Be Cautious If You Notice These Signs on Your Phone – You Might Be Under Surveillance

Currently, with the rapid development of technology, high-tech crimes are becoming more sophisticated. Criminals can infiltrate your phone, steal your information, and even drain your money. Therefore, if you notice these signs on your phone, it could be under surveillance, and you should be alert.

1. Fast Battery Drain

One of the first signs you may notice is that the battery drains faster than usual. Spyware often runs continuously to scan data, take screenshots, and send notifications to servers, causing rapid battery depletion. However, in some cases, if the battery is old, the usage time of the smartphone might significantly decrease. To check the battery health, iPhone users can go to Settings → Battery → Battery Health. If the phone shows 95-100% battery health but only lasts for a few hours, it’s highly likely that there are background apps running, including spy software.

2. Mobile Data Runs Out Quickly

If your phone has tracking apps installed, it will need data to send information to the trackers. Therefore, your phone will consume more mobile data than usual. So, if you notice that your mobile data runs out quickly, you should investigate the cause.

3. Phone Gets Unusually Hot

Some people who have been under surveillance report that their phone suddenly becomes hot even when they are not gaming or watching videos. Experts say that the reasons mentioned earlier (data usage and rapid battery drain) are what cause the phone to overheat. Some phones with surveillance software may also frequently reboot, light up the screen when not in use, display no notifications, or even activate the microphone and GPS location.

Users should also check for unusual sounds during calls, strange characters in messages, or suspicious contacts in their address book. Some users have reported finding unfamiliar search history on their browsers.

4. Phone Runs Slowly

There are many reasons why a phone may run slowly, such as long usage time, not clearing cache, or installing unnecessary apps. However, users should also consider the possibility of malware if the device shows signs like frequent lags, slow touch response, longer boot times, or slower shutdown times.

5. Receiving Strange Messages

If you suddenly receive strange messages with numbers or symbols that you don’t recognize, or from unknown senders with frequent occurrences, this is another sign that your phone may be under surveillance. What you should do immediately is delete these messages and block the number that sent them. Under no circumstances should you click on any suspicious links.

6. Phone Shuts Down and Restarts on Its Own

A sign that your phone is being monitored is when it unexpectedly shuts down and restarts while you’re using it, even though you haven’t interacted with it. This could indicate that someone has accessed and is monitoring your phone.

Measures to Take If You Suspect Your Phone Is Being Monitored:

1. Turn Off Location Services When Not In Use

Location services help share your location conveniently but also pose a risk of surveillance. To reduce the likelihood of being tracked, turn off location services when not using them. Only allow location access for essential apps like delivery services or Google Maps, and avoid keeping it on 24/7.

2. Change Your Passwords

If your phone is being monitored, its security may be compromised. Therefore, to protect your important information, you should change your password for the screen lock and social media accounts like Facebook, Zalo, etc.

3. Restore Phone to Factory Settings

Apart from the above methods, if you suspect your phone is being tracked, you can restore it to its factory settings to bring it back to its original state. This will also help remove any spyware or background apps that may be running on the phone. However, before proceeding, make sure to back up your data because restoring will erase all the data on your phone.

4. Uninstall Suspicious Apps

Tracking software often installs automatically without the user’s consent. If you notice unfamiliar apps on your phone that you didn’t install, quickly delete them. This is an effective way to protect your phone from being monitored.