How To Know If Your Phone Camera is Hacked

 

Smartphones can do almost everything these days. While most of us use one in our day to day lives, malicious spyware can end up on your phone turning it as a tool against you. These viruses can be downloaded on your phone remotely. Once installed, they can get access to your device and have everything on your phone from texts to photos. They can even gain access to your phone’s camera and mic and spy on you in real time. Most of the time a spy app like this is running in the background without you even realizing it. Here are some times on how to know if your phone camera is hacked.

There are a number of reasons hackers want to get into phones. Most of the time, it is to get your personal information to steal your identity. Sometimes family members or significant others install spyware on a loved one’s phone to get answers about what they’re doing. Either way it is a violation of privacy and you have a right to know if someone is in your phone stealing your private information.

There are some signs and red flags to look out for when it comes to knowing if someone just hacked your phone.

Your Phone Is Running Slow

As phones get older they tend to slow down a bit, but if you are noticing your phone has slowed to a dead crawl basically overnight there might be something fishy going on. Spyware works by running in the background which interferes with the rest of your phones operations. If you tried to delete some photos and videos and running less apps at once and your phone is still slow you could be dealing with a hacker.

Your Battery Is Hot

When a spy app is secretly running on your phone it forces it to work overtime to do the regular things you want it to do. A hot battery is a sign that your phone is working at full steam for much longer than it should. If you limit your phone usage and your phone battery gets hot for seemingly no reason, you could either need a new battery or there could be someone else monitoring your phone activity.

You’ve Gotten Some Random Texts Lately

Most spyware is accidentally downloaded by the owner of the phone. Hackers send out a text message with a link. Users inadvertently click the link and then the spyware is on their phone recording everything and sending it to the hacker.

Another way hackers get into your phone is through popups. Once in they can wreak havoc on your phone.

Your Phone Is Acting Weird

Do apps just randomly open, freeze or close on their own? Are you finding some pictures or video you took disappearing or photos you don’t remember taking appearing on your phone? These are all signs that someone else may have remote access to your phone and is messing with it in some way. Remember that even though it is a “smartphone” it’s very unlikely your phone has developed a mind of its own.

Your Data Is Going Through The Roof

When your phone is being accessed remotely by a hacker the data is sent to them through your data. If you see your phone is using more data than usual, someone may have hacked into your phone.

There are Apps Appearing On Your Phone You Did Not Put There

You’ve noticed a weird icon on your phone that you don’t recognize or an app name you’ve never downloaded before. Spyware often doesn’t show up as a regular app on your phone. By checking your phone’s performance and seeing if there’s a strange app running, do some research to see if it’s spyware.

 

What To Do If You’ve Been Hacked

Firstly don’t panic. There are steps you can take to get rid of the app on your phone. If you aren’t tech savvy, that is okay. There are places you can take your phone where it can be scrubbed of any malware or spyware. If you do find or suspect spyware on your phone you can always do a factory reset on it. Remember to back up all the data you don’t wish to be wiped out during the reset though.

 

How To Protect Yourself From Someone Spying on Your Phone’s Camera

The best way to protect your phone from hackers is to never click on any suspicious links. They could be from people you know or from strangers texting or emailing you. Hackers can use the emails and numbers of people they’ve hacked to spread their malicious software. Delete any texts with links from numbers you do not know and don’t open suspicious emails.

If you’re worried about a loved one installing spyware on your phone, make sure you keep your phone close to you at all times. This is necessary as this software can be downloaded on your phone in seconds with a click of a link. If you have an iPhone, keep your iCloud password secret and change it often to prevent hackers from getting access to it.

Now that you understand how to know if your phone camera has been hacked, you will be able to protect yourself.