People now store almost every piece of private information in their smartphones, such as banking details, private messaging, photos, and so much more; it has virtually become a target to be tracked, hacked, or tapped by some malicious party. When there is any kind of suspicion that may suggest your gadget is being tampered with, just act already and have your privacy back.
It is upon this premise that the following guide will detail how to know when your phone is being tracked, hacked, or tapped, and what to do in order to stop it.
Why you should confirm whether your cell phone is being tracked, tapped, or under surveillance.
- Safety and Security: All your personal information, calls, and texts may be watched by someone, right from government agencies down to hackers, without your cognizance.
- Personal Information: Personal information includes financial information, place of residence, and personal data, which can be fraudulently used or stolen.
- Security Risks: The compromise would involve malware installation for stealing data or performing some kind of real-time monitoring if the phone is compromised.
Now Explore signs, secret codes that can be entered in apps to check for suspicious activities, and actions you can do to lock your phone.
Codes to find out in case your phone has been tapped:
This is a list of some useful USSD codes that you can just dial to check whether your phone has been tracked or tapped.
1. *#21# – Check if your data is being diverted
The code above would display if your calls, SMS, and other data are diverted to some number other than yours. If it is on, then probably your phone has been hacked.
- What this displays: Call forwarding status, message forwarding status, data forwarding status.
- Look out for: If services like calls or messages are forwarded and nobody has asked permission or taken any action on your behalf, then most probably this is a hint at unauthorized tracking.
2. *#62# – Checking Forward on No Answer
The above code checks if such forwarding is on. In case the phone is unreachable for some reason, like switched off or out of the network, the hackers can easily forward the calls and messages to another number without your knowledge.
- What this means: The number your calls and texts are currently set to forward to when your phone is out of service.
- Look out for: If it is an unfamiliar number that suddenly flashes on your screen—that could be somebody tracking your communications.
3. Dial ##002# – Turn Off All Call Forwarding
If you notice that some call or message forwarding is activated, using this code you can cancel all types of forwarding at once.
- What it does: This disables the call forwarding and message forwarding feature which could be a powerful snooping method.
- Look out for: Once turned on, it won’t let the calls or message forwarding happen without your consent.
4. Dial *#06# – Checking Your IMEI Number
The below code displays the IMEI of your phone, which is unique to your device. It is one of the major identifiers, more so when your phone has been cloned or used in activities bordering maliciously.
- What it does: Displays your phone’s IMEI number.
- Look out for: Write down your IMEI. If you ever suspect your phone is cloned, report it with your carrier using the IMEI number.
5. Dial *#*#4636#*#* – Detailed Phone Status
Special code that will unleash a wealth of information concerning your phone’s current activity: be it network statistics, battery health, and application usage. All this helps one to trace unusual or malicious behaviour of different applications.
- What it does: Provides in-depth, technical information about your phone’s network, data, and app usage.
- Look out for: Anomalous network connections, or applications that consume exceptional amounts of data.
Signs that your mobile phone is being tracked or tapped.
While these codes are useful, it is equally important to take cognizance of the warning signs that someone is trying to manipulate your phone.
1. Artificial Battery Drain
And if the completely charged phone shows low battery in no time when it is left alone, this could already hint at the restless work of some spying application running in the background, constantly tracking your location, logging keystrokes, or monitoring communications.
2. Overheat
Your phone might also overheat abnormally even when it is idling. This should be a sure-shot warning that your phone can be hacked or tapped. Continuous data transmission from some spy app may also overheat your device.
3. Increased data usage
Spyware or tracking apps can be very data-intensive, transmitting information to an external party without your knowledge. Or if you notice data usage for apparently no good reason, maybe your phone could be sending data out to some external location.
4. Sudden Restarting or Lockups
Hacked or tapped phones typically register strange malfunctions, such as freezing, crashing, or rebooting without command. This just might be synonymous with unwanted access into your device.
5. Strange Background Noise Heard During Calls
These may come in terms of strange clicking, static, or even echo noises over the phone line while on the phone. This takes place during the occurrence of a third party interference in the talks.
6. Buffered Messages
If your messages seem to take far longer to get through than they should, they are being selectively intercepted and hijacked part way along their path.
7. Unrecognized Applications
Check the applications that you do not remember downloading. If they seem like they use data or are running in the background, they could be tracker or spyware applications.
How to Determine if Your Cell Phone is Hacked
Sometimes it goes beyond tracking; oftentimes, it is full hacking. Here is how to tell if your phone has been hacked:
1. Conduct a Security Scan
You can then check for rogue app behaviour or activity with your favourite smartphone security application—Norton Mobile Security, Kaspersky Mobile, or Malwarebytes.
2. App Permissions Sharing
Now navigate to settings and see what all permissions each application has. The spy apps require permissions for using your camera, microphone, or sometimes your location. Revoke permissions from any dubious apps.
3. Checking Device Administrator Settings
Then go to: Settings -> Security -> Device Administrators and search for unauthorized apps having administrative rights to your phone. Disable them at once if they look unfamiliar.
How to Tell if Your Phone is Tapped
Tapping means when a third party listens in to phone conversations or reads messages. This could be a bit hard to register, but one can be able with these signs:
1. Verify unusual sounds
When monitoring the calls, listen for: Unusual sounds such as clicking and/or echo – normal when there is tapping equipment in place.
2. Incoherent Beeping
Unexplained beeping tones right in the middle of a call, or even at times when not in a call, could just be symptoms of people tapping into your device.
3. Poor Internet Connection
Well, in that case, a serious slowing of your phone’s Internet might mean that your data actually gets routed to some other source before reaching its destination.
How to prevent your phone from tracking, hacking, or tapping
If the phone seems to be tapped, hacked, or tracked, one must do these steps in order.
1. Use a VPN
A VPN encrypts your internet connection, thus making it quite a bit harder for other people to track your online activities. It is just one great way to have privacy.
2. Turn Off the Location Services
This involves turning GPS and location services to apps that do not need them. Restrict others from seeing your location except when necessary.
3. Update Your Software
Be sure to keep your mobile operating system updated at all times when required. In most updates, there are security patches that help safeguard against hacking.
4. Factory Reset
If you believe your phone is severely compromised, a factory reset will wipe all data, including any malware or spyware. Make sure to back up your important data first.
5. Update All Passwords
If you suspect that, change all your passwords immediately; use strong and unique ones; try to have two-factor authentication wherever possible.
Conclusion: Stay Vigilant.
A phone is an incredibly powerful device but, at the same time, is highly vulnerable to tracking, hacking, and tapping. Be aware of this, use the diagnostic codes, and watch out for strange activity-easy ways to take back your privacy and lock down your device have never been easier. If you suspect any of these signs that your phone has been tampered with, don’t delay and ACT IMMEDIATELY.
Your mobile phone is a part of you; never let any person answer it. Keep safe!
