The smartphones that we carry today hold a lot of information about us. This can include both personal and financial information. Imagine a situation where someone has remote access to the content on your smartphone. Doesn’t it appear to be too risky an affair?
If you are wondering – can someone access my phone from another device? Yes, it is possible that a hacker or anyone with good technical knowledge can have access to your smartphone.
Can Someone Access My Phone Remotely?
Yes, as we already stated, it is absolutely possible that someone can have remote access to your phone. This is specifically achieved because of the security vulnerabilities on your phone and with the help of spy apps and tools.
Hackers can get access to your phone through weak credentials and phishing links. In fact, public WiFi networks are more prone to this kind of attack. Unprotected public Wi-Fi, phishing, and harmful apps are the primary ways used by hackers to gain remote access to your device. Once they get access to your phone, they can monitor your location, check out your usage of the phone, and gain complete access to every app you use on your phone.
Warning Signs of Remote Access on Your Phone
Several signs indicate that your phone has remote access:
- Slow or sluggish performance of the entire phone or certain apps
- Battery draining quicker than expected
- Unexpected data usage spikes
- Unknown apps that appear all of a sudden
- Unexpected security alerts
- Auto replies from messaging apps
- Sudden and unexpected activation of camera or microphone
How Do I Find Out If Someone is Remotely Accessing My Phone?
Detecting if someone is accessing your phone can be very easy if you use a few techniques. In fact, having a keen eye can be the first step in detecting if something is amiss with your smartphone or its behavior. Having a look at a few subtle changes to the phone’s behavior can help you understand the possible indicators of unauthorized access to your device.
The apps that appear unfamiliar
Always have a proper understanding of the apps and their icons on your phone. If you find an app that you might not remember having installed can be a sign of spying. Suspicious app names can also be a tell-tale sign of unauthorized access to your computer.
If you find an app that looks suspicious, you can check its whereabouts through a web search. If in doubt, simply uninstall the app to be on the safer side.
An increase in data usage
Did you notice an unexpected usage of your data? That can also be a sign of unauthorized access to your phone. If your phone has a monitoring app installed, it will need to have consistent access to your data for extensive monitoring purposes. If you find any unexpected data usage spikes or find a high data usage that you haven’t ever observed, be warned and check the data usage parameters.
There are malicious apps that perform complete monitoring in the background, while in the foreground, they may be masked as simple apps like a gallery calculator, or even a unit converter.
Check out the best apps to prevent remote access to your phone
You can check out these specialist apps to help prevent unauthorized access to your phone:
- Malware detectors: MalwareBytes and similar other tools.
- Antivirus solutions: Some good examples include Lookout, Avast, Norton, etc
- Specialized spyware detector tools: These can include tools like Certo AntiSpy, SpyDetector etc.
Unusual website addresses
If your browser has some unusual web addresses, that can also be a concern and an indicator that something is wrong with your device. You may also observe unexpected redirects, unwanted pop-ups, and automatic opening of certain pages and apps.
All these things can be an indicator that your smartphone is being monitored remotely. Always be aware of unusual URLs with random characters, misspellings, or suspicious domains.
Unexpected security notifications
Are you receiving sudden security alerts on your phone? This can indicate possible breaches or unauthorized access to your phone. You may also notice multiple failed login attempts. It is also possible to receive login requests from the locations that you do not trust.
Also, take care of unusual permissions from an app. When you install an app, you are aware of what the app is expected to do. If the app seems to seek unwanted permissions, you should typically stay away from such apps.
The battery begins to drain faster A
Has your phone battery started draining faster? If you notice a considerable battery drain even with not a significant usage, it can be a case of unauthorized access to your phone. The faster battery drain can mean your phone has rogue processes or malware working in the background.
You can check the battery usage per app basis from within your battery settings. If you find any app that is consuming more battery than it actually should be, it should be a clear indicator that you have someone accessing your phone remotely.
How to Stop Someone From Accessing Your Phone Remotely?
There are several options available on how to stop someone from accessing your phone remotely free. Of course, there are a few premium options and tools to help you handle unauthorized access to your phone.
However, in most cases, using simple techniques can be helpful in ensuring that you can stop anyone from accessing your phone remotely.
Method 1: Sign out of your Google account from unidentified devices
We tend to use our Google account for practically everything today. If you are wondering how to remove remote access from your Android phone, the best way should be to sign out of your Google account from the unrecognized devices.
If someone has signed in to your Google account on their device, they will have access to most of the data on your phone. This will include your Gmail, Calendar, Photos, Drive files, Notes, and almost everything. They will even gain access to your passwords used for signing in to different services.
To sign out from your Google account on the unrecognized devices, you can follow the options below:
- Open Settings on your phone
- Select Google from among the options
- Tap Manage your Google Account
- Go to the Security tab
- Scroll down to Your devices
- Tap Manage devices.
- Here, you will find a list of devices your account is currently signed into.
- If you find any unfamiliar device, click on it.
- Select “Don’t recognize this device” to sign out from there and secure your account straight away. Usually, all you must do is change your passwords.
In case you have multiple Google accounts, repeat this process for every unrecognized device.
Method 2: Change your passwords
If you have noticed that someone is using your Google account or your social media accounts fraudulently, sign out of these services and change your password immediately. This will remove their access from your account instantly.
To begin with change the password or pattern for the lock screen of your phone. Once that is done, change the password for your social media profiles such as Facebook and Twitter to name a few.
Method 3: Uninstall suspicious apps
If you find unusual or suspicious apps on your phone, do not waste time before uninstalling them. In fact, these rogue apps are the first step to getting an unlawful entry into your phone. Uninstalling these apps can help you remove remote access to your phone instantly.
Removing the unusual and unrecognized apps can be quite helpful in avoiding potential threats and issues.
Method 4: Use strong passwords and PIN
Using the robust password and PIN should be an excellent option for safeguarding your phone security. It can be an excellent option for taking care of an unauthorized entry. You can choose a good complex and non-predictable passcode.
Also, take care to avoid common combinations such as 1234 or even the birthdays or anniversary days. Use the maximum length allowed for your device for maximum protection. You can check out numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters, and special characters.
Method 5: Disable the Bluetooth, WiFi, and Hotspot
Yet another excellent option should be to disable WiFi, Bluetooth, and Hotspot features when not in use. This can be an excellent security practice to follow. It can help you prevent the potential vulnerabilities and unauthorized access to your phone.
You should indulge in this activity when you are in public places. These are the best steps to help you stay safer from someone accessing your phone remotely on Android and iPhone.
Method 6: Disable call forwarding
Call forwarding is a powerful option that helps you in several communication areas. However, it can also act as an invitation for the scamsters to gain access to your phone. In fact, someone can set or configure your phone to forward your calls and text messages to their phone.
Given the important information that can get passed on to someone else through the forwarded class and messages, it can be a severe issue in its own right. You can even get in touch with your telecom service provider for information on how to disable call forwarding completely from their end.
Method 7: Remove Unnecessary App Permissions
Android apps request permission to perform certain activities. These permissions can include access to contacts, cameras, microphones, location, and more. Checking the permissions required by a particular app can give you an idea of the authenticity of the app.
Be specifically strict about the apps that come from not-so-reliable sources, yet you need them. Provide only those permissions that are necessary for the proper functionality of the app.
Conclusion
Well, several options can be helpful in letting you stop someone from accessing your phone remotely. You can put to use a few specific tricks that we have outlined above. You can also make use of the app to prevent remote access.
You need not worry if someone is accessing your phone remotely. There are a few ways that you can use to stop it from happening. You can also stop it if it is already happening. Whenever you feel as if someone is using your phone remotely, make sure to use the tips that we have outlined here and you should be able to get rid of the issues with ease.
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