With the rise of mobile devices, privacy has become a very relevant issue. To what extent can we trust our cell phones? If you have ever felt spied on, it could be your smartphone.
One of the myths (so far unproven) about phones is that they listen to our conversations. Maybe it has happened to you that after talking about a particular topic with a friend, you suddenly start seeing ads related to that. Marketing will say that this is the product of research into your online behavior, but the reality might be quite different.
Does your smartphone really hear you?
The proliferation of microphones, whether in cell phones and smart speakers, makes you think that anyone can hear you. And the truth is that yes, hacking a microphone is easier than you think.
There is no doubt that the world’s major technology companies such as Google, Meta, Amazon or Microsoft have the ability to create systems that allow users to listen in. But the truth is a risk for them, since spying is illegal. Officially, they are not allowed to collect data from people without their permission. Therefore, they flatly deny this practice.
However, what about third-party applications? It is a different story here. Therefore, it is essential to be very careful with the ones you install. Never look for apps outside the official stores such as Google Play or App Store. It is also important to pay attention when browsing the Internet, as there are many websites that could download malicious software onto your computer.
Signs that you could be being spied on through your smartphone
Do you suspect someone is watching what you do on your cell phone? If so, your device could have been hacked. There are certain signs that may indicate that your phone has been tapped. Among them:
➤ Strange device behavior.
If your cell phone reboots or shuts down without warning, it means something is wrong. It could be a device malfunction, but also an indication that someone is tampering with it. Another suspicious behavior is that apps open automatically or when you want to open them they take too long.
➤ Apps that you have not installed.
Another indication that you could be being spied on is discovering apps on your phone that you don’t remember installing. Frequently check your device’s settings to verify what apps you have. If you find any that you haven’t installed or don’t use, it’s best to uninstall.
➤ Phone Overheating
When phones have a lot of activities going on in the background, they can overheat. If you’re not doing anything, and you haven’t been exposed to the sun, and your cell phone is hot, it could be infected.
➤ Disabled notifications.
If you’ve noticed that your smartphone doesn’t notify you when you have new WhatsApp or Telegram messages, or doesn’t show you other notifications it used to show, you should check their status. It could be that someone has removed them so you don’t know they’re checking your data.
➤ Other unusual actions.
You should also be suspicious if contacts disappear from the address book and new ones appear, or if mobile data is consumed faster. Also if you receive unknown messages, or there are strange noises or sounds during calls.
Tricks to find out if you are being spied on through your cell phone
If any of the situations described above are happening to you, it is likely that you are being spied on through your cell phone. To get to the bottom of the situation and find out if this is indeed the case, we recommend you to apply these tricks.
Check if your calls are being redirected
Through the MMI code *#62# you can find out if your calls are being redirected to any number. Just dial this combination and press the call button to see the operator information. It will tell you, among other things, if call forwarding is active and to which number (if yes).
Check that your IMEI is correct.
By this we mean that there is nothing strange about it. By dialing the code *#06# you will be able to see the IMEI of your cell phone, which has 15 digits. If two zeros appear at the end of this number, it means that someone is listening to your calls. And if three zeros appear, they could be having access not only to your calls, but also to your messages and files.
How to avoid being spied on with your smartphone?
If with the above tricks you discover that you are being spied on, or if the signs maintain your suspicions that something strange is going on, you can do several things. We recommend:
Disable call forwarding
If you find that your calls are being forwarded to another number, you should disable this feature. You can do this by dialing the code **##002# and then the call button. If this combination does not work, we recommend that you contact the operator to request that they remove all activated forwarding.
Reset your cell phone
Another alternative is to erase everything on your device. Make a backup beforehand so that you do not lose anything. After this, enter the cell phone settings and look for the option to erase everything. This way, the device will be as good as new and you will have to set it up again.
Disable voice assistants
For these systems to do their job, they have to be attentive to hear you speak. This, in case you mention the magic words to give it commands. If you don’t trust these tools, then we recommend disabling Google Assistant, Siri or Alexa, depending on which one you have on your device. You can also limit certain apps’ access to the microphone.
Your smartphone could be spying on you. Therefore, we recommend you to find out if this is the case and apply the different solutions that exist so that your privacy is not violated.
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