Did you know that we spend over 8 years of our lives just staring at our phones?
Yes, mobile phones have become an integral part of our daily lives. Nearly 6.6 billion people own smartphones, making them a real threat to hackers, whether Android or iPhone.
Every year, new hacking methods emerge, exposing more users and businesses to security risks. For this reason, we have put together a list of the most common and easily identified warning signs that you can use to tell if your cell phone has been hacked.
Secret Codes
As you know, Android has a number of combinations of numbers, letters, and symbols that give access to various functions and hidden tools of our phones. There are codes that are valid for any android phone.
There is a code to check if a phone is hacked. It allows you to identify the status of the redirect. When you enter it into your smartphone, it tells you to divert any connections or mobile phone services. Obviously, if you forwarded calls on purpose, there is no problem, but if you didn’t, then this may indicate an application hacking your calls or data, that is, following you.
All you have to do is dial *#21# into your phone’s dialer and then press the call button. After that, you will receive a message that displays the status of your connections.
If you find that your mobile phone has been hacked, then you can use two more additional codes that will provide you with additional information or help you disable call forwarding:
- *#62# – tells the number to which calls, data, and messages are being redirected to find out who is behind the redirect.
- ## 002 # – allows you to disable call forwarding.
Signs That Your Phone Has Been Hacked
It’s easy to spot if there’s something wrong with your phone. While the problem may be directly related to technology, it can also mean that the mobile phone has been hacked, and this is already a serious problem, especially if you use your phone, for example, to enter a banking application or your own website admin area.
So, how can you tell if your phone has been hacked? Let’s discuss the most common warning signs you should look out for.
Phone Slows Down
If you have enough storage space and the latest software update installed, but your phone is running slowly, chances are it has been compromised by malware or another hacking method.
Malicious software runs in the background, consuming your phone’s processing power and resources, resulting in noticeable performance degradation.
Unusual Or Fast Battery Change
Jailbroken phones tend to drain quickly. If a hacker installs malicious code or an app on your phone, it will cause performance issues, and your battery will drain faster than normal.
The Phone Is Overheating
If you’re not actively using your phone and it feels strangely hot, it could mean that the phone may have been tampered with and someone else is using it.
Higher Data Consumption/Bill Payments
When checking, you notice unknown, excessive data usage, or other billing charges. This is an important warning that your phone can be hijacked, usually by spyware. In such cases, the hacker uses the victim’s phone to make calls, collect and transfer data, send text messages, or even make purchases.
Random App Crashes
If you find a few apps randomly crashing or failing to load, this is a sign that your phone has malware or code that is preventing it from functioning properly.
Failures When Sending Emails
In this case, you will receive notifications that your email was not delivered. This means that your account is being used to send spam. Other cryptic changes include marking emails as read (not by you) and receiving warnings about suspicious logins to your account.
Lower-Quality Screenshots
Suppose your phone has excellent camera quality, but you suddenly find that the screenshots you take are lower quality. In that case, you may be the victim of a keylogger attack – spyware that allows hackers to eavesdrop on your phone and steal data by recording your keystrokes.
Strange Apps On Your Phone
When a phone is jailbroken, you may find apps you don’t recognize, no matter how trustworthy they may look. This includes software such as antivirus apps and phone cleaner apps. Hackers install such applications on the victim’s phones to spy on them and steal information.
Strange Pop-Ups
If your phone is infected with malware, you will start seeing pop-ups or ads rated X (a rating used to categorize adult-only movies). These pop-ups will ask you to perform certain actions on infected links. Not clicking on these suspicious links is important to avoid data leakage and further damage.
Unfamiliar Call Or Message Activity
Types of malware, such as phishing, can infect your phone via SMS messages. Hackers usually send SMS with an infected link that allows them to access your smartphone.
If you notice text messages or calls that you didn’t make, or if any of your contacts are receiving calls or messages from you that you don’t recognize, your phone has most likely been hacked.
Unfamiliar Social Media Activity
When a hacker breaks into your phone, you may notice strange activity on your social media accounts, such as multiple login attempts and changes to your credentials (username and password).
The Phone Is Trying To Access Insecure Websites
Connecting to a secure network has its benefits. If the network is set to allow and block certain websites, you will be notified when your phone tries to access suspicious websites, which is a clear sign that it has been hacked.
Problems With The Camera
By some signs, you can determine whether your phone is being remote-controlled using the camera. For example, you may find photos or videos on your phone that you don’t remember taking. You should always keep an eye on the camera flash if it turns on for no reason and your phone starts to get hot.
Inability To Turn Off The Phone
Another sign that your phone is probably jailbroken is a problem with it turning off. Some types of malware and spyware prevent your phone from turning off, allowing hackers to spy on you at any time.
Conclusion
No matter how careful a person is, hackers are always inventing new ways to carry out malicious schemes to hack your phone – iPhone or Android.
However, by following the warning signs and using the security rules, you can protect your phone from being hacked and make your online business as secure as possible.
