[Editor's note 5/28/2020: Since this article was written nine years ago, many new phone hacking methods have been developed and/or discovered. In addition, cell phone operating systems have evolved significantly. We've created a new article to cover those various hacks in our new story: How to Tell if Your Phone Has Been Hacked. Please go there for the latest information. We're keeping this story active for the issues and useful advice contained in the comments.]
You probably know there are plenty of apps you can install on your smartphone to track its location in case it gets lost or stolen. Apple's “Find My iPhone” is one good one and many security apps, such as AVG Mobilation, can track down a phone in seconds.
But what if someone else is tracking you? Is there any chance your boss or spouse could be spying on everything you do on your phone?
It’s easy to do. Spy apps are plentiful and can imperceptibly track text and e-mail messages, location, Web sites you visit, who you call and what photos and videos you shoot. The problem is these apps are difficult to detect and run invisibly in the background.
I decided to track my son and installed an app on his phone called Phone Control by Laucass (free on Google Play). Of course, secretly intercepting electronic communications without the person's knowledge and consent is illegal, so I told my son I was doing it and that I’d only use it if I had good reason.
Every day I receive emails that indicate my son’s location as he’s using his phone out in the world. I can click on those links in my email to see via Google Maps where he is (although I very rarely do). I could also set up the app to send me data about everything else he’s doing on his phone, but that’s not something I personally need—or want—to do.
Signs your phone may have been compromised
Someone borrowed or took your phone
I had to have my son’s phone in hand to install Android Phone Control. Once activated, however, there’s no icon in the application launcher. The app shows up with the name “Android System” in the applications manager so it doesn’t look suspicious. If you think someone could do something like this when you’re not paying attention or asleep, secure your phone with a passcode that isn’t easy to guess.
(Editor's Note 9/26/12: To confirm you have the spyware and not a standard Android app by the same name, follow these steps to open the spy app (dial the phone number.)
(Editor's Note 8/28/13: See our in-depth study of mobile security apps for more detail on 9 of the most common spyware programs and how to detect them.)
(Editor's Note 12/16/14 (Josh Kirschner): In some of my comments below, I noted the unlikelihood of spying on iPhones that were not jailbroken. However, since many of those comments were made, certain holes were identified in iOS that exploit the iPhone's connection to trusted networks and devices to allow someone with access to the network or device to download significant amounts of personal data. Jailbreaking the iPhone was not required. Fortunately, those holes have been patched in iOS 8. For more information, see: http://www.zdziarski.com/blog/?p=3820]
Your phone is acting weirdly
Taking forever to shut off, lighting up for no reason, suddenly getting much shorter battery life or running hot when you’re not using it may indicate hidden processes are running in the background.
Your data usage skyrockets for no reason
This could be because your phone is checking in with someone else, using GPS and sending them text messages or emails that communicate where you are and what you’re doing.
What to do if you suspect your phone's being monitored
The best thing to do is perform a factory reset, which you can find as an option in your phone’s settings. Know, however, that in doing so you will lose all data stored on your phone, so back it up first.
If you’re using Apple iCloud or Android 4.0, items like your contacts, photos and music are automatically synced and saved in the cloud. But if you have an older phone, you’ll want to make sure to export your contacts before doing a factory reset. There are various ways to do this depending on what phone you’re using and which operating system it’s running. If you’re not sure, get help from your cellular provider; they can make sure to retain your contacts and other important data during a factory reset.
You'll then want to use a strong passcode to prevent unauthorized access to your device. For Android devices, you can also install an app, like AppNotifier (free on Google Play), that will email you when programs are loaded onto your phone.
(Editor's Note 9/26/12: See our updated recommendations for Android antimalware solutions)
(Editor's Note 8/28/13: See our in-depth study of mobile security apps for our latest recommendations on how to protect yourself.)
You'll then have to tackle the issue of who's doing the monitoring. Keep in mind that if your device was issued by your company or is authorized to access your company's email and other data services, you may have given your consent as part of your employment contract or when access was data access was granted.
This is very interesting reading
From KC on June 09, 2013 :: 11:16 am
This is very interesting reading - thank you all. I am doing a little research this morning because I was looking at my iPhone Diagnostics & Usage Data (in Settings) and clicked on an entry that said “Low Memory” (there were several of these so I clicked on the most recent date, which is today). Scrolling through the listed data, I noticed a line that read “MSpy” with a long line of characters set within < >, along with some other words that mean nothing to me (highwater, daemon).
Of course, “MSpy” (or anthing with the word Spy in it!) caught my attention. Googling MSpy led me to Mobile Spy, which apparently is extremely difficult to find on one’s phone.
Can anyone tell me if “MSpy” would even be listed in a Low Memory Data Report as my “largest process” if I didn’t have spyware embedded in my phone? (I guess I’m assuming that MSpy as it is listed stands for “Mobile Spy” and not something benign).
I just need some direction before I pull out all of the stops trying to find spyware on my phone today. Help & guidance would be tremendously appreciated.
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That's not good
From Josh Kirschner on June 10, 2013 :: 12:54 pm
Yes, MSpy and Mobile Spy are both spy apps for iPhone. They’re not the same app, though they have similar features. I’ve tested Mobile Spy and it can provide a significant amount of your personal information to whomever is spying on you.
To help you verify if you have spyware, you should check to see if your iPhone has been jailbroken. Spyware can only be installed on a jailbroken phone. The easiest way to check is to download Lookout Security from iTunes then run a scan. It will give you a warning if the iPhone is jailbroken.
If your iPhone is jailbroken, that means someone with physical access to your phone jailbroke your phone and installed the spyware. It’s not hard to do - takes less than an hour.
To eliminate the spyware, simply update your phone to the latest iOS (6.1.4). This will remove the jailbreak and spyware. To be absolutely sure, you may want to do a complete reset of your phone (back up your data first).
if you would like me to walk through this process with you, please contact me at ********.
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That's what I was afraid
From KC on June 10, 2013 :: 4:43 pm
That’s what I was afraid of. The most obvious culprit (and the only person with access to my phone during times I might not have it in my hand) would be my husband, but I am pretty sure he has the “share downloads from other devices” setting switched to “on” in icloud so before I download the app you suggested I am going to try and turn that setting off so I can do this without giving him a heads-up.
A question that I have while I wait to do this is can a phone have MSpy installed on it from any other source? Like can I get “hacked” by someone who doesn’t have physical access to my phone? Or does it have to be jailbroken (in person) in order to install the MSpy?
Thank you VERY VERY much!
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Helpi
From Sara on April 24, 2017 :: 7:40 am
I think y phone was hacked can someone take ur pic and text back and fourt like your doing it?
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I Need To Be Vindicated!!!!!
From Alfonza Ferguson on November 01, 2018 :: 5:43 pm
Yes I Saw these comments and your response to how you can help me get the problem solved concerning my phone being cloned/hacked…...get back at me and let me know how to contact you to remedy this problem please…...AND Thank you
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