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Have you ever wondered how to know if your phone is hacked? We are all aware of the many cyber threats surrounding us when we use the internet on our PCs. Think of all the measures we take to protect our computers from hackers, antivirus programs, VPNs, proxies, and more. But when it comes to our mobile devices, we aren’t always as careful.

With so much of our lives contained in our smartphones, these devices have become a crucial part of our daily lives. Think about that one time you forgot your phone at home, how utterly lost you felt without it. We store almost everything on our phones these days, important documents, bank details, health care, IDs, and more. If someone were to hack our phones, they’d have access to all of this information.

A lot of the time, you might not even know that you’re being hacked. This type of attack is much more subtle than a robbery. Once the hacker gets into your devices, they can easily access your apps, files and even use your data without you even knowing. This is why it is critical to know the signs of a hacked phone to protect yourself.

Can iPhone Get Hacked? or Is it Just a Matter of Android?

Although iPhones are usually better protected than Android devices, they can still be hacked. Unfortunately, as technology advances, so do hackers. Using a device that seems safe is no longer a surefire way to protect yourself from hackers. If they want to, hackers will find a way through the protective measures, which is why it is essential to stay one step ahead and not assume your safety just because of your device type.

Is my phone hacked? 8 ways to find out

There are quite a few things to look out for that could indicate your phone has been hacked. On their own, these could be simple issues that should be looked at individually. If you’re experiencing a few of them, however, then you should think about dealing with them as a whole.

1. Your device is a lot hotter than usual

If your mobile phone has been hacked, there will be lots of unauthorized programs running in the background behind your operating system. These could be things like adware, spyware, trojans, etc. all designed to make money for the hacker in different ways. These will be putting extra pressure on your device’s processor and memory. This will, in turn, cause the processor to heat up much more than normal. If your device is hotter than usual, try to find out why. If you can’t get to the bottom of it, something fishy might be going on.

2. Your battery doesn’t last as long as it should

The same that goes for extra heat will also go for extra power. Even if you’re not feeling the heat, you might still notice that your battery is running down much quicker than it used to. Again, this could be because of unknown programs always running in the background.

3. You seem to be using more data than you usually do

This follows on from the other two. Most malicious programs running in the background will connect to the internet to do whatever it is they’ve been programmed to do. This could something like be transferring your data to a third-party server or showing you ads that wouldn’t normally be there. If you’re not connected to Wi-Fi, this will use mobile data. Check your data usage.

4. Your call message records include calls you didn’t make and messages you didn’t send

If the malware infecting your phone has permission to make calls or send messages then this could end up costing you big. Some hackers will program the malware to call their own premium rate phone lines that can cost many dollars a minute to call. The same goes for SMS messages too. If you notice outgoing phone numbers you don’t know or phone calls you don’t remember, check with your network provider immediately.

5. You’re seeing a lot more pop-up ads than you’re used to

As we’ve just mentioned, one way for hackers to make money is through raising ad-based revenue. They do this by forcing their victims to view more ads than they normally would. If you’re noticing more ads than usual, your phone may have been infected with adware and most likely has been hacked.

6. Your phone has new apps that you didn’t install

Always pay attention to the apps you have on your phone. For one of many reasons, hackers could try to install false apps. If something is there and you don’t remember how it got there, it may have been installed remotely by a malicious third party.

7. Your phone isn’t working as well as it should

As we’ve already mentioned, hackers will try to install their secret programs onto your device. These will try to do a number of things but will run in the background without you knowing about it. It stands to reason then that if your phone is running all sorts of extra little programs and protocols in the background, it won’t be able to perform its normal functions as efficiently.

8. Unusual Background Noises

Another telltale sign that your phone may be hacked is if you hear odd background noise. This can either be while you’re listening to the audio or even while making calls. If you hear strange background noises, you should immediately investigate further as it could mean that your phone has been hacked and someone is listening in on your conversations. 

What to Do If Your Phone Has Been Hacked

If you’ve noticed any of the above signs and you suspect that your phone has been hacked, don’t panic. There are things you can do to get rid of the hacker and keep them from coming back.

Check Your Phone Bill

First, you should check your phone bill for any calls you didn’t make. Make sure to check for any unknown number dialed and the length of the calls. Make notes of anything unfamiliar to you. Also, don’t forget to check your messages as well. You should carefully check all your messages for any traces of messages sent to numbers you don’t know or containing texts you haven’t sent. Once you’ve gathered all this data, contact your service provider and discuss the matter with them. You may even get the chance to claim back your losses.

Change All Account Passwords

If you notice any unfamiliar activity on your device, immediately log out of all accounts and change the password. It is best to use a strong, randomly generated password consisting of letters, characters, and numbers when doing this. It is a good idea not to make up a password yourself if you suspect that you’ve been hacked. This is because the hacker potentially already knows you and might be able to guess the new passwords.

Uninstall Any Malicious/Suspicious Apps

Go through all of your apps and delete any ones that are unfamiliar or that you don’t use often. This may take some time, but it is a crucial step as the hacker might be using malicious apps to gather your data, or worse.

Install an Antivirus App

Make sure to install a good antivirus app. As soon as you’ve installed the antivirus, make sure to run a full scan and remove any threats picked up by the app. Also, if your app has ‘Real-Time Protection, ’ we recommend enabling it. This feature will assist in keeping you safe by flagging suspicious websites, links and phishing attacks in the future.

Worse Case Scenario – Restore Phone to Factory Settings

If you’ve done all the above steps and it still seems like your phone has been hacked, you might have to resort to a factory reset. This will return your phone to how it was when you first took it out of the box. Any apps that you’ve installed will be removed. Any messages, emails, and photos will also be removed. This is why the factory reset is the last option on our list. Make sure to backup anything you want to keep before restoring your phone to factory settings.

Know the Signs of a Hacked Phone

In this day and age, we have to stay one step ahead of hackers. With more and more of our lives taking place online and through our mobile devices, we cannot afford to have our data breached. One way to stay safe is to know the warning signs and act immediately if you suspect anything.