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March 29, 2024

Mobile phones have become an extension of our modern lives. With the sensitive personal and professional data on our phones, it’s no surprise that phones are top targets for hackers.

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Silent attacks often happen, and you never know that criminals have gained access to every part of your phone, including your private texts, emails, apps, contacts, photos and recordings.

This can be due to physical compromise of your phone through access such as malware-loaded charging ports, unlocked phones, unsecured Wi-Fi connections, SIM card swaps, open Bluetooth connections, and operating system vulnerabilities that allow hackers to enter.

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Follow the steps below to know if your phone has been hacked. (CyberGuy.com)

Has your phone been hacked?

While some signs that your phone has been hacked may be more obvious, such as a full-screen popup telling you that it has been hacked, other signs can be more insidious. Regardless, it’s never a good feeling to find out that your phone has been hacked.

Red flags your phone may have been hacked

However, it’s good to know what signs to look for so you can spot your phone has been hacked early on. This way you can take the necessary steps to prevent security breaches and limit the problems these compromises can cause. Key signs to look out for include:

1. Random or full screen pop-up information

This is probably the most obvious way to find out that your device has been hacked. Hackers are essentially telling you that your device has been compromised. These can be displayed on your phone’s home screen, or while you’re using an app or browser.

2. Downloading or using an unrecognized application

If you start seeing apps or files that you never downloaded appearing on your home screen or in subfolders, you may have been hacked.

3. Unactivated phone calls, text messages or emails from your phone

If you start seeing calls or texts you never make, you may have been hacked. It could be a robocall spoofing your number, but for outgoing text messages and emails, it’s likely a hacker remotely controlling your phone.

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4. High background data usage

If you haven’t made any recent changes to how you use your phone, and your phone seems to be using too much data, your phone may have been hacked. Malware, spyware, or viruses could use the data to steal information back to the hacker.

5. Battery drain

If you’re using your phone as usual and haven’t made any changes recently (such as updating your operating system software), but your phone’s battery is draining faster than usual, your phone may have been hacked. Malware, spyware, and viruses running in the background of your phone’s normal operating system can consume additional power.

6. App opens and closes without warning

Unless you haven’t made the necessary OS updates or application updates, your applications should not open, close, or malfunction. Sometimes malware, viruses, and spyware can prevent the operating system and other legitimate applications from functioning properly.

7. Multiple online account passwords compromised

If multiple online accounts with the same password stored or last used on your phone have been compromised, your phone may have been hacked.

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What to do if you think your phone has been hacked

1. Change password

Preferably from a different device, you can manually check and change the password. Not only do they generate super-secure passwords that are hard to crack, but they also let you generate unique passwords for each account, so if one account is compromised, not every account that uses the same password will be compromised.

The password manager also “remembers” and “autofills” your passwords so you don’t have to remember them every time. Most password managers have two-way encryption, so when you create and use passwords, they are still safe.

My password manager is chosen here.

2. Antivirus protection for all devices

In addition to the signs listed above, malware, spyware, and viruses can run quietly in the background or destroy enough data before being detected. While not getting hacked in the first place is the best possible situation, it’s much worse to have hackers gain access to your phone data for extended periods of time. That’s why keeping antivirus software running constantly in the background on your device is a great way to prevent harm from happening in the first place.

Click the magnifying glass icon at the top of my site, search CyberGuy.com for “best antivirus” to see my expert reviews of the best antivirus protection for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices.

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3. Remove unknown apps

If your apps are malfunctioning, you never downloaded them or downloaded them from unofficial or third-party sites, delete them immediately. Apps should only be downloaded from official sources such as the Apple or Google Play Store. The app you’re downloading should only come from well-rated developers with tons of positive reviews.

4. Reset the phone to factory settings

If this isn’t a simple fix of deleting apps or files, or if you’re still worried about a security breach, your best bet is to reset your phone to factory settings.

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