything.
Many spy apps rely on the phone being left on for long periods of time.
3. Update your device and phone applications
Another simple thing you can do is update your device to the latest software.
Some cell phone hacking methods also rely on an older version of the manufacturer software being installed to bypass built-in security.
The same goes for installed apps – make sure you update them too.
4. Scan your device for spyware
The best thing you can do if you’re worried about someone tracking your cell phone is to perform a phone scan.
5. Check if Google Maps or Apple ‘Find My (iPhone, iPad, iPod)’ is sharing your location
Most people don’t realize that a hacker doesn’t actually need to install anything to track someone’s location.
You can check if location sharing is enabled in one of these apps as follows:
To stop sharing your location in Google Maps:
– On your device, open the Google Maps app.
– Tap Account Circles at the top right.
– Click Share location.
– Delete any accounts you are sharing your location with.
To stop sharing your location in Find My (iPhone/iPad/iPod):
– On your device, open the Find My app.
– Click Me.
– Turn off Share My Location.
These are just two examples of apps that allow location sharing, but be cautious and check your device for any apps that may unintentionally allow your location to be shared with others.
6. Check the account is logged in in Google Chrome
Another trick some snoopers use is to change the account being used for the Google Chrome browser app.
To check your logged in account:
– On your device, open the Google Chrome app
– Click on the 3 dots in the top right corner
– Tap ‘Settings’
– Under `Account`, you will be able to see your logged in email address.
– If incorrect, tap the email address, then tap ‘sign out and turn off sync’.
– Once done, you should change the passwords for your important accounts.
7. Check your device for apps that are using your location, microphone, or camera
Many spy apps will not only collect data from your device, but can also give hackers access to your GPS location, microphone, and even camera.
Both Certo AntiSpy (iOS) and Certo Mobile Security (Android) will be able to tell you exactly which apps are using these features and will allow you to easily detect any suspicious apps that may be
Or if you want to check manually, you can do this by reviewing your privacy/permissions options in the Settings app on most phones.
8. Use VPN
Using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) will encrypt all traffic between your phone and any online resource it’s accessing, whether it’s your email account, social network, or website.
Use a reputable VPN with your device to ensure that someone can’t eavesdrop on your online activity.
However, a VPN does not automatically give you complete protection and must form part of an overall security plan.
9. Two-factor authentication
Instead of hacking your actual device, hackers will sometimes target the accounts linked to it.
To prevent this from happening, developers have created a function called ‘Two-Factor Authentication’.
So even if they know your username and password and are trying to log in from another device, they won’t be able to do so because they won’t have that code.
10. Restore your phone to factory settings
This is a last resort that should only really be used if nothing else works.
This will also wipe your personal data, so make sure you back up any contacts, photos, videos… you want to keep.
Hope this is useful to you.
If you suspect you know who is spying on your phone, think twice before confronting them and never do anything that could put you in danger.