With the booming explosion of technology and the simultaneous rush of new technical capabilities, acts of spying and tracking are easier to execute than ever before.
The widespread use of mobile devices only adds more incentive for individuals or groups to spy on unsuspected smartphone or tablet users.
As such, the very concept of privacy has been challenged in the current society where every piece of information is available for virtually anyone to listen in.
The situation has indeed become very scary for the typical individual who values his/her privacy, as they are now forced to go to great lengths to ensure they’re not being tracked by the very device they use to communicate with others.
So, how does one find out if their phones and other such mobile devices are being tracked? Find out in the step-by-step guide below.
Step #1: See if there’s been an increase in your device’s battery percentage.
If your phone is playing host to a spying software or application, its battery charge is sure to be depleted rather quickly.
Since these apps and software programs are working constantly, they consume a lot of power and cause the charge in your battery to plummet quickly.
Hence, if you notice your battery is depleted of power over a short period of time, it could be a sign that a spying app has been installed on your phone to track your every activity.
Step #2: Notice any unusual or abrupt shutoffs.
If you see that your phone shuts down by itself abruptly and unusually on a regular basis when there’s quite a bit of charge left in the battery, it could be a sign that your device is being tracked.
Certain tracking software and apps contain bugs and codes that cause the phone to shut down on its own even though it still contains substantial battery power.
Step #3: Make a note of unusual background noise during calls, if you hear it.
Do you hear a lot of background noise when you’re making a call? You might very often confuse this noise as a lousy connection.
But when your calls are being tapped and your phone is being tracked, it causes a lot of static toringin the background during your calls.
So if you find such static or unusual noises occur on a number of different calls, it is quite possible that someone is listening in.
Step #4: Check your data usage.
Spying software programs transmit data through the internet, and the process uses the data offerings from your phone to do so.
So if you find that all of a sudden, all your internet data is used up and you have no idea what caused it, you might want to check and see if a spying software program is transmitting your data to another device.
Step #5: Check and see if you’ve received any bizarre text messages.
If you start receiving strange text messages comprised of random characters, symbols and/or numbers, there is a high possibility that your phone is being tracked with a spying software program.
These messages tend to appear when the software starts to malfunction, and you must not ignore them.
Step #6: Use these codes to find out if you’re being tracked.
If you didn’t already know, your smartphone will recognize specific codes if you dial them in.
To find out if you’re being tracked, you can use input a particular set of these codes.
The most useful is “*#21#”. Your screen will display a confirmation if your conversations and messages are being sent to another device.The code “*#62#” will show you what device your communications are being redirected to, if you find your phone has been compromised.
You can also type in “##002#” to block any form of data or communications from entering your phone.
Now, let’s run through some ways you can fix such issues once you’ve been able to identify your phone is being tracked.
- Formatting your phone is one of the safest ways to flush out every bit of the spying program, as the process leaves your phone in the factory settings—a stage where the program had not been installed in your phone.
- Use genuine firewall, anti-malware and antivirus programs to keep your phone safe from such tracking software and codes.
- Delete anything that looks suspicious regardless of where it came from.
- Avoid installing software and apps that have not been verified by your OS provider. Only use verified software and apps.
- Update your phone’s OS to the latest available version.
- Change the passwords for every account that you use on that device.
- Go deep in your phone to locate the spying software and remove it from every directory of the device (or you could simply restore the phone to factory settings to take care of the whole situation).
Most of all, you should always try to protect your phone from being used by anyone else.
Remember, nobody has the authority to tap or track your phone unless you allow it. Hence, you are entitled to take every possible measure to protect your privacy.