Increasingly, concerns about the privacy and protection of our mobile devices are growing. Mobile phones store highly sensitive data, from our locations, contacts, photos, social media, and bank accounts to login credentials, messages, emails, and browsing habits. This makes them a coveted target for hackers, cybercriminals, or even people close to us looking to spy on us or monitor us without our consent.
The chances of someone spying on you right now can be low if you take the right security measures., but it's essential to remain vigilant and know how to identify any suspicious behavior. In many cases, signs of mobile spying can go unnoticed and pose serious risks: from identity theft and blackmail to financial attacks or access to private conversations.
In this comprehensive article you will discover all the Signs, clues, and symptoms to know if your Android or iPhone is being spied onIn addition, we explain step-by-step how to protect yourself from mobile spying, detect it early, and remove spyware from your phone, along with expert recommendations and key codes to check your device's status. We'll delve into both obvious and more sophisticated signs, detailing verification methods and solutions, and addressing the legal and ethical context surrounding digital spying.
What are the risks of having your cell phone spied on?
Unauthorized access to your mobile phone can have serious consequences.Cybercriminals, hackers, or malicious insiders can use various techniques to install spyware or software (spyware, stalkerware, or malware) without your knowledge. This software can monitor your conversations, steal images, access your real-time location, capture your passwords, or even take control of your device.
Among the main risks we find:
- Identity and credential theft: access to your usernames and passwords, impersonation on social networks, bank accounts, or work platforms.
- Extortion and blackmail: Illicit use of your images, videos or private conversations for financial gain or manipulation.
- Monitoring your movements and relationships: Real-time monitoring of your location, contact list, call and message history.
- Access to private and sensitive data: total loss of privacy and exposure of confidential information stored on the mobile phone.
- Damage to third parties: spreading malware, hacking contact and family accounts, sending fraudulent SMS or emails from your number.
- Device blocking and hijacking: : inability to access your phone unless you pay a ransom (ransomware).
Most of these risks are regulated by law: Spying on a cell phone without consent is a serious crime collected in the Penal Code and the Personal Data Protection Act (LOPDGDD).
How to know if someone is spying on your phone? Key signs and symptoms
Identifying mobile spying early is crucial to minimizing damage. Abnormal symptoms, behaviors, and signs that often indicate the presence of spyware, malware, or unauthorized surveillance on your phone. It's important not to panic, as many of these symptoms can be due to other causes. However, if several of these symptoms occur together, you should act quickly:
- Sudden increase in mobile data usageSpyware often sends information outward, which increases data consumption. If you haven't changed your habits and notice spikes in data usage (by checking Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage), suspect spyware.
- High and unusual battery consumptionIf your battery drains much faster than usual and you haven't installed any new apps, an unknown process (malware or spyware) may be running in the background.
- Device overheatingA phone that heats up for no apparent reason, even when idle, reveals the possible hidden execution of spy apps, especially those that activate GPS, camera, or microphone without your permission.
- System slowdowns and poor performance: Your phone takes longer to open apps, crashes, experiences lag, or restarts spontaneously: these are signs of malicious background processes stealing resources.
- Appearance of unknown apps or new apps that you don't remember installingSpy apps often disguise themselves with generic names, in English, or by imitating system icons (“Sync Services,” “System Service”). If you see suspicious apps, don't access them and delete them after verifying their origin.
- Unexpected configuration changesIf your settings, passwords, protected folders, or contact list are changed without your intervention, it's possible that someone has accessed your phone or installed remote control software.
- Problems turning off the phone or strange shutdowns/languages: The phone takes a long time to shut down or turns on/reboots on its own, sometimes as a result of malware or spyware interference.
- Screen that turns on by itselfIf your screen lights up sporadically even when you don't receive calls or notifications, it could be a sign of background processes from monitoring apps.
- Suspicious messages or calls: Receiving SMS messages with symbols, strange characters, links or codes, or sending messages from your mobile phone that you did not send.
- Noise and interference during calls: Effects such as echo, buzzing, crackling, or distorted voices may indicate that your calls are being intercepted.
- Poor quality screenshots and autocorrect errors: Spyware and keylogging software often interfere with the overall operation of a mobile phone, affecting the quality of captures and the performance of basic keyboard functions.
- History of unusual activity on linked accounts (Google, Facebook, iCloud, banking): Login notifications, unusual verification codes, or login changes you don't recognize could be due to hackers or spy apps trying to steal your identity.
- Disabling Google Play Protect or antivirusMost spy apps require you to disable protection to install. If your phone alerts you or you detect that Play Protect or your antivirus is disabled, immediately check the list of apps and run a scan.
- Elevated permissions in dark apps: Review the permissions granted to each app in Settings > Apps; the presence of storage, calls, camera, or microphone permissions in unknown apps is a critical sign.
How to check data and battery usage on Android and iPhone
One of the best ways to detect suspicious activity is monitor data usage and batteryHere's a step-by-step guide for both systems:
- Android:
- Open Settings.
- Go to “Network & Internet” and select “Data usage.”
- Check the consumption of each application and look for abnormal peaks.
- For battery: Settings > Battery > Battery Usage. You'll see usage by app and any anomalies.
- iPhone:
- Go to Settings > Mobile Data. Check your total and app usage.
- Periodically reset statistics for easy tracking.
- For battery: Settings > Battery. Examine the usage graph and the apps with the highest battery consumption.
If you identify an unknown app with high resource or data usage, thoroughly investigate its source and permissions before deleting it.
Why do mysterious apps appear or change your existing apps?
The most common method of spying on a phone is to install a parental control, monitoring, stalkerware, or spyware app. Many of these apps come with innocent names to go unnoticed, but they can take over almost any device. It's crucial to review the list of apps and pay attention to details such as:
- Generic or unusual English names (Sync Services, System Services, Device Info, Update Services…)
- Date and origin of installation- If you don't recognize an app and it was installed outside of Google Play/App Store, be suspicious.
- Apps that do not allow normal uninstallation (some spies abuse administrator permissions)
- Legitimate applications that can be manipulated (Cerberus-type anti-theft apps can easily become stalkerware if manipulated by third parties)
If you have any doubts, search the app's name online. If you see any spyware forums or warnings, delete it in Safe Mode or seek professional help.
Other advanced signs of mobile spying
In addition to the basic symptoms, there are less common but critical indicators:
- The phone is rooted (Android) or jailbroken (iPhone) without your permission: This allows you to install apps outside of official stores and is often necessary for powerful spyware. Use apps like Android security to check the status of your device or search for the app how to know if your mobile is being spied on.
- Appearance of green or orange dots on the top bar: Indicates that the camera or microphone is being used by an app, even if you are not using it (standard feature on iOS and some recent Androids).
- Alerts or events on linked accounts: Logging in to remote locations, unsolicited two-factor authentication, changes to financial or banking services.
- Browsing history and suspicious activity: Check your privacy settings or searches to see if there are any searches, connections, or pages you've visited that you don't recognize.
- Receiving strange messages or unexpected verification codes: These may be attempts to reset passwords or control spy apps.
Secret codes to know if your phone is being spied on
There are USSD codes (service short codes) that allow you to check if your phone has call, message, or data forwarding, one of the techniques used to spy on mobile phones:
- * # # 62: Check if your calls, messages, or data are being redirected without your consent.
- # 21 #: Displays any active call, SMS, or data forwarding to other numbers.
- 002 ## #: Cancels and deletes all diversions from your line.
- * # # 06: It shows you the IMEI of your mobile phone (it is not a direct indicator of spying but it is essential to check if there are irregularities in the line).
To run them, simply enter the code into the calling app and press "Call." Results may vary by carrier and country, but they generally let you know if there are any suspicious redirects active that you haven't configured.
How spyware works and what information it can obtain
El spyware and other surveillance programs may gain access to:
- Call and SMS logs
- Real-time GPS location
- Messages and files in WhatsApp, Telegram and other apps
- Email and bank accounts
- camera and microphone (they may record audio, video or take photos without permission)
- Contacts and complete agenda
- Browsing history and installed apps
- Personal data: passwords, images, private documents
They can even activate advanced features, such as locking your phone, erasing data, or cloning your SIM.
What to do if you detect spyware or think you're being spied on?
If you confirm or suspect that there is monitoring software on your phone, act quickly:
- Do not enter sensitive data until the device is disinfected (no passwords, no cards, no authentication codes).
- Run an antivirus scan or use Google Play Protect to detect and remove malicious applications.
- Restart your phone in safe mode (On Android, press and hold “power off” and select “safe mode” before deleting suspicious apps.)
- Change all your passwords from a secure device other than the affected one.
- Record evidence (screenshots, logs, messages) if you need to file a complaint.
- Restore your phone to factory settings If you can't remove the spyware any other way, back up your data first.
- In serious cases or if there is evidence of harassment, blackmail or illegal access, contact the police and file a report (in many countries, this is mandatory before deleting the data if you want the investigation to be successful).
- Consult a specialized technician if you do not feel able to ensure the cleanliness of the device.
How to protect your privacy and prevent mobile spying in the future
Prevention is key to avoiding having your phone spied on. Here are the best, most up-to-date strategies:
- Always keep your operating system and applications updated: Security patches address common vulnerabilities exploited by malware.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all your critical accounts: This makes it difficult to access, even if they get your password.
- Use strong and different passwords for each service: Don't use the same password on multiple sites, and if possible, use a professional password manager.
- Only install applications from official sources (Google Play, App Store) and review the permissions you grant them.
- Avoid rooting or jailbreaking your device, unless strictly necessary, as it increases the risk of malware.
- Activate Google Play Protect (Android) or the native security system on iOS.
- Be wary of suspicious messages, links, or attachments received by SMS, WhatsApp, email or social networks.
- Use a trusted VPN when browsing on public networks to encrypt your traffic and protect yourself from interception.
- Limit the use of Bluetooth and turn it off when you don't need it.
- Manage the permissions of each app well: In Settings > Privacy, check access to camera, microphone, location, SMS, calls, storage, etc.
- Set up a secure screen lock (PIN, complex pattern, fingerprint or facial recognition), and activates automatic locking after 30 seconds of inactivity.
- Avoid sharing personal information on social media or public forums. and never write down your passwords in notes or photos apps.
- Disable installation options for apps from unknown sources on Android and don't accept unnecessary permissions.
- Monitor your account activity and notifications: Activate alerts for logins, password changes, or bank transactions.
- Do not leave your mobile phone unattended or unlocked in public places..
Recommended applications to detect and prevent spying
- Google Play Protect (Android): Automatically checks for threats on your device and warns you if spy apps are detected.
- Recognized antiviruses (Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Norton, Avast, etc.): They offer real-time scanning and protection against spyware.
- access dots: Alerts you if an app accesses your camera, microphone, or GPS without your permission.
- Lockwatch and WTMP: detect unauthorized access attempts, take photos of intruders, and alert you of suspicious unlocking.
- Password managers: help create and store secure credentials unique to each service.
Can someone spy on you even if your phone is off or in airplane mode?
In theory, When the phone is properly switched off, it is impossible to monitor it remotely.However, there are extremely advanced Trojans (aimed at high-interest targets) that can simulate a partial shutdown or prevent a complete shutdown by keeping the microphone or location active in the background. However, these cases are exceptionally rare and usually require prior physical access to the device and advanced knowledge.
Please note that if you turn on Airplane Mode on your iPhone (iOS), leaving Bluetooth on may cause you to be tracked by other nearby devices (e.g., Find My Device or AirTags).
How can they spy on you remotely?
- Sending emails or messages with malicious links to install spyware.
- Downloading apps from unofficial stores or infected APKs.
- Root or jailbreak your phone and install monitoring apps (almost always requires prior physical access).
- “Non-jailbreak” apps: For iPhone, there are apps that can spy on what you upload to iCloud using the user's credentials.
Is it legal to install spyware on someone else's cell phone?
No. In the vast majority of countries, Spying on someone else's cell phone without permission is illegal. The only exceptions are judicially authorized situations or parental controls for minors (always with their knowledge and for legitimate reasons). Sentences for violating digital privacy can range from substantial fines to prison terms.
Mobile cybersecurity and privacy require constant vigilance and action. If you suspect someone is trying to spy on your phone, don't underestimate the symptoms, perform the appropriate checks, and take immediate action. A secure phone is essential to protecting your digital life and that of those around you.
