How to Tell If Your Phone Is Tapped and What You Can Do About It

7 signs your phone is tapped

If you’re concerned about potential phone tapping, there are several warning signs to watch for. From unusual battery drain to unexpected background noises during calls, these subtle clues can indicate someone is monitoring your device using techniques like automatic call forwarding or spyware. Recognizing these signs early can help you protect your sensitive personal or financial data from eavesdroppers.

Here are the seven warning signs to look out for:

1. Strange sounds during calls

Unexplained sounds like clicks, static, beeps, or high-pitched frequencies might indicate that someone is listening in on your phone calls, or that they’re being recorded. These sounds can have innocuous causes, like background noise or poor signal. However, if you notice them consistently across all of your calls, it could be a sign of phone tapping.

2. A hot or quickly draining battery

If your battery is draining unusually quickly or your phone feels warm when you’re not using it, it might be a symptom of spyware or another type of malware working in the background to log your data and send it to a third party. Spyware allows hackers to track your phone activity, sometimes even letting them listen in on your calls directly.

Usually, there’s an easy way to check if a malicious application is draining your phone’s battery life. Navigate to your battery settings to see your apps sorted by power usage and pay attention to any you don’t recognize.

3. Unexplained spikes in data usage

Malicious software will often use your mobile data to send information it gathers to the hacker. If you’re using up mobile data faster than expected or experiencing sudden spikes in data usage, it’s possible your phone is being tapped.

You can see what apps are using data by navigating to your mobile data settings. Look out for suspicious apps that you didn’t install or don’t use.

4. Extended shut-down times

If your phone seems to be taking longer than usual to power down, it could be a sign that data is being transmitted to a third party. Before your phone shuts down, it has to complete any active tasks that are running in the background — but that shouldn’t take too long. You can test for hidden apps or programs by closing all of your currently open apps and then turning your phone off.

5. Unusual device activity

Some malware or remote access applications may cause your phone to act strangely, whether because they’re poorly coded, resource intensive, or giving an intruder access to your power settings. Any suspicious device activity could be a red flag, but look out for issues like:

• Apps opening on their own

• Apps regularly crashing

• Your phone turning itself off or restarting at random times

• Your camera or microphone activating without your permission

Although there are other explanations for each of these problems, they could also be signs of your phone being tapped or infected, particularly if they’re happening consistently.

6. Websites that look different

Malware that’s used to tap phones can also cause issues with mobile internet browsing. You might be automatically redirected to a fake version of a website where hackers can steal your login details or other personal information, for example.

If you have suspicions, check that you’re on a safe website by verifying the URL is authentic. If there’s anything unusual about how a website looks, avoid entering any personal information and close your browser.

7. Strange texts

Unexpected or fake text messages containing strings of numbers, letters, or symbols could be a sign your phone is being tapped. Some spyware will send instructions in the form of coded messages to your phone, and if the spyware isn’t installed properly, you might receive these texts, which are normally hidden, directly to your messaging app.

How to check if your phone is tapped

Since your phone can be tapped in different ways, there are several steps to take if you suspect you may be the target of phone tapping. Here’s a quick guide explaining how to check if your phone has call forwarding set up or malware installed.

Check for unconditional call forwarding

Unconditional call forwarding redirects all incoming calls from one number to another. Hackers can exploit this feature to tap your phone, passing all of your calls on to their phone instead. It can be enabled or disabled through your network settings.

You can check if call forwarding is enabled through your service provider by dialing the following shortcodes:

• GSM networks (AT&T and T-Mobile): *#21# or *#002# or *#61#

• CDMA networks (Verizon and US Cellular): *92 or *72

Check call forwarding settings on iOS and Android

Call forwarding can also be enabled or disabled through device settings on both iOS and Android phones. Check these settings after you’ve confirmed unconditional call forwarding isn’t turned on via your network.

To check and disable call forwarding through your iOS device’s settings, go to Settings > Phone > Call forwarding and set the toggle to off.

To check and disable call forwarding on your Android device, go to the phone app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Calls > Call forwarding, and make sure Always forward is turned off.

Check for malware on your phone

To check for malware on your phone, start by reviewing recently installed apps for anything unfamiliar or suspicious. Monitor unusual behavior, like excessive data usage or battery consumption to identify malicious apps and processes.

Then, use an antivirus app to identify and block spyware before it can infect your device. Avast Free Antivirus is a powerful threat detection solution that helps keep your phone free of spyware and running smoothly.

What to do if your phone has been tapped

Discovering your phone has been tapped can feel overwhelming, but acting quickly can help minimize the damage. From removing suspicious apps to resetting your device, there are steps you can take to regain control.

Here’s how to secure your phone, protect your data, and restore your privacy:

Enable airplane mode

Enabling airplane mode will temporarily neutralize a phone tapping attempt, as it prevents WiFi and cell service, blocking attempts to access your phone. This will buy you some time to take further action and remove any call-forwarding rules or spyware from your device.

Reboot in Safe mode

Restarting your phone in Safe mode will allow only necessary parts of the operating system to function, meaning any spyware installed on your phone won’t be active. This will give you the freedom to search your device for malicious software without risk.

iOS devices don’t feature a safe mode. However, if you have an Android device, you can reboot into Safe mode by following these steps:

1. Hold the power button to bring up the power menu.

2. Keep your finger on the Power off button until the Safe mode option appears.

3. Tap the Safe mode icon to restart your phone in Safe mode.

Delete unused, outdated, or suspicious apps

If you notice unfamiliar apps on your phone that you don’t recall installing, you should delete them immediately. They may be fake apps that secretly contain spyware, allowing a hacker to tap your phone.

To delete unwanted or malicious Android apps:

1. Navigate to Settings > Apps > All apps.

2. Browse through the list of applications, looking for any you don’t recognize or trust.

3. Tap unwanted or untrustworthy apps and then Permissions to check what data or other applications they have access to.

4. If you want to uninstall the app, go back to the App info screen and tap Uninstall.

And to do the same on iPhone:

1. Swipe left on your home screen until you reach the App Library. Browse through the list of applications, looking for any you don’t recognize or trust.

2. If you want to uninstall an app, long-press the icon and tap Delete App.

But simply deleting the app may not be enough. To ensure that you’ve thoroughly purged your phone of every last trace of malicious code, follow the steps laid out in our comprehensive guides for removing spyware from Android and iPhones.

Disable call forwarding

If someone is using unconditional call forwarding to spy on you, disable it by dialing the following shortcodes to ensure that your calls are no longer redirected to a third party:

• GSM networks (AT&T and T-Mobile): ##21# or ##002# or ##61#

• CDMA networks (Verizon and US Cellular): *93 or *73

Perform a factory reset

As a last resort, you can use a factory reset to remove spyware from your phone. Remember that a factory reset will also wipe all other data from your phone, including photos, contacts, apps, videos, and music. But be careful not to restore your phone from any backup made after you started noticing signs of phone tapping — this will simply reinstall the malware.

File a police report

Phone tapping is a crime, so if you have evidence that your phone has been tapped, you should file a report with the authorities. Reporting an internet scam, phone tapping incident, or other form of phone hacking attempt helps authorities to stay ahead of cybercriminals and prevent similar attacks from occurring in the future.

How to protect against phone tapping

There are several key steps to take that can help protect against hackers tapping your phone or installing spyware, keeping your calls, texts, and personal data secure. Here are some of the best ways to help prevent phone tapping:

Keep your phone updated

Installing the latest versions of iOS or Android as soon as they become available ensures hackers can’t exploit any weaknesses and loopholes that may exist in older versions. OS updates also tend to contain security features to protect against new viruses and malware.

Only use official app stores

Downloading apps from unofficial sources can open a gateway for malicious software piggybacking its way onto your phone. Avoid jailbreaking and make sure you only download apps from the official iOS or Android app stores to minimize your chances of accidentally installing a potentially harmful app.

Install security software

Although mobile operating systems have built-in security features, installing additional mobile security software offers more robust and comprehensive protection. An antivirus app like Avast Free Antivirus scans your files and apps for potential malware vulnerabilities, flags suspicious links or downloads, and blocks attempts to install spyware or other malware.

Avast Free Antivirus helps block spyware or malicious downloads.

Protect against spyware with Avast

Detect threats and keep your device more secure with cutting-edge security software for iPhones and Android phones. Avast Free Antivirus is an ironclad digital security app that helps identify, block, and remove spyware and other malware, wherever it finds it. That helps keep your sensitive data, including personal calls, safer from prying ears or eyes.