What Does it Mean if Your Phone is Tapped? (2024)

girl is talking on a phone seating over a sofa with dog

What Does it Mean if Your Phone is Tapped? Podcast (05:39 Min)

Government agencies routinely tap our phones. Hackers and ex-partners, however, can gain access to your smartphone. Hackers, your employer, former partners, and even the media could access your smartphone.

They could listen to your conversations, read your email, and modify your interface. How can you determine if your phone was tapped? These are some methods to determine if your phone has been tapped.

Problems with batteries

Before iOS and Android, battery problems showed that your phone was having trouble. Hot batteries are still a problem with smartphones.

Overheating batteries is something you’re probably familiar with. You may have complained to a shop about it. It is a standard feature for smartphones in most cases. Apple will, however, be concerned if the phone becomes too hot and causes it to shut down.

Your smartphone is so hot! Your smartphone might get hotter due to multiple apps and media consumption. However, this shouldn’t be too damaging. 

Watching many videos will use your battery more than listening to music and podcasts. No matter how many times your phone is tapped, your battery can still be a problem.

Without any app use, a hot phone battery is a clear indication that someone is tapping your phone. Malicious software could be running in the background, allowing someone to listen in.

Person is listening secret conversation

If your phone’s battery is low, be suspicious. Pay attention to your phone. Please keep track of which apps have been used and how they affect your battery. 

Even if your phone isn’t used very often, it may constantly be low on battery. Before looking for malicious intent, it is best to eliminate all possible causes.

The use of mobile data has increased

You can save money by monitoring your phone bills. It can help you identify spyware. Many apps can consume large amounts of data, especially if you don’t have access to Wi-Fi. Worse, your children may use your device outside of your home. It is important to know how much data your device uses each month.

If it increases in frequency, you need to investigate the cause if you don’t know why it could be because third parties intercept your messages.

Malicious software could use your data allowance to send the data it has collected to another source. It will not only use your home Wi-Fi but can also access data from anywhere you are.

General Performance Issues

Girl is worried about mobile performance

If you use more data, your device may slow down. Malware can gain root access to your device or trick you into downloading a false system update. Hackers can gain complete control of their activities. Hackers may also be able to access information about victims.

Read Related: How to Stop Someone From Accessing Your Phone Remotely?

Take into account all information being sent to your phone. This will cause your device to be slower. Your phone might appear old. However, hackers can hack your phone using any method they like.

Truly useful apps can consume power, but they shouldn’t slow down the device’s response speed. You can see which apps are using the most RAM.

Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see which apps use the most RAM. Select Settings > Apps for Android, then swipe to Running. You’ll most likely see Photos and Music at the top of your list. Here you can evaluate the app’s use and decide if it is accurate.

Strange messages can indicate that you are being tapped by your phone

Person is checking random messages

These signs could be ignored. It could be spam, nuisance, or an error number. 

A suspicious SMS could contain a random sequence of numbers, characters, and symbols. This will make you suspicious, but not necessarily malicious. Don’t ignore suspicious messages. This is also a clear indication that your phone is tapped.

It is most likely because of the spyware cybercriminals have downloaded. Your inbox may display coded messages because they might not have been installed correctly. 

These messages will likely go unnoticed. These data sets can be interpreted as instructions to hackers to modify the fraudulent application. This could be an app trying to reach its creator.

If your friends or family claim that you have sent them emails or texts, it could be a sign that your phone has been compromised. This could be a sign that your phone is infected and trying to install malware on your family members’ phones.

It is best to be alert for suspicious activity. You should also check your messaging channels and social media profiles. Also, make sure to check your outbox folder and sent folder. If you don’t remember sending anything, be suspicious.

Read Related: I Keep Getting Dirty Texts From Random Numbers [Updated 2024]