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Unmissable ways to check if your phone is being tracked

Knowing how to check if your phone is being tracked can help you escape the discomfort of someone keeping tabs on you.

3 March, 2024

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Using smartphones is becoming a popular choice for many people due to their convenience. However, we often encounter the situation of our phones being tracked and located, which poses a safety risk for users. So, how can we know if our phones are being tracked or not?

Checking if your phone is being tracked is quite simple

Signs that indicate your phone is being tracked

Unusual battery drain

When your phone is being used normally and suddenly experiences fast battery drain (different from normal battery consumption, so pay attention). The battery is full but it depletes quickly in a short period of time. You can check which app is consuming your battery excessively by:

Going to Settings > Selecting Device care > Selecting Battery and checking if any app is consuming a lot of battery.

After checking, transfer the apps that drain the battery to sleep mode or uninstall them if they are not needed. If your phone still drains battery after putting the apps to sleep, then your phone might be tracked.

Receiving strange, unusual notifications

The notifications on your phone inform you of which app has been updated or any new activities happening on the apps, background tasks. However, during the use of Android or iPhone devices, you might receive strange and unusual notifications on your devices, such as notifications of 3G, 4G activation or GPS activation that you did not agree to and cannot turn off on your device.

To escape from this situation, you should restart your Android or iPhone device and check if your phone still receives these strange notifications.

Quick depletion of mobile data or phone credit

If you find that your phone credit and mobile data deplete faster than usual, then your device might be in a tracked state.

The cause of this is the presence of harmful software running in the background of your phone whenever it is connected to the internet.

Receiving messages from strangers

You should be cautious when receiving messages on your phone that contain special characters or number sequences with continuous frequency. This is also a sign that your smartphone is being tracked. In this case, delete all messages and block contact from that person, and do not click on any unfamiliar links, even if they are sent by someone you know.

How to handle when your phone is being tracked

Change passwords

Weak security is a condition for strangers to track your phone. Therefore, you should change all screen passwords, PINs, and app passwords when you detect any abnormal signs on your phone.

Turn off location tracking

Location tracking is an extremely useful feature of phones used by everyone to share their location. However, to avoid being tracked, you should turn it off when not in use because your phone can be tracked while using this feature.

You should only turn on location tracking when you need to use delivery services or maps, and you should not leave it on 24/7.

Uninstall suspicious apps

Spyware often allows automatic installation of apps without your permission. Therefore, why hesitate to immediately delete such apps to protect yourself and your device.

Moreover, users should not download unknown, unverified apps or crack files from unreliable sources.

Search for spyware

Search on your phone for any spyware that might have been automatically installed or accessed on your device. If they exist, you need to delete them immediately.

With the methods mentioned above for detecting tracked phones, users can identify and handle tracking situations to ensure the security of their data.

According to VTC News

Frequently asked questions

When your phone is being used normally and suddenly the battery drains quickly, this could indicate tracking. Go to Settings > Device care > Battery to check which apps are consuming excessive power. Put these apps to sleep or uninstall them if they’re not needed.

You might receive notifications about 3G, 4G, or GPS activation that you didn’t agree to and can’t turn off. If you restart your device and still receive these notifications, your phone may be tracked.

If your data or credit is being used up faster than usual, this could be a sign of tracking. This is often caused by harmful software running in the background whenever your phone is connected to the internet.

Delete all messages and block the sender. Do not click on any unfamiliar links, even if they appear to be from someone you know. This is a sign that your phone may be tracked.

Change all your passwords, including screen locks, PINs, and app passwords. Turn off location tracking when not in use, and uninstall any suspicious or unknown apps. Also, search your phone for spyware and delete it if found.