Battery Life Suddenly Dropping
Noticing that a phone doesnt last as much as it did when first purchased is normal. Batteries start dying with time. Plus, you are probably throwing more work at devices as you continue to expand your app collection. But sudden drops in battery life are not normal.
Tracking software can take up a lot of resources. These are working in the background, running your GPS, and doing other things sometimes all the time. Unexpected battery drains could mean someone is tracking your device, or it could be something else in your phone pulling all that juice. Check the link below to see if your phone could be dying for reasons other than spies.
How to check which apps are using up your battery:
The Utility Netmonitor Code
It gets interesting from here.
This code comes in handy when you want to find out where whoever is tracking your phone.
If the spies use cell towers and base stations, then it is especially useful.
For iPhone, the code is *3001#12345#*
For android, dial *#*#4636#*#* or *#*#197328640#*#*
Once you dial this code, follow these steps
- Select UMTS Cell Environment
- Copy the number you see
Go back to the main menu and
- Select MM InformationClick on Serving PLMN
- Jot down the Local Area Code that it displays
The exact location of your phones connection will show if you visit a net monitor website and input these two numbers.
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Turn Off Significant Locations
Your iPhone keeps track of the places you visit frequently. This information is used to help you navigate through traffic better, among other things. But its invasive. You might want to turn this feature off.
How do you turn off Significant Locations? Follow these steps:
- Go to Settings> Privacy > Location Services > System Services > Significant Locations.
- Slide off Significant Locations
- Tap Clear History
This will both stop Apple from tracking you and wipe your location history clean.
Also Read: How to Tell If Your Cell Phone Is Being Tracked Tapped or Monitored by Spy Software
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Situation : How To Track Your Own Android And Ios Phones
Both Android and iOS devices have this facility and they both work in roughly the same way.
On Apple, you enable the Find My iPhone and then if you need to trace your phone, head over iCloud.com/find or use the Find My app on another Apple device.
On Android, enable the Find My Device option. To track your own phone, head to either Android.com/find or just search find my device in google.
Both operating systems allow you to locate your phone on a map, lock the phone, play a sound on the phone , and also remotely erase the phone if there is no hope of getting it back. Of course, the phone needs to be on with an internet connection for this to work. If the phone is off, you will be able to get the last known location.
Important to note that when you track your device, you will see a notification on the device showing that Find My Device located this device. In other words, it is not hiding the fact that the phone is being traced.
Sign #: Last Activity Details Dont Match With Your Last Action
Another useful piece of information to help you know whether your phone is being tracked or monitored is the Last Activity details.
When you are inactive, the snooper may visit your social media or email accounts. Last activity details in such a scenario allow you to identify if an impersonator is trying to access your records.
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How To Detect Cell Phone Spy Apps
I will go through a few of the tell-tale signs that could let you know if your cell phone has spy software installed. Some of these indicators can be caused by other things so you need to use your judgment. Some spy programs work very well and can only be detected by expert analysis but if your phone has several of the following signs you may have cause for concern.
Odd Phone Behavior
Look for any changes in your cell phones behavior. Does it suddenly light up when not in use make random beeping noises, shutdown by itself or exhibit any other random behavior? All phones can do strange things from time to time but if this is happening on a regular basis it could be a sign that your phone is being accessed by hidden software.
Battery Rundown
Some spy software apps can increase the use of your battery so look out for any sudden changes in your battery life does it need charging more often. Bear in mind that over time your cell phone battery life will diminish naturally, so youre looking for any dramatic change.
Some of the cheaper spy software programs will run your battery down quickly, however the more modern programs are designed to make less demand on the battery and are harder to spot.
Phone Shuts down
Does your phone regularly shut down by itself, even when the battery is charged? Some spy software can be quite buggy and is known to cause this.
Background Noise
Receiving Unusual Texts
Increased Data Usage
High Phone Temperature
Electronic Interference
Strange Pop-ups
Try To Find The App Manually
Do you believe someone is spying on your phone? The first step is to try and manually find any suspicious files or applications. You can use any file manager to do this. Another option is to simply take a look at your app drawer.
Oh, and remember, these guys are trying to keep things on the down-low, so chances are the app wont just tout its real name and logo. It could be disguised as something else, like a notepad app. Just go in there and see if theres anything unusual, and if you dont remember installing it , you would be wise to remove it.
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Check Your Precious Data
A tracking app will try to update the attacker constantly. This means it will need data and plenty of it. Are you noticing unusual usage of your data? A possible attack could be the reason why this is happening.
This is especially bad because unlimited data subscribers often get throttled after using a certain amount of data. Furthermore, you might still be in a limited data plan, which would worsen the situation.
How to check data usage:
How Can You Protect Your Device
Once you have learned How to tell if your cell phone is being tracked, tapped, or monitored by spy software, you should know how to protect your device. It is better to prevent your device to keep the privacy intact. Some preventive measures that one can implement include:
Use passcodes on the lock screen
Many monitoring and spy applications need some kind of physical admittance to the device. Use biometrics or a password on the lock screen for making things a bit harder for hackers.
Never root or jailbreak your smartphone
Give up jailbreaking and rooting completely. If you want to do it, then be cautious while installing anything on your phone.
Use security tools
It is advisable to install antivirus software and VPNs. VPNs ensure that every online activity stays private and anonymous, while antivirus ensures that there is no malware.
Do not install applications from an unverified source
You should download applications from verified application stores only like Google Play Store and Apple App Store. This is because apps from unverified providers could be hazardous.
Install all patches and updates
Keep the operating system of your device and firmware updated. Companies release patches and updates simultaneously to stay put against all malicious activities or other threats.
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If All Else Fails Factory Reset Your Mobile Device
Often, a mobile device that has been compromised by spyware will deny its user certain functions. If you find that youre locked out of your mobile device, you may have to do a hard factory-reset.
Follow these steps to factory-reset your mobile device:
For Android devices
What Can You Do If Your Device Is Monitored
To remove spyware from your smartphone, you should reset your device to default factory settings. This does not guarantee the removal of the spying program. Try the following methods:
Change the iCloud credentials
As stated above, hackers can track your device without installing any tool if they get access to your iCloud account details. So, change the email ID and password.
Uninstall suspicious applications
Check your application list and find if something is odd. Make sure that you check hidden applications too. Spyware programs tend to disguise their identity. So, check the application info thoroughly.
Reset passwords
If you have been diseased with spyware, there are chances that hackers had gathered all of your passwords. It is important to reset passwords of all your online accounts.
Check the bank statements
The most typical reason why hackers track your device is to snip the sensitive information of the victim. If you use your device for making online payments, then theres room for theft and exploitation. Check the bank statements for any suspicious activity.
On noticing anything, block all the credit or debit cards. It is better to prevent your device against malicious programs. Install antivirus programs so that nothing can enter your device, and there will be no need to know How to tell if your cell phone is being tracked, tapped, or monitored by spy software.
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How To Know If Your Phone Is Tapped By Police Or Law Enforcement
I get asked this a lot can you tell if your phone is being tracked by law enforcement agencies the Police and FBI most commonly.
I dont want to engage in any illegal or unethical debates around this subject but I will tell you a few things.These days law enforcement have wide ranging powers and Im not here to debate them. Lets just be aware that they will not be spying on you using some spy software app!
They have the power to get all of your data everything including GPS tracking information, listen to and record your calls and see your texts. Everything you do on your cell phone can be monitored and reported to the police and other agencies and you will not know.
They can do this through the service providers no software is needed so no signs will show. I just accept that if you are worried about the police tapping or tracking your phone . you must have something to hide.
Remove Tracking Apps And Spyware
Weve established how someone could track your iOS device. We also gave you symptoms your device is being tracked and who could be doing it.
Now that you know for sure if someone is tracking your iPhone, its time for the most important step: Getting rid of the trace!
How do you stop someone from tracking you? There are multiple methods you could try:
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iPhone Spying Without Jailbreaking
This is a fairly new development concerning iPhone Spy companies such as mSpy and Mobistealth have No Jailbreak monitoring solutions. Just be clear this is not software, and is not installed on the device. I give more detailed information in the articles above.
It gives limited spying capabilities through the iCloud backup service. It is not possible to detect on the target device you need to keep a close eye on your iCloud backups and keep login details secure.
Sign #: Unfamiliar Screenshots Photos And Voices Are Present In The Phone
Go through your Photos, Gallery and Voices. If you see screenshots or pictures you havent taken, it means that someone else took them from your phone. You may also find some audio recordings that contain noise data and have not been recorded by you.
This unrecognized content suggests access to your mobile phone by an intruder. Keep in mind that many spy apps offer the ability to take pictures and record voices to get an idea of the telephone environment.
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Strange And Unknown Text Messages
It is common for many cell phone spy programs to use SMS texts to send commands to the target phone. Oftentimes, these messages consist of symbols and numbers. If you have been receiving these regularly, chances are youre being spied on.
If you ever find a need to keep track on someones cell phone use and activity, you can choose from plenty of apps to spy on other phones. Auto Forward has always been one of the top choices for cell phone monitoring, thanks to its advanced features and excellent customer support. It is very easy to install and use also, making it perfect for everyone who needs it.
Are You Being Tracked How To Spot A Tracking App On Your Phone
Tracking apps and spyware are a genuine risk, and an extremely unpleasant invasion of privacy for many. Here are our tips on how to recognize if you have a tracking app on your phone, and what to do about it.
A woman in the UK made headlines recently when she confessed that her husband monitors her phone reading her messages and tracking her every move using a stealthy tracking app that he installed. She may claim its not bothering her, but tracking apps and spyware are a genuine risk, and an extremely unpleasant invasion of privacy for many. Here are our tips on how to recognize if you have a tracking app on your phone, and what to do about it.
Opportunity is key
Installing tracking apps and spyware requires physical access to your phone so the easiest way to prevent it is to keep your phone secure. Since you cant quite take your phone everywhere with you weve all got to shower some time make sure to set a PIN on the phone, and make it a hard one to guess. Not your birthday, wedding anniversary, address or familiar combinations.
Has your iPhone been jailbroken?
Check your bills
If theres a tracking app or spyware on your phone, it could send your data charges through the roof, as its fairly common for such apps to use GPS to monitor your phones location and use data roaming to report back to whoevers controlling them. If you havent been abroad and notice a sudden, prolonged increase in your data charges, check it out immediately.
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Use A New Phone Number
While you should refrain from using your mobile device further if you suspect that someone may be tracking or monitoring your activity, you should also avoid using the same phone number associated with your mobile device.
Ideally, your new phone number should also be an untraceable burner phone number. Burner phone numbers are effective solutions to avoid being tracked by spyware and law enforcement agencies alike.
To get started with burner phone numbers, download our very own Phoner burner phone app now.
Situation : How To Tell If Someone Is Tracking Your Phone Without Your Knowledge
There are many spy apps in the store that allow tracking for safety reasons and these will not show any indication that the phone is being tracked. Some people use these apps to ensure their kids arrived at their destination safely or keep an eye on their elderly parents so they dont wander off their property etc. These apps are installed with consent.
However, some apps that can be bought, some not via the official app store, and these can be installed without your knowledge. They are not only constantly tracking your location, but can record your conversation, log your keystrokes, discover your banking info, and send copies of your text messages, photos, and videos. All this secretly.
These apps arent names something obvious like phone tracker but rather something that blends with the phone and makes it seem like its part of the operating system such as System UI Advance.
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Signs Your Phone Is Running Tracking Software You Dont Know About
- Your phones battery life seems much weaker than usual
- Your phone lights up when you arent using it
- You cant shut the phone off or it stays lit even after youve powered it down
- You see a suspicious program running in the background when you check which apps are running
- Your phones performance declines or it gets slower as youre browsing the Internet
- Your phone shows you that you have free storage space available but you cant access it
How might someone download a tracking app on your phone? The person keeping tabs on you could easily be someone you know a parent, an ex, or a friend that may have had physical access to your phone. If youve spotted any of the above signs on your smartphone and have reason to believe youre being tracked, consider taking some of the following steps.