Regardless of whether you use an Android or an iPhone, spyware installed on your cellphone can allow a bad guy to take control of your mobile phone’s microphone and listen to everything that happens in your immediate surroundings or even record your phone calls.
With all cell phone malware, there are certain signs to be wary of that can be indicative of suspicious activity. While some signs are tougher to pick up on than others, if you stay aware of how your device usually performs, you can detect if something is going on with your device.
- Increased data usage. A common symptom of a hacked phone is a dramatic increase in mobile data usage as the malware is constantly sending data from the phone to the hacker.
- Battery life decreasing. If your phone simply isn’t lasting as long, that’s a good sign that there are extra programs running in the background of your device stealing its juice.
- Slow performance. We all wish our phones were faster, but if it’s not normal for your phone then it’s another sign that something is stealing processing power.
- Odd SMS messages. Text messages can be used by spyware to send and receive data. If you see outgoing messages that you didn’t send, it’s likely an indication that something’s not right.
- Background noise. If you hear strange noises whilst you are on a phone call then that is a very good sign that the call is being interrupted in some way. This could include someone else recording or listening in on your call.
To be completely sure that your device is free from spyware, especially if you notice strange behavior as listed – you should perform a scan on your device using mobile security tool.
