Signs & Symptoms of a Hacked Smartphone

by Steven Melendez; Updated August 13, 2018
Smartphones contain personal information useful to hackers and identity thieves.

Smartphones contain personal information useful to hackers and identity thieves. Images

If you're like most smartphone users, you likely carry and access a variety of confidential information in your smartphone, from personal texts from friends and family to business correspondence to sensitive photos and videos. For that reason, it's a good idea to keep your phone secure and look out for signs your smartphone may be hacked or infected with viruses or malware.

Symptoms of a Compromised Phone

If your phone has been compromised by a hacker or malware, you may notice it behaving strangely.

For example, it may begin running more slowly than usual, thanks to malware or hackers doing hidden activities in the background. This may also cause it to consume your data allowance more rapidly than normal or your battery to run down more quickly than you're used to. Some normal apps may crash in ways you haven't seen before as the malware interferes with them or consumes the resources they need on the phone.

Since some malware is designed to show you unwanted advertisements as a way to make money, you may see mysterious pop-up ads appear on your phone. You may even see apps that you don't remember installing that were put there by a hacker or malware, either to trick you into clicking them to show ads or to use to further compromise your device.

Since some hacks attempt to steal your money by tricking you into signing up for services you don't want or need, or even stealing your credentials, you may see unexpected charges on your phone bill or credit card statement. If you do, contact your phone company or credit card company to contest them as soon as you see them.

If Someone Is Spying on You

In some cases, someone could install spy software on your phone purposely designed to give them access to information about your whereabouts, your text messages and other correspondence, and what apps you have installed on your phone.

Often these apps are installed by someone you physically encounter who gains access to your phone, such as a significant other or relative, rather than by a random stranger from across the internet.

If you suspect someone has installed spy software on your phone, you may want to look for apps you didn't install and consider taking your phone to your carrier or the store where you bought it for servicing. A carrier expert may be able to help you determine the best course of action.

Keeping Your Phone Safe

If you're worried about someone compromising your phone, there are steps you can take to keep safe.

Don't install software from sources you don't trust, and be wary of apps from creators that aren't familiar to you or seem to ask for unnecessary levels of permissions. Be wary of visiting websites that could be compromised, and think twice about clicking on links in emails or text messages. Set secure passwords for apps and websites, as well as a secure passcode for your phone and don't share these with anyone. Avoid using insecure Wi-Fi connections.

Enable encryption features that are available, and consider installing antivirus and firewall software that's available for your phone.

If your phone supports biometric login, consider setting it up, like using your facial image to log in on the Apple iPhone X or Samsung Galaxy S9 or using your fingerprint to log in on other phones.

About the Author


Photo Credits

  • Images
bibliography-icon icon for annotation tool Cite this Article