Mobile Spy: Ways to Unmask Them
Have you ever been spied on by anyone without necessarily giving them your gadget? If yes, it must’ve been a devastating experience. It’s sad to say that technology today has advanced in this sector to the point that someone can spy on you without necessarily having your gadget. They can even monitor your cell phone’s activities without touching it. Using a very small chip, they plant it on your phone, giving them access to your contact information like mobile numbers, messages, and call logs. They also have access to your location, which becomes challenging when trying to keep a low profile. This article considers ways you can evade this trap.
How Does Mobile Spy Operate?
First, the stalker has to access the target user’s phone and install a device that will be used to track their phone. Once installed, it runs in silent mode without any notification. This procedure makes it even more difficult to be detected by the user. Therefore, to access your devices, the tracker needs to sign in to a website or app using a different gadget, and then once connected, they can track every movement on the target user’s side.
This issue has become very worrying worldwide as it denies the target their privacy and violates an individual’s laws. Many companies have fallen victim to mobile spying, which sometimes results in the destruction of the company’s reputation once they get a hold of its confidential information. Knowing this, you need to be proactive in protecting your company’s information. According to some trusted findings, it has access to the following information:
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Tracking and Managing Calls
The one spying has complete information on each call made or received by the monitored phone, including those reaching out via call, the number, the duration taken, the date, and the time.
Review Messaging Apps
They have access to conversations in chatting apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, Viber, Skype, SMS, and Instagram. They can read these messages and make a follow-up on who you were conversing with. Even if the message is later deleted, it can still be indicated on their side as a received or sent message.
Track GPS Location
The one spying can access the target user’s phone and their exact location and track their movement and areas they’ve visited on a detailed map. This information can give the exact current location of the target user. Provision of such personal information has led to home thefts and sometimes trespassing in personal offices. Additionally, With this GPS, you can set danger spots where you are notified once they trespass.
Check Browsing History
The spy has access to the target user’s internet search engine optimization. They can also establish which website they frequently visit, for what purpose, and if they’ve done anything significant with it. They also have permission to delete or block an undesired activity.
Scan Photos and Videos
The spy can see the target user’s photos, videos, and any images displayed right on the phone. Even though the user does not share such images over the phone, the spy can still access them on their phones.
How to Tell If Someone is Using Mobile Spy on You
Today, security and privacy breaches have become rampant, and it’s not surprising that anyone could fall victim to them. With this fact in mind, it is important to learn ways to protect yourself from the trap. Below is a guide to help you detect and remove a mobile spy on your phone. Some signs of a possible mobile spy include:
Slow Phone Speed and Performance
If you suddenly notice that your phone starts being sluggish while you’re not running other intensive apps, it’s a sign that should be considered keenly.
Increased Data and Battery Consumption Rate
This happens as a result of extra background work performed by your smartphone. Since there is another activity going on with your phone without your knowledge, it could be the reason why your data consumption rate and battery life have escalated.
Strange Apps and Websites That You Don’t Remember Downloading or Visiting
As mentioned earlier, the spy has access to your search engine optimization tool, which gives them access to search for any information online. This information, if not deleted, will show directly on your phone.
Read: How Organizations can Evade the Deepfake Voice Clone Fraud?
An Increased Number of Ads and Pop-Ups
These spy links may also come in the form of ads that require your signing in. Be careful of such ads that you’ve never heard of before. These random pop-ups make it difficult to navigate your device.
Aside from these, other signs include:
- Difficulty accessing password-protected apps and web pages
- Disabled anti-spy devices, whether in apps or websites
- Strange and frequent text messages and emails
- Echo noises during phone calls
- Unusual behaviour like sudden sleeping or rebooting
After identifying these signs, it is strengthening to learn that there is hope; this activity can be stopped. How?
Ways to Unmask a Mobile Spy
As stated above, paying attention to small details designed to work in the undetected background will help you identify possible ways to remove a mobile spy. There are 3 methods to help unmask a mobile spy, namely;
- using android’s phone settings
- the downloads folder, and
- android anti-scan spy
Android Phone Settings
You can look through your phone’s settings and follow these steps
- Go to the settings app
- Click on apps and applications (these terms vary from one phone to the other)
- Click on the 3 vertical dots at the top of your mobile that should lead you to the menu
- Click on show system processes/ show system apps
- Review the list of the applications and identify any suspicious apps
- Uninstall any of those suspicious apps
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The Downloads Folder
The following steps should help you get rid of a mobile spy on the downloads folder:
- Go to my files/ files apps
- Click on downloads
- Review all the downloads, including the deleted ones, to find a suspicious download
- Delete them all
Android Anti-Spy Scan
Using antivirus should help you locate a spying attempt on your phone. Take the following steps:
- Download a free version of antivirus software (choose a safe and one that is highly recommended)
- Scan your device
- Delete any suspicious attempts of installation.
After completing all or any of these steps, clear all cache, and consider yourself victorious if any of these procedures worked for you.
The Bottom Line
Mobile spy can be devastating and discouraging to their victims because it keeps track of their whereabouts without their knowledge. Many people put these tracks on their family members to protect them from going astray, only to land themselves in more trouble than anything else. This article has outlined commonly recognized signs to help you identify a mobile spy, what it can do to your phone, and ways to unmask it. With the increased technology today, these acts should be guarded against since they could easily affect anyone. While it’s hard to be detected, it can be prevented by following the above measures.
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