Would you want anyone to break into your phone and get access to your messages, apps, and personal information? Probably not. So, what are the different ways someone can hack your phone? And, what can you do to make sure no one can break into your phone? That we’ll find out today.
For instance, this post will thoroughly guide you on how people can hack your phone and how you can keep your phone secure against hackers. That said click here if you’re looking for an app to just enter cell number to read texts free without installing on target phone.
That said, let’s dive in.
The Different Ways Your Phone Can Be Hacked
Let’s get it out there: hackers are smart; they know how exactly to break into your phone if they want to. Here, we’ll lay down the most effective ways that work for hackers to spy on your phone:
Using Spy Apps
One of the most convenient ways to hack someone’s phone is using spy apps. These are sneaky programs designed to monitor all your phone activities and store them for the hacker to view. Whether it’s your social media conversations, your professional data, or bank information, these apps can break into anything on your phone!
But, how to know if your phone is tapped by a spy app? We’ve listed down the signs that show that your phone has been hacked below.
Phishing Attacks
A phishing attack is an SMS message, an email, or a popup containing malicious links that are aimed to expose your personal information. It could be your credit card details, your login credentials, or any other data that could benefit the hacker.
These links could also be for downloading an app from non-authoritative resources. In most cases, the downloading starts automatically, which is a considerable sign of a phishing attack. In such a situation, your phone might warn you before installing the app. It’s recommended not to ignore the warning.
SIM Swapping
Sim swapping is a dangerous way of hacking. For this, the hacker doesn’t need to break into your phone to get your personal information, neither physically nor virtually.
Instead, in sim swapping, the criminal would call the sim company and pretend to be you, asking for another sim card with the same number. If the hacker is successful, he might get a copy of your sim card delivered, and yours will be deactivated. All the information on the sim card will now belong to the criminal.
Bluetooth Hacking
In Bluetooth hacking, the criminal would pair up their device with your phone to scrape out personal information. The common procedure hackers use for Bluetooth hacking is to rename their device’s Bluetooth name to something like “Airpods.” This way, the prospects are unable to identify if their personal information is at risk.
However, since the hacker has to be near you for Bluetooth hacking, its risk is somewhat low. To prevent Bluetooth hacking, only turn on your Bluetooth when you’re using it.
Unauthorized Access to Your iCloud or Google Drive Account
If your phone is synced to an iCloud or Google Drive account, the phone data is probably backed up online. So, hacking into an iCloud or Google Drive account can provide the criminal with lots of your personal information and data stored on your phone. To prevent such a scrape of your data, make sure to set strong passwords for these accounts.
Signs that Your Phone Has Been Hacked
How to know if someone is tracking your phone? The signs below indicate that your phone has been tapped:
You Notice Unauthorized Changes on Your Phone
You and your phone system are the only authorities that can bring about changes to your phone. If you feel unauthorized changes on your smartphone, it indicates that someone is monitoring your phone.
Once your phone has been hacked, you might get the alert “unauthorized changes detected.” The possible cause for this notification is the installation of a malicious or flawed app – the spy app. So, never ignore such a message and take immediate actions like installing antivirus software (more on this below).
Now, what are some examples of unauthorized changes? The automatic shutting down, rebooting, and screen flickering are some unauthorized changes brought about by spyware.
Your Phone Overheats Even When Not in Use
Phone overheating is normal – only when you’ve used the device for long, or the battery has overcharged. But what about a case where you weren’t using the mobile phone, nor was there an active downloading, and it heats up?
It indicates that your phone is being monitored, and the phone hardware is consistently used to transfer your data and activities to the hacker. This also results in another strong sign:
Your Phone’s Battery Drains Out Faster Than Usual
If your phone is being monitored in some way, you’ll notice that the battery runs out very fast. This is because the data is consistently uploaded to the server where the hacker can access it. The data may include your phone activities and other information on the phone.
Your Phone’s Data Runs Out Faster Than Usual
Again, since the data we talked about is being uploaded to a server in case of phone monitoring, it will use more internet of your phone. This way, your internet data will run out faster than normal.
You can also test it by tracking the internet usage of your mobile in some way. Either use an internet tracker on your phone or see if the phone gives internet usage statics itself. If you use Wifi, an effective way is to visit your router’s admin page, too.
Pro tip: If you notice that the uploaded data is considerably higher than downloaded data, it strongly indicates that someone is spying on your phone.
Ways to Keep Your Phone Safe From a Hack
Below are some effective tips you can follow to minimize the risk of hacking your phone.
Install an Antivirus Software
Using antivirus software is very effective in terms of preventing your device from hacking, tracking, and spying. Other than removing and preventing the transmission of viruses that could put your phone at risk, antivirus apps are advantageous in various other ways, too.
Here are the major benefits of antivirus programs:
- Prevention against data thieves and hackers
- Firewall protection from spyware
- Protection of data
- Protection from removable devices to avoid any harm to your phone
Speaking of the firewall protection feature, know that spy apps work by hiding in the system files that make them hard to find. The anti-spyware or antivirus programs are designed to identify and remove them from the system.
Now, what are the best antivirus apps out there? Here are the top options to look into:
- Bitdefender Mobile Security
- Norton Mobile Security
- Avast Mobile Security
But if you’re looking for a FREE option, here are a few:
- Kaspersky
- McAfee
- Avira
Install an Anti-Malware Program
Don’t confuse anti-malware with antivirus; they’re different terms. Antivirus software protects against the common or traditional viruses on your phone. Antimalware software, on the other hand, detects more advanced types of viruses.
However, the basic functions of these programs are the same to an extent. But the p,oint to note is, security experts recommend installing both of them. So, what are the best anti-malware programs out there? Well, software like Bitdefender Mobile Security and Malwarebytes work as both. So, installing such an app is the most recommended option.
Always Use a Good VPN
VPN refers to the virtual private network. The system is used to make a public connection encrypted and private. In other words, a VPN works by letting users interchange data through a private connection in a public network.
Another major purpose of VPN is that it hides your IP address to make your internet browsing safer, more secure, and free from hackers. To be clear, here are the major benefits of using a VPN:
- A VPN lets you hide your personal information to keep away from hackers and make it inaccessible
- It also helps you access region-blocked services. In other words, you can access sites and apps from all over the world using a VPN
- VPN also lets you escape data caps put by the internet service provider when you exceed your internet limit
With such great benefits, VPN becomes a considerable option to keep away from hackers. Below are the best VPN services you can go for:
- CyberGhost
- ExpressVPN
- Surf Shark
- NordVPN
- Hotspot Shield
Keep Your Phone Password-Protected
Using password protection on your phone is important. Where it prevents the illegal re-sale of your phone, it also has a number of other benefits. The major one is, passcodes help to keep your personal information safe, which anyone could access without a password on your phone.
That said, here’s how to set up a strong password:
- Go for a minimum of 8 characters
- Use a mix of letters and numbers
- Also, mix up the uppercase and lowercase letters
- Try to use special symbols in the password
On passing a passcode from these factors, you might have a strong password like iUh83?e2. However, if you feel it is hard to type every time on your phone, you can avoid special symbols but it might compromise protection.
And if your phone offers advanced password protection options like a fingerprint scanner or face scanner, they’re good to go, too.
The Final Say
The digital era has originated a lot of ways of hacking. Spy apps, phishing attacks, sim swapping, and Bluetooth hacking are quite sneaky and unexpected ways to scrape out your data in minutes. The worst part is, most users don’t even realize when their data is being leaked to the criminal using tools like spying apps.
This article guides you on the different ways hackers can use to hack your phone. We’ve also listed down the signs that indicate your phone is at risk, as well as laid down effective ways to keep your phone secure and your data protected. Until next time, cheers!