How to know if your phone is being tapped

Hackers are getting more sophisticated by the minute, making it increasingly difficult to keep your devices and the personal information they contain safe. Stalkerware can be installed on your device within minutes and run in the background. Once installed, stalkerware can monitor everything you do on your phone, no matter where you are at any time. It’s like a modern version of the eavesdropping devices you see in movies and on TV. Thankfully, Apple has a great reputation for safety and security, making it difficult to break into your devices remotely. But if someone gets their hands on your device, even briefly, they could install malicious apps. There are ways to double-check that your iPhone hasn’t been tapped, even if it’s a newer model like the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Run a safety check

If you have the latest iPhone and are running iOS 17, or at least iOS 16 and an Apple ID with two-factor authentication, running the safety check on your device is the most comprehensive method you can use. is. In fact, Safety Check is one of the features that every new iPhone owner should use. As the name suggests, this feature performs a quick check of many settings. Some of them are included separately in this list, but we will use a guided method.

1. go to setting.
2. Scroll down and select Privacy and security.
3. select safety check.
4. Here you can Manage sharing and access Share with different people and apps, and see what you’re currently sharing with whom and with which apps. Select this option.
5. Use Face ID or enter your passcode, then tap Continue.

6. Wait for the list to load and see what information you’re sharing with which people. This may take up to 1 minute.You can choose skip To move on to the next step, check them one by one or Select all and stop sharing.
7. When you arrive at Step 1 completed screen, selection Continue Proceed to step 2.
8. Step 2 is Access to the app. Select the apps you don’t want to allow access to your information. If you want to see specifically what is being shared with that app, you can select the “i” info icon next to each one. You can choose to stop sharing or delete the app completely.You can also choose Select all and stop accessis a good security measure if you suspect your device was compromised by an app, but you’re not sure which app compromised it.
9. Once step 2 is complete, Continue.
10. In step 3, you can see the devices connected to your Apple ID.Read the explanation and tap Continue.

11. Run down the list and remove any devices you don’t recognize or don’t want to share information with.Select each and choose one Delete selected devices or tap skip.
12. What you can do from here is Update your Apple ID password or select as desired Update later in settings.
13. You will then be asked to confirm the emergency contract you have set up. This is the person to be notified when using Emergency SOS. You can also change the existing name (if one exists), update details such as phone number, and add another emergency contact.
14. Once done, select Continue.
15. What you can do from here is Update your passcode This is to prevent anyone who might have learned your 4-digit passcode from getting into your device.If you don’t want to do this now, please select Update later in settings.
16. The next option is iCloud private relay. Turn this on to protect your location and browsing history.If you don’t want to do this now, please select skip.
17. You will see the message “Safety check completed” and any changes you made will be saved.select end.
18. [安全性チェック]You can also return to the page and take the next step. emergency reset Please contact us by phone if you think this is necessary.

Check device management profile

You can check the list of device management profiles to make sure there aren’t any that you haven’t added yourself.

1. go to setting.
2. Scroll down and select general.
3. go to VPN and device management.
4. If you see a profile here that you didn’t add, this could be stalkerware. You can try deleting it, but if the passcode is required, you may need to back up your iPhone, factory reset, and reload everything again to clear this. In the case of my phone in this screenshot, I do have a VPN subscribed to, but nothing else seems to be the issue.

Search for apps

If you have a lot of apps on your device, someone might brazenly add them and hide them from view in the hopes that you won’t find them.

1. Swipe left on your home screen and swipe all the way until you reach your App Library.
2. Tap. search bar. You’ll see an alphabetical list of all installed apps (including hidden apps).
3. Scroll through this list to make sure there’s nothing you don’t recognize. If you find an app you’re not sure about (like an old app you downloaded and forgot about), do a Google search to find out what it is. If you no longer use an app, uninstall it from your iPhone now.

Use the “Find” app

An easy way for someone to track your location is to use the Find My app. You can be sure that someone is not stalking you.

• Open “Find an app” On your iPhone.
• choose people Tab on the bottom left.
• There you can see who is sharing their location with you (in my case it’s my dad) and who is sharing their location with you.If you haven’t added anyone, you can select don’t share Stop sharing with them.

Check Family Sharing

Another way someone can tap your phone and access your information is by setting up Family Sharing without your knowledge.

1. go to setting.
2. Select your name and accompanying image at the top.
3. select family sharing.
4. If it is not set up, a setup page will be displayed. If you do, and you have a list of people (perhaps members of your own family who legally have a Family Sharing account), make sure there’s no one there who shouldn’t be there.

Check your Apple devices on the list

You can also make sure that no Apple devices that don’t belong to you (or a family member) are connected to your account. This step is also included in the safety check.

1. go to setting.
2. Select your name and image at the top.
3. Scroll down to see the list of registered devices.
4. You may see some old devices that you haven’t deleted.If something looks out of place, select it and select Remove from account.

Double-check app privacy

The app may be tracking details such as your location or accessing your phone’s camera, microphone, etc. without you even realizing it. You can verify that this is not the case by running an app privacy report. This step is also included in the safety check.

1. go to setting.
2. Scroll down and select Privacy and security.
3. Scroll to the bottom and select App Privacy Report.
4. If this is not enabled, please select Turn on app privacy reporting.
5. A screen will appear showing an overview of the apps on your phone, the permissions each has, and network activity. Scan this for anything unexpected and adjust settings or delete the app completely if you’re having trouble.

   

   

Enable lockdown mode

If you have particularly sensitive information on your phone, you’re about to enter an area you think is dangerous, or you suspect your phone has been tapped and you want to take immediate action, you can use Apple’s Lockdown Mode. This feature is available on the latest iPhones running iOS 16 or later.

1. go to setting.
2. select Privacy and security.
3. Scroll down and select lockdown mode.
4. select Turn on lockdown mode.
5. A pop-up will appear telling you what will happen in lockdown mode.Scroll down and select Turn on lockdown mode once again.
6. A popup will appear again requesting the following: Power on and restart.
7. Enabling this mode blocks most message attachments, certain websites, incoming FaceTime calls, invitations to your Apple device, and removes your location when sharing photos. Your phone also won’t connect to accessories or computers or automatically connect to unsecured Wi-Fi networks unless you unlock it. You will also no longer be able to install configuration profiles.

legal types of stalkerware

It is important to note that not all stalkerware is illegal. There are several reasons why it legitimately exists on your phone. For example, if you have a company-owned phone, it may have software that monitors your usage. This may be to make sure you’re not using your work phone outside of working hours or in places you shouldn’t be using it. The company will likely disclose this before handing over the phone to you.

Some parents may intentionally install such software on their children’s phones so that they can monitor what they are doing and where they are. This may be considered essential for safety and security reasons and to prevent children from accessing content they should not access.

You can also install it on your own device. Such software can help you track your phone if it is lost or stolen.

Potential signs to look out for

It’s worth looking out for signs that stalkerware may be installed on your phone. Even if there are no known battery issues or other possible causes, your battery may drain much faster than usual. You may also notice that your phone is using more data than usual on your monthly bill, even though you haven’t changed your habits. If you suspect something is wrong, run these checks to at least rule them out.

last resort

As a last resort, you can also completely reset your device to factory settings to remove any stalkerware that may have been installed. Be sure to back up your iPhone first. However, before performing a backup, we recommend deleting apps you no longer need and clearing your phone of duplicate photos, downloaded content, etc. Reload everything to your phone and you’ll get a cleaner experience this way.

How to prevent iPhone eavesdropping

The best defense to keep malicious stalkerware off your phone in the first place is to never give your phone away. All he needs is a minute, but he may not even realize it’s happening. For example, instead of asking a random person to take a group photo at a restaurant, use a flexible tripod or a device like an Apple Watch as a remote shutter. If someone you don’t know or trust asks to see something on your phone, hold the device and show them the screen. The more carefully you act, the better protected you will be.