So, can someone abuse this feature to track your phone? If yes, how can you prevent phone tracking? More importantly, can you detect if your phone is being tracked? Here, we shall briefly discuss the answers to those questions.
Can Someone Track Your Phone?
Long story short: Yes, one can monitor your phone to keep tabs on all your activities.
However, that does not necessarily mean that the attacker can also get all the associated information. For instance, the attacker may be able to see what you browse and whom you connect with. But, they may not be able to see your messages.
It depends on how the monitoring is taking place on your phone. If surveillance apps explicitly do phone tracking for parental controls and safety, they should have various features, including location sharing, remote control, etc.
But what if a malicious attacker is tracking your phone?
It is implausible for an unauthorized user to track your phone without physically accessing your device unless you did some of the following things:
- Unknowingly installed a malicious app from a third-party app store.
- Shared your credentials through a phishing scam campaign.
- Used outdated device software for an extended time (like a year or more).
Now that you know that it is possible, how do you notice it?
How to Know If Someone Is Tracking Your Phone
A few pointers can help you determine if someone's monitoring your device. Let's see what they are, shall we?
1. Unknown Apps
Look out for applications that you didn’t install. Malicious software often downloads more tools to help achieve the goal of extracting information or monitoring the device.
So, if you spot an unknown app on your device, you can assume it as a red flag.
2. Excessive Background Data Usage
Monitor the background data usage of your device. If it is noticeably higher than what you use (regularly), it is wise to check what's using most of it.
You should make sure that you do not have an active hotspot enabled. If you do, verify if you have any unauthorized device connected.
3. Browser History Mismatch
Check your browser history for entries that you do not recognize. Some malicious actors may try to load up phishing sites or other nasty portals remotely.
4. Battery Drain
If you notice a sudden battery drain of your device, you need to verify the background apps and downloads to ensure everything is good.
5. Abnormal Reboot
While this can also mean a hardware issue, it is better to get it checked by an expert to know why it is happening. If you do not have any hardware issues, malicious software could be acting up on your phone.
In addition to these standard pointers, you should also check if your phone is rooted (Android) or if it's a jailbroken device (iOS). If you do not know what you are doing, rooted/jailbroken phones could threaten your security and privacy.
How to Stop Phone Tracking and Stay Safe
If you are almost sure you're being monitored, here's what you can do to stop phone tracking:
- Uninstall unknown applications.
- Enforce application blacklisting.
- Install applications from official app stores (or safe APK download sites like F-Droid)
- Factory reset your smartphone.
- Ask if your parents have a safety app or parental control feature enabled.
Usually, the best course of action to stop phone tracking is to perform a factory reset. It ensures that you get rid of any malicious app, service, or file from your devices without needing to spend a lot of time verifying stuff on your device.
Source: makeuseof.com
