For the majority of us, our phones represent an integral part of who we are. Everything we do has a footprint on our mobile devices ranging from where we go, who we meet, what we eat, our plans and the likes. In summary, our phones are a treasure trove where sensitive details of who we are contained. The bad part about all these is that such data can be pretty enticing to a lot of people including criminals.
Phone hacking involves unknowingly downloading spyware which transmits real-time information about what you are up to. This information could include getting your login in details and passwords. The easiest way for Smartphones to be infected is by infecting it with malware.
How to remove a hacker from my phone
If you want to remove the hacker from your phone, factory reset is and install an updated operating system from the service provider.
If you suspect that your phone has been hacked, the first thing you should do is to go to your phone settings and then the security. After this, go to the security and then check the device administrator which is where the majority of spyware apps need to be able to gain control of your mobile device. Hence, by first checking there, you should be able to address it. However, another approach you can use is by downloading certain apps that should be able to help you know more about all the applications on your phone, what they are, what they do and where they are downloaded from.
One other way to know if your phone has been hacked is by switching off the internet connection on your phone and observe the data volume been consumed by your phone.
How Can I Figure Out Who Hacked My Phone?
If your phone is acting sluggish or the battery appears to be draining out pretty quick, then there may be a possibility that your phone may have been hacked. They may also mean that your phone requires an upgrade. One other way to know if your phone has been hacked is when your data consumption has gone over the roof. It could simply mean that a dodgy application is sending data to its origins.
I have come to realize that your ability to determine the person responsible for hacking your phone is largely dependent on the type of threat. For you to have a clearer picture of who the suspects may be, you have to figure out how your phone has been compromised.
Who Could Have Hacked My Phone?
Just about anyone anywhere could have hacked your phone. It could be a suspicious partner, a data collection thief, your a mischievous friend. The point is that there are different reasons why people may want to hack your phone.
How Do I Run A Security Scan On My Phone?
To answer this question, I would be addressing it based on two categories which are the iPhone devices and Android devices.
iPhone: you can run a security scan on your iPhone by making use of certain apps which should help alert you if your iPhone has been stolen. However, the ability of security software to locate a spy app on your phone is largely dependent on how effective and sophisticate such apps may be. This is why you should always go for updated versions of the security software as quickly as the updates are out.
Android: Viruses are not that difficult to find online. These kinds of apps usually possess system-level access to some rather detailed information regarding your device activities including the messages you write and your GPS location.
Also, you may need to have them downloaded on your device physically. This means that if you find them on your device, they were probably installed by someone who has access to your mobile device. The chances are quite high for you to find out who around you would want to have your phone monitored (it could be your jealous partner)
For you to determine if you have any such malicious malware on your phone or anyone is doing spy on text messages, ensure to download certain antivirus apps which should be able to detect such malware
Scrutinize your apps list
The first thing I will recommend that you do is to go through the apps on your phone to identify applications you may not have downloaded yourself. Also, ensure to confirm if any of those apps have a negative review indicating malware. If that is the case, such apps may have been compromised by a hacker who may not be directly targeting you but is simply hunting for as much data as possible.
What’s your phone bill saying?
I once had a friend who kept complaining about phone bills that didn’t make much sense. According to her, it was as though she was paying for someone else. Hence, if you are being charged for text messages you didn’t send or calls you never made, you probably have malware creeping through your device. This type of malware is such that makes your phone make or receive text messages.
Also, If you constantly receive certain text messages, you should send stop to such numbers. If this, however, does not work, you may have to call your cell network provider for them to block such a number. You should also consider blocking any third-party messaging applications and other apps that may have been installed before the phone began sending text messages.
Go through your call list
If you have done all I have suggested so far and still feel that someone out there is intruding into your personal space, you should know that apps are not the only channel for malware entrance. Have you received a random call recently? People who receive calls claiming they have won a bounty can be victims of someone trying to hack them by voice call.
When was the last time you used public Wi-Fi
A statistic showed that one in four hotspots is usually not safe. Also, the ones that are protected with the password could be created by someone with an illicit motive. Therefore, if your phone is not protected using a secure VPN and you are connected to an unsecured public internet source, you may be spied upon by someone who could have harvested sensitive information when you log in to your email.
What Should You Do If Your Phone Is Hacked?
If you have thoroughly gone through the pointers I have carefully outlined for a hacked phone and you believe you may be a victim of a hacker, here are a few things to do:
Factory reset
This sounds pretty obvious, right? Well, just for clarity, this is one of the most important steps to tackle malware issues. After you must have deleted the suspicious malicious ware from your phone and still suspect the presence of such, you should do this. For your android device, simply go to the settings, then system advanced after which you should go to the reset option and erase all data. For your iPhone, go to the settings and select general, click on reset and choose to erase all content.
Delete suspicious apps
This is not a guaranteed route to have all your performance-based issues fixed, however, it is the right step to take. It is always a good idea for you to clear all apps that may have been identified as malicious in your scan.
Is your info out in the open?
Several Malware and hacks usually pose little to no symptom at all and more often than not, people only notice when their digital services are affected. Some only notice when they become victims of fraud where hackers exploit their personal information to open lines of credit.
There are a couple of tools you can use to confirm if your data has been compromised. Some of them are paid services while others are free.
Summary
I do not need to tell you the countless risks associated with a hacked mobile device. Many have lost money, relationships, and credibility to people who hacked into their phones. Your phone is one private space which you should guard privately indeed. If you however still keep getting a feeling that someone has breached your privacy, you may have to contact the local authorities. This is especially so if you have lost money or something valuable in the process.
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