Do you know how to detect and remove spyware on smartphones?

What is spy software?

Surely you have heard of eavesdropping devices that serve many purposes of work, crime investigation... Similarly, eavesdropping software installed on mobile phones allows someone to monitor and listen to your conversations remotely through the phone.

Each type of eavesdropping software will have different features, but they mainly have tracking features such as:

Call history (shows incoming and outgoing phone numbers, date and duration of calls).
Text and image messages (phone numbers and SMS content).
Telephone directory.
Internet Browser (History and Bookmarks).
Location of the phone.
Photo library on phone.
Email is downloaded to phone.

With jailbroken iPhones or rooted Android phones (given root access), these spyware can track even more, including:

Certain messaging apps (WhatsApp, Viber, Skype).

Phone conversations.
Using the phone's microphone, record everything around to eavesdrop.

This makes it easy for bad guys to collect your information online and profit from it.

Signs your phone may have spyware installed

Battery suddenly drops

Over time, you will notice that your phone's battery life is not as good as when you first bought it, which is completely normal. But if you notice a sudden drop in battery life, you need to consider it.

Phone spyware can take up a lot of resources, they are working in the background, running GPS and doing other things. So if you see the battery suddenly draining quickly while you are not using your phone, it is possible that your phone has spyware installed.

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Check mobile data

Phone spyware often uses a lot of data to carry out its actions. Have you noticed any unusual signs in your data usage? If so, then spyware is the reason for this abnormality.

This is especially bad when you're on a pay-per-day data plan, as even unlimited data plans often slow down after using a certain amount of data.

Phone temperature suddenly increased

There are many reasons for this situation such as using the phone for too long, charging and the device has a poor charger, or applications running in the background... But if your phone is too hot, you need to consider the case of the phone being installed with spyware.

Strange sound appears when making a call

There are cases where the call signal is bad, the signal is lost… also creates strange sounds. However, if you often hear beeps, echoes or white noise, check for eavesdropping software or not, it is better to be careful.

Phone turns on and off automatically You don't touch or control your phone but it turns on and off abnormally? That could be a sign of spyware on your phone.

Received many strange messages

Do you receive strange text messages with a series of letters and numbers that look like a code? Bad guys often use these to communicate with your device and send it a command. For example, they can request your address by sending you a text message with a predefined code.

How to remove spyware from phone

The thing you must do is check if your phone is jailbroken (for iPhone) or rooted (for Android) or not?

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When jailbroken or rooted, your phone can install software from outside without going through the Google Play Store (CH Play) or AppStore. In this case, even the iPhone is the product with the strictest security quality, it cannot handle it.

Software like Cydia, Icy, Installer, Installous and SBSettings… are commonly used tools for security cracking. If you find one of these applications on your phone, it is very likely that your phone has been hacked. You can find it on the home screen.

Find spyware manually

Spying apps often don't show their real name and logo, but disguise themselves as another app, such as Notepad. So, go to Settings >> select Apps and check each app to see if anything unusual is happening.

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Reset phone to factory default

Searching for spyware is very time-consuming, you can optimize your time by returning your device to its original default mode. Note, back up important information before deleting it to its original default mode.

Use antivirus software

Antivirus software will protect your phone from external attacks including spyware. Therefore, install an antivirus application for your phone.

Protect your phone from spyware

You should proactively protect your phone by preventing strangers from using your phone, setting up lock modes (screen, applications), pin codes, fingerprints... and be careful with the settings on the device.