How to Know If Your Android Phone Is Spying on You

To think that someone might be spying on you can be very scary. If someone is indeed spying on you, they could be hearing your conversations, reading your text messages and could have access to who knows what other information
How to Know If Your Android Phone Is Spying on You
Journalists take a look at Google's newest smartphone nexus 6 during a media preview in New York on October 29, 2014. (Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)
12/21/2015
Updated:
12/21/2015

To think that someone might be spying on you can be very scary. If someone is indeed spying on you, they could be hearing your conversations, reading your text messages and could have access to who knows what other information.

If you think that someone is spying on you, there are certain signs that this type of activity leaves behind. It is also a possibility that the following symptoms could be caused by other things, so you will have to use your judgement to determine if someone may be spying on you.

Phone Takes Too Long to Turn Off

Does your phone take too long to shut down? If so, that could be a sign that someone is tracking your phone. Why? Because a smartphone that is being spied on needs to transmit data to somebody before it turns off. If your phone takes too long to turn off, particularly after sending an email or text message, web browsing or calling someone, that is a sign that someone is tracking your smartphone.

Behavior Signs

Does your phone beep from time to time or suddenly light up when left alone? These types of signs are indicators of a tracked smartphone. It’s true that our phones can do that kind of thing on their own from time to time, and that is completely normal, but if this happens regularly, then you might not want to keep ignoring such behaviour.

Erratic Volume Levels

Keep a close eye on the volume levels of your phone. If someone is listening, the volume levels can be irregular. All of a sudden it can be higher or lower than how you have it programmed.

Constant Re-Charging

Low-quality spyware can drain your battery. If you notice that your battery drains faster than usual, that could be a sign that spyware has been installed on your phone. However, just because you see some battery issues, it doesn’t necessarily mean your phone is infected. Batteries do fail with time. If the battery percentage drops drastically, then you might want to look into that.

Do consider that more sophisticated spyware will not drain too much of your battery, but to detect that, professional help might be needed. To see if your phone is being spied on, test that same battery on another phone, and if you see that the battery lasts longer on the other phone than on the one you regularly use, you might want to take action.

Strange Background Noises

The calls we make or receive are not always crystal clear, so if you hear some noise that doesn’t necessarily mean you are being spied on. If you hear clicking, voices or beeping sounds, that is a sign that someone may be listening.

Weird Text Messages

Do you receive unusual test messages with random numbers or what looks like codes? These are text messages you don’t want to ignore since they could be instruction messages that are sent by a remote controller of the spyware on your phone. You are not supposed to get these text messages, but sometimes the spyware fails in some way and you end up with them anyway.

Smartphone Shuts Off on Its Own

Does your phone turn off by itself for no apparent reason, even when the battery is charged? There is certain spyware that can have many bugs and cause your phone to shut off. Try to keep track of how many times this tends to happen.

Check Your Phone Bill

What? I have to pay how much??!! These are the common phrases that are yelled when a phone with spyware gets its monthly bill. Spyware has been known to increase your data usage and therefore increase your monthly bill. Why the rise in data usage? Spyware has to send the information it has gathered from your device and uses your data plan as much as it needs to. Apps such as My Data Manager and Data Usage can help you keep track of how much you usually use, so if you ever see an increase, you are aware of it.

If you are noticing any of these signs on their own, that doesn’t mean that you are being spied on. But if you see several of these signs, there is a good chance your smartphone is being spied on. It doesn’t hurt to try Anti Spy Mobile Free to see if it detects anything.

Conclusion

Watch out for the signs listed above to stay safe from prying eyes, and if you suspect that you are being spied on, don’t wait to take action. If you liked the information, don’t forget to give it a share. Let us know if you think you’re being spied on in the comments.

Republished with permission from MakeTechEasier. Read the original.