How to Detect Spyware on Your Phone

With the extent of technological penetration in our lives today, it’s no surprise that they’re all prone to some kind of security threats. Spy apps are one such example of security threats that can easily infect a smartphone and monitor and steal all the data on it.

Fortunately, we have this immersive guide on hidden spy apps for Android to help.

5 Ways to Detect Spyware On Your Phone

A recent report by McAfee showed that the presence of malicious apps increased significantly by 30% each year from 2018. It’s just one of the many surprising statistics relating to the presence of mobile apps and why you should be careful. Given below is a quick rundown of a few simple techniques you can use to detect spyware on your phone.

Your Phone Becomes Unusually Slow

Malicious apps often run in the background to track your browsers, phone calls, and other data. Once they get copies of such data, the apps send them to a centralized server for storage or analysis.

These are all heavyweight procedures that might cause a compromise your device’s performance. So, if you notice that your phone has become unusually slow without having installed a heavy game or app, you could consider this as a sign that there is spyware on your phone.

Source: Tech.co.

You Notice a Lot of Unusual Changes in Your Devices

Keep track of any unusual activity or changes that occur on your device. Usually, the reason for such activity is due to the presence of a third-party app. These apps don’t have the same restrictions or functions as other apps. Additionally, given that some spyware allows you to remotely control certain features on the target device, you need to be wary of any unauthorized changes.

So, it can be challenging to determine whether the apps are legitimate or contain a form of compromised mobile code. The everyday things to look out for include:

• Unfamiliar changes to critical security settings.
• Unauthorized financial activity.
• Unusual activity notifications.

Your Mobile Data Drains Quicker Than Usual

Any suspicious data usage or loss in your device is a vital sign of a third-party app operating on your device. These apps use the data to upload your details, such as screenshots, and to perform updates. Try and take a look at the data usage section in your device to determine the source of such excessive data usage.

If you notice any discrepancy between the total amount of data used and the sum of the data used by all apps, you should take this as a sign that there is a hidden app that’s feeding off your internet.

Your Battery Depletes Quicker than Usual

Any mobile application that runs actively in the background is likely to consume lots of power. The apps that use your data bandwidth and keep on scanning through different types of data are notorious for causing such an issue.

You can find out the specific apps that use the highest amount of power in your device, just like tracking data usage.

Your Phone Heats Up When Not In Use

Have you noticed your device overheating recently, even when you have set it on the table? Well, it’s a vital sign that phone’s hardware components are being overworked. It’s the same concept as when you spend hours playing games on your phone or chatting online – it causes the device to warm up significantly. And, this is normal.

It becomes abnormal when overheating occurs even when your device is not in use. So, be careful in tracking such changes in phone temperature.

How to Remove Spyware From Your Mobile Phone

Now that you know about detecting spyware on phones, these are some ways you can use to remove them:

Install an Anti-Spyware App on Your Phone

If you don’t want to lose all your data, try installing an anti-spyware app on your phone. It’s best to go for the paid types such as Kaspersky as they are thorough in removing such apps. Plus, paid anti-spyware software also comes with the benefit of active customer support for any challenges you experience.

Source: SecureBlitz Cybersecurity.

Perform a Factory Reset

The factory reset process will restore your phone to its original state, as though it were brand new. So, you have to be prepared to lose all the personal data you have saved on your device. Such a challenge means that you have to use this approach as a “last-ditch” option.

Both Android and Apple devices have factory reset settings which you can easily access on your device. Be careful when activating this setting, as it performs a complete erase of all system data. However, you can always take a backup of all your data before you do this to ensure you retain all your files and information.

Conclusion

Your phone can be prone to spyware, and it’s good for you to be informed of the ways you can use to detect such issues. Once you detect signs of spyware, find helpful solutions for remedying the problem. While this guide has listed two ways of doing so, there are several more that you can read about and follow. The best solution depends on the level of damage that has occurred to your device and the number of repair procedures needed.