5 Signs That Your Phone Has Been Hacked

Any phone can be hacked. Smartphones have now become the favorite targets for hackers as these devices have access to a huge amount of user data, from social media passwords to banking information, and from business correspondence to private messages.

Hackers can infect your phone with malware and trojans. They can turn hacked phones into cryptominers that generate cryptocurrency for them while stealing your data and slowing down your device. Hackers can also install keyloggers on your phone to monitor your activity and steal your login data for websites and apps.

Keep an eye for these 5 common signs that may indicate that your phone has been hacked:

1. Data usage spikes

If your mobile data usage suddenly shoots up without a clear explanation, this could be a sign that malicious software is running in the background and using up your data. Go through your apps and delete everything that looks suspicious. This may also be a good time to delete apps you are no longer using.

2. Phone lagging

If your phone is suddenly working much slower than it used to, this may be a sign that malicious software installed on your phone by hackers drains its processing power. Some malware may cause your phone to freeze, crash, drop calls, or reboot often and without a clear reason.

3. Battery draining fast

Look out for sudden drops in battery performance. If you are charging your phone more often while your usage does not change, this may mean that malicious apps on your phone are draining its battery. You can see which apps are using the most battery power on your phone in settings.

4. Strange apps, calls, and texts

Apps on your phone that you don’t remember downloading, phone calls you don’t remember making, or text messages you don’t remember sending may be the clearest indication that your phone has been hacked.

5. Unwanted websites and pop-ups

If your phone is redirecting you to websites that you do not want to go to, this is a clear indication that there is some sort of malware on the phone. This is also the case if you suddenly get a lot of pop-up ads. Do not click on these pop-ups.

Remember that none of these signs on their own prove that your phone has been hacked. A sudden spike in mobile data use may be caused by an update download. And if your phone works slower or battery drains faster, this may simply indicate that the phone is getting old, its memory is filling up, or you have too many apps on the device.

Finally, always make sure that your phone is up to date. If it has not received any updates for over a month, it is easier to hack.