How to tell if your phone is tapped and what to do if it is

How to know if your phone is tapped: 10 warning signs

Several tell-tale signs could suggest someone is tracking, tapping, or monitoring your phone. The signs can be subtle, but when you know what to look out for, they can also be glaring.

Here are a few ways to tell if someone tapped your phone:

1. Unusual sounds during calls

If you hear clicking sounds, static, or mumbling, distant, and faint voices coming through your phone during conversations, it could be a sign that someone is eavesdropping. Hearing weird sounds every so often could just indicate you have a poor signal. However, if this happens frequently, somebody may have tapped your phone.

2. Decreased battery performance

Reduced battery performance can indicate a bugged cell phone. Mobile device batteries can drain from playing a lot of games or streaming movies and shows. But if your battery drains while resting, it could be because someone is tracking your device.

If a mobile phone is tapped, spyware records your conversations and activities and transmits them to a third party, working constantly in the background to monitor your activity. This leaves a footprint in the form of increased battery usage and a phone whose battery drains faster.

You can test this by:

• Checking your battery usage data: Both Androids and iPhones let you look at your battery life data. This shows you which apps use the most battery and can help you pinpoint when the battery performance issues started, helping you identify which apps are causing the problem.
• Checking the battery on another phone: Is your phone using more battery power than a phone of the same model and software? If so, it could be that your phone is bugged or defective in some way. Talk to your friends and family who have the same model and review their battery-life data.

3. Unusual phone activity when not in use

If your phone is making noises, the screen is lighting up when you're not using it, or you're receiving calls and notifications while in silent mode, it can signal that somebody has hacked your phone.

Here are unusual phone activity signs to look out for:

• Turning off and on by itself: While automatic updates are a normal cause of restarts, unexplainable reboots warrant investigation. Spyware might initiate restarts to install new components or mask its activity.
• Apps opening and closing on their own: This unexpected app activity could indicate rogue software. Spyware might launch specific apps to record data (like calls or keystrokes) or activate the camera or microphone without your knowledge.
• Notifications while in silent mode: If you see excessive notifications while your phone isn’t in use, it could mean somebody has tapped your phone.

If you’re seeing any of these signs and your device is rebooting on its own, that's a likely sign that someone has remote access to your device.

4. Trouble shutting down

Before a smartphone shuts down, it must finish processing any remaining tasks. If your phone transmits data to someone, it must complete the process before it shuts down. As a result, if a phone takes longer than usual to turn off, especially after a call, texting, emailing, or web browsing, it could be sending information to a third party.

5. Websites look different

Malware could change the way your phone handles tasks, like displaying websites. While there are many reasons that websites look different on phones, malware can also hijack your browser’s behavior and send you to malicious sites.

Malware can display fake pages (that look completely real) but then steal your login information if you enter your details on the site. This is common for phishing schemes–––be sure to close out any websites that appear strange or look different than they once did.

6. You battery is unusually hot

A further indicator of a possible phone tap is the temperature of your battery. If your phone feels warm even when you haven’t used it, it could be because it’s secretly transmitting data. Spyware can run resource-intensive operations in the background, causing your phone to heat up.

7. You receive unusual texts

A clear way to tell if someone tapped your phone is if you receive strange text messages containing random numbers, symbols, or characters. The remote-control feature of some spy software works by sending secret, coded text messages to your phone. These texts shouldn’t be visible, but software glitches may pull back the veil.

8. Cameras and microphones turn on randomly

Have you ever noticed an orange or green dot at the top of your phone’s screen? That means the phone is using a microphone, camera, or app. While there are many legitimate reasons your phone may be listening to you, if you notice these indicators turning on and off, it might mean that malware has tapped your phone, hacked your camera, and is secretly recording you.

9. Increased data usage

Some spy apps use large amounts of data to export the information collected from your phone, so look out for any unexplained increase in your monthly data usage. Advanced spy software programs’ data usage will be more difficult to spot, but you may still be able to detect it if you check regularly and carefully.

10. Hidden apps

Reviewing your apps helps to determine whether or not your phone is being tapped. Beware that spyware often disguises itself with generic, common names and hides from your standard app list.

These hidden apps might request permissions that don't match their supposed function, like a "System Update" app requesting microphone access. If you discover unfamiliar apps you don't remember installing, remove them immediately.

Here are some common signs of suspicious apps:

• Strange names
• Excessive permission requests
• Low app store ratings
• Poor app store reviews 

How to check if your phone is tapped [Android + iPhones]

There’s a large and thriving industry dedicated to snooping on others via spyware. And while some spy software—such as Pegasus spyware—is built and maintained by powerful organizations and has been used by state actors, most commercially available spy software can be found if you know what you're looking for.

Here’s how to find spyware on your phone:

Android

Finding spyware on an Android device may be easier than trying to root it out on other kinds of devices because of the open-source operating system, which makes it easier to uninstall apps.

Here’s how to uninstall a suspicious app on Android:

1. Search for apps you don’t recognize through Settings > Applications > Permission Manager.
2. Toggle off admin permissions for suspicious apps so that you can safely remove them.
   
3. Go back to Applications, tap on the spyware app, and tap Uninstall followed by OK to remove it from your Android phone.

If you find suspicious apps, get mobile security software to help prevent it from returning. Norton Mobile Security for Android includes powerful anti-malware features to help you identify and block spyware and other malicious threats.

iPhone

Unless you’re the target of an incredibly sophisticated iPhone hacking operation, in order for spyware to get installed on an iPhone, the device will most likely have to be jailbroken. So unless your iPhone is jailbroken, it’s unlikely that you have spyware on it. But if you do use a jailbroken iOS device, these steps can help you find spyware.

If your iPhone has been jailbroken, here’s how to uninstall suspicious apps:

1. Update your phone’s iOS to remove vulnerabilities that spyware might exploit.
2. Reverse the jailbreak on your iPhone and wipe any external software installed while your phone was jailbroken.
3. Check your iPhone for suspicious apps. If you spot an unfamiliar app, delete it immediately by pressing and holding the app icon for a few seconds, tapping Remove App followed by Delete App to confirm.

Protect your iPhone with a dedicated mobile security app like Norton Mobile Security for iOS, which can help clean out any lingering traces of malicious code and help block malicious threats from infecting you in the first place.

How to stop call forwarding

Your phone has built-in settings that could, in theory, accept phone calls on your behalf using call forwarding. Hackers can also exploit the call forwarding feature to tap into your phone. You can review these settings for suspicious activity, and turn off call forwarding easily.

Here’s how to help prevent your phone settings from being used to compromise your privacy:

Disabling call forwarding on iPhone

To disable call forwarding on an iOS device:

1. Open iOS Settings > Phone.
2. Select Call Forwarding and toggle it off.

Disabling call forwarding on Android

Here’s how to disable call forwarding on a Samsung or other Android phone:

1. Open the Phone app and tap the three dots.
2. Choose Settings and tap Supplementary Services.
3. Select Call forwarding and toggle off Always forward, Forward when busy, and Forward when unanswered.

Note: If you’re using a Google phone, you’ll need to enter Call settings, choose Call Forwarding, and toggle it off.

Alternatively, you can use dialing codes to disable call forwarding through your mobile service provider (T-Mobile, AT&T, or Verizon):

1. Open your phone's dial pad as if you were going to make a call.

2. Depending on your carrier, enter the following code:

○ T-Mobile: Dial ##21# and press call.

○ AT&T: Dial #21# and press call.

○ Verizon: Dial *73 and press call.

3. You’ll hear a confirmation message saying call forwarding is deactivated.

How to reduce your risk of having your phone tapped

There’s no way to completely prevent someone from tapping your phone, but there are steps you can take that will limit the likelihood of a successful phone tap.

Here are the top five things that can reduce the chances of getting your phone tapped:

1. Routine updates: Update your software and apps regularly to patch security holes and help keep your phone protected. Turn on automatic updates to give the person who wants to tap your phone fewer weaknesses to exploit. 
2. Use secure communication apps: Use secure messaging apps with end-to-end encryption to help secure the information and communications you send and receive online.
3. Use a VPN: A VPN encrypts your internet connection, making it practically impossible for someone to eavesdrop on your online communications.
4. Delete unused, outdated, or suspicious apps: Removing apps can reduce the likelihood of somebody tapping your phone. Older apps, or apps you downloaded through third-party sources could be infected.
5. Install security software: Security software helps protect your device from different types of malware, viruses, hackers, and other online threats.

What to do if your phone has been tapped

If your phone has spyware on it or you think somebody has tapped your phone, you need to try to fix it and remove the problem.

Here are a few things you can do if your phone has been tapped:

• Put your phone into airplane mode: Airplane mode blocks your phone’s ability to connect to Wi-Fi or cellular networks, which prevents further threats to your privacy and security.
• Perform a factory reset: If you think your phone has been hacked, resetting your phone to its factory settings should remove any spy software. Both Androids and iPhones can be hacked, so don’t assume you’re safe due to the type of device you use. Make sure to restore a backup version of your device from before the hack to avoid any compromised data.
• Reboot your phone in safe mode: If you find apps that you can’t delete or if performance issues caused by spy software have made your phone almost unusable, you can restart your phone in safe mode. Safe mode allows you more freedom to remove apps that are causing problems.
• Contact the authorities: Tapping and tracking other people’s devices is illegal, as is recording other people’s phone calls. If you have proof that someone has tapped your phone, contact the authorities.

How to reboot your phone in safe mode

Is your phone sluggish or riddled with unremovable apps? Suspect spy software? Restarting in safe mode can help. Safe mode provides a clean environment to identify and uninstall problematic apps. Here’s how to reboot your phone into safe mode.

Rebooting in safe mode on Android:

1. Press and hold your phone’s power button while the device is still on.
2. Tap and hold to power the phone down until you see Reboot to safe mode. Then tap OK.

Rebooting in safe mode on iPhone:

1. Turn off your iPhone by holding down the power button and the volume up button together.
2. Press and release the power button to turn your device back on.
3. When your iPhone’s screen lights up, press the volume down button, then release it as soon as the Apple logo appears.

Protect your phone against threats

In today’s 24/7 online world, strong mobile security is essential. That’s why it’s so important to level up your security with advanced privacy software. Install Norton 360 for Mobile to help block tracking and keep your online activity private.

FAQs about phone tapping

Still have some questions about how cell phones are tapped? We’ve got answers.

What's the difference between phone hacking vs phone tapping?

Phone tapping is a type of phone hacking that focuses on listening to your calls, like eavesdropping on a line. Hackers might steal data or even control your camera or microphone, often through hidden malware or exploiting security weaknesses.

Why would someone want to spy on me?

Someone might be spying on your phone to find out details about your private life, your job, or other sensitive info. Often, it’s because you have information that someone else wants—whether you’re a journalist, political leader, or regular person. That could be sensitive personal info, details about future sales strategies at work, or even a court case.

Technology makes spying much easier than it used to be. If somebody else handled your phone—for instance, during repairs or for some other reason—they could have installed a backdoor application that piggybacks on your GPS service or taps into another part of your phone to spy on you.

Do MMI codes show if my phone is tapped?

Generally, no. These codes are usually used by a phone’s owner when they want to set up or turn off call forwarding settings on their own devices. While it is possible that someone used these codes to intercept your communications, it isn’t that effective because you can turn it off whenever you want.

Can someone tap my phone by texting me?

Text messages can't tap your phone, but they can be a trick. Clicking suspicious links might lead to fake websites that steal your logins or install spyware, and infected attachments can do the same. Don’t ever click suspicious links and be very careful before you engage with texts from unknown numbers.

Can someone tap my phone by calling me?

It’s not possible to tap a phone simply by calling it. Someone could call you and try to get you to visit an unsafe site or click a malicious link. But phone taps are usually done physically, through malware or through a provider (if law enforcement compels them to do so).

Are phone taps legal?

If law enforcement has a warrant and follows all other legal guidelines, they can tap your phone. For nearly everyone else, it depends on where you live. Many U.S. states have “one-party consent,” which lets one person record a conversation without the other person’s knowledge. Business owners may have the legal right to “tap” phones they own and record calls made for business purposes, but even that isn’t clear-cut.