7 Critical Signs Someone Is Spying on Your Phone & How to Stop Them

In the digital age, our smartphones hold the keys to our lives—from financial data and personal photos to private conversations. The possibility of someone secretly listening to your calls, reading your messages, or watching you through your camera is a frightening reality.
The YouTube channel Useful Things breaks down how to identify these threats in their video, “7 Signs Someone Is Spying on your Phone & How to STOP IT”, and provides practical, step-by-step instructions to protect your privacy. If you suspect a breach, here is a detailed guide on what to look for and the immediate actions you should take.

1. Unauthorized Location Sharing
   One of the most immediate concerns is real-time location tracking. Many legitimate apps and services offer location sharing, but this feature can be easily exploited by someone with access to your device.
   How to Check and Stop It (Android Focus):

• Navigate to your main Settings.
• Scroll down to Location.
• Tap on Location services and select Google location sharing.
• The Fix: If you see any unknown or unfamiliar person listed here, it means they can view your location in real-time. Press Stop right away to cut off their access.

1. Messages and Emails Being Forwarded
   Hidden forwarding is a tactic used to intercept your most private communication. This can affect both your text messages and emails, redirecting them to an unauthorized third-party device.
   How to Check and Stop It (Messaging):

• Open your messaging application.
• In the upper right corner, tap on your profile photo.
• Look for an option such as Device pairing or a similar setting.
• The Fix: Review the list of paired devices. If you see any unfamiliar devices, it indicates your messages are being forwarded to them. Remove them immediately.
  How to Check and Stop It (Email/Google Account):
• Tap on your profile photo in the upper right corner of the screen and select Google Account.
• In the search bar within the Google Account settings, type “all devices”.
• The Fix: Review the list of devices that have access to your account. Select any device that does not belong to you and tap Sign out.

1. Suspicious Call Forwarding Activity
   A clear sign of potential eavesdropping is the redirection of your voice calls. This is typically achieved by setting up call forwarding to an unknown number, allowing a spy to listen in on or record your conversations.
   How to Check and Stop It (Settings Method):

• Open your phone application and tap the three dots in the upper right corner, then select Settings.
• Scroll to Supplementary services and select Call forwarding > Voice calls.
• The Fix: This is only intended for services like voicemail (a number belonging to your operator). If you see calls are being forwarded to some unknown, private number, it suggests your calls are being listened to. Delete that number from the settings.
  How to Check and Stop It (Dial Code Method):
• Open the phone app and dial the code *#21# and tap call.
• The result will show you if your calls are being forwarded.
• The Fix: If a number appears, immediately dial the code ##002# and tap call to erase all conditional and unconditional forwarding. You should receive a notification that the deletion was successful.

1. Unauthorized Camera or Microphone Use
   Modern phone operating systems often feature privacy indicators to alert you when your camera or microphone is active.
   How to Check and Stop It:

• The Sign: Look for a green dot appearing in the upper right corner of your screen when you are not actively using a camera or voice recording app. This means an app is currently using one of those components.
• The Investigation: Head to Settings > Security and privacy > Permissions.
• Select Camera and then Microphone to review the apps that have accessed them over a specific period (like the last 7 days).
• The Fix: If you see any suspicious apps that shouldn’t require these permissions, tap on the application and select Don’t allow or Ask every time to revoke or limit its access.

1. Suspicious Device Admin Apps
   Apps with “Device Administrator” privileges have deep access to control your phone remotely, making them highly dangerous in the hands of a malicious program.
   How to Check and Stop It:

• Go to your main Settings.
• Use the search function and type “admin”.
• Select Device admin apps.
• The Fix: This list shows apps that can fully control your phone. While apps like ‘Find My Device’ are legitimate and useful for data erasure if lost, you must disable any suspicious apps that you installed yourself.

1. Unknown Physical Trackers
   The proliferation of small, inexpensive tracking devices means surveillance can be physical as well as digital. These devices can be secretly planted in your bag or car.
   How to Check for Physical Trackers (Android 15 Update):

• In your main Settings, use the search function and type “trackers”.
• Select Unknown tracker alerts.
• The Fix: Tap on Scan now to check if any unknown Bluetooth tracking devices are currently traveling with you.

1. Accumulation of Small, Unexplained Issues
   Sometimes, a single malicious app doesn’t trigger a blatant warning. Instead, it works quietly in the background, consuming resources and causing odd behavior.
   Key Signs to Watch For:

• Your phone overheats for no reason.
• The internet connection slows down unexpectedly.
• You hear strange sounds or echoes during calls.
• You find screenshots in your gallery you didn’t take.
• The phone is getting very slow overall.
  While any of these issues alone might be explained by a normal technical glitch, if they occur together and without a clear cause, they could signal that a malicious app is running in the background and tracking your activity.
  Final Defense: How to Secure Your Device
  If you have confirmed that someone is spying on you and cannot find the malicious app:
• Factory Reset: The ultimate defense against stubborn malware is to erase all data from your phone (a factory reset). This will completely remove all third-party malware and return your device to its original state.
• Routine Maintenance: Reboot your phone at least once a month and ensure you install new updates as soon as they are available. Updates often patch security vulnerabilities that malware can exploit.
  For a visual guide on these security checks, you can watch the full video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyGLga2Ll48.

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