11 signs my phone is hacked

1. Indicator lights turn on: Most phones have indicator lights that show when the camera or microphone is in use. If these lights activate when you’re not using those features, it could be a sign that a hacker is accessing them to spy on you. But beware that some advanced spyware can access your camera or mic without triggering the indicator lights.
2. Battery drains quickly: If your phone use habits haven’t changed but your battery is draining faster than usual, hidden malware may be running in the background and consuming system resources. Confirm if the cause of your battery’s rapid depletion is malware or a hardware problem by checking your battery health in the settings.
3. Unusual calls and texts: An accidental dial happens occasionally, but if your outgoing call history is full of calls you don’t remember making, that could be a phone hacking red flag. Similarly, if you suddenly stop receiving calls or text messages, or your contacts claim to have received strange messages, your phone or phone number may be compromised.
4. Unwanted verification codes: If you start receiving SMS or email verification codes for accounts you didn’t try to access, it could mean someone is attempting to break into your online accounts using your phone number or email address through a technique called spoofing.
5. Suspicious account activity or lockouts: You might be dealing with a phone hacker if you get locked out of your accounts unexpectedly or see odd activity, such as password reset requests you didn’t make, or new social media posts.
6. Phone overheats: While phones can get warm with heavy use or due to external factors, a phone overheating while idle could be a sign of hacking, since background processes can strain the device’s resources.
7. Storage space runs out: Malware can take up significant space on your phone as it installs new files or duplicates existing ones, leading to you running out of storage space faster than expected. Regularly check your storage usage to identify any unexplained increases.
8. Unexpected pop-ups: Aggressive and persistent pop-up ads, especially those appearing outside of your web browser, can be a sign of adware installed on your phone without your consent. These pop-ups can be disruptive and sometimes lead to further malicious downloads or websites, so be cautious if you start seeing them frequently.
9. High data usage: If you discover an unfamiliar app is consuming a large amount of your cellular data, it could be an undercover type of malware. Often, malware secretly communicates with remote servers, downloads additional malware, or adds your phone to a botnet, all of which are activities that use a lot of data.
10. Phone runs slowly: Hacked phones often run slowly because malicious software consumes processing power and memory in the background. On Android devices, you can usually review CPU usage in the settings to identify resource-heavy apps. On iPhones, while CPU load isn’t visible, you can review battery usage to spot apps that may be draining resources unusually fast.
11. Unfamiliar apps: While some unfamiliar apps come pre-installed on your device, others could signal a potential hack. Malware often disguises itself as legitimate software to avoid detection. To identify suspicious apps, scroll through your full list of installed applications in your device settings and look for anything you don’t recognize or remember downloading.

How to confirm if your phone is hacked

If warning signs indicate that somebody hacked your phone, you should confirm if malware is present before beginning the recovery process. The simplest way to confirm is to run a reliable malware scan with a trusted anti-malware tool. For a more thorough investigation, you can consult a cybersecurity specialist who can analyze system logs, monitor network traffic, and pinpoint the source of the threat.