Did you know that we spend more than 8 years of our life just looking at the phone?
That’s right – mobile phones have become essential in our daily lives. Nearly 4 billion people own a smartphone , making it a mouthful for hackers, whether it’s an Android or an iPhone.
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New hacking techniques emerge every year that put more and more users and businesses at security risk . For this reason, we have compiled a list of the most common and easily identifiable warning signs to consider if your Android phone or iPhone has been hacked.
We’ll also find out how hackers compromise phones and what to do to protect your phone from the most dangerous threats.
Signs That Your Phone May Have Been Hacked
It’s not hard to notice if there’s something wrong with your phone. The problem could be technology-related, but it could also be a clue that your phone has been hacked, which is a serious problem – especially if you use your phone to manage your WordPress site .
Phones and other mobile devices are increasingly vulnerable. (Image
Let’s now analyze the most common warning signs.
Performance Changes
An unusual drop in phone performance – especially if it’s not old – is one of the most common indications of a breach.
The Phone Is Slowing Down
If you have enough storage space and the latest software update, but your phone is slow, there’s a chance it has been hacked by malware or another hacking method.
The malware works in the background , consuming the phone’s processing power and resources, resulting in significantly lower performance.
Unusual or Rapid Battery Changes
Hacked phones tend to drain their battery quickly. If a hacker has placed a malicious application or code on your phone, it will cause performance problems and your battery will drain faster than usual.
The rapid battery drain could also come from different apps or games running in the background. (Yes, playing for a long time drains the battery!)
Therefore, you should first check that no apps are running in the background. You also need to limit battery usage for apps on your phone before assuming it’s been hacked.
Phone overheating
Your phone tends to get warm if you use it a lot, such as when you watch movies and videos or play games for a long time.
However, if you’re not actively using your phone and it feels unusually warm, this could mean it’s been compromised by malicious activity and someone else is using it.
Increased Data Consumption/Bill Charge
It’s time to pay your phone bill, but you’ve received a higher bill than usual. When you check, you notice unknown excessive data usage or other charges on your bill.
It could mean that your phone has been hacked. In this case it is usually spyware.
In these cases, a hacker uses the victim’s phone to make calls, collect and transfer data, send texts, or even make purchases .
Apps Colliding Randomly
It’s common for an app to crash or not load properly on your Android phone or iPhone. It means there is a flaw in the app itself.
However, if multiple apps randomly crash or fail to load, that’s a sign that there’s malicious software or code on your phone that’s preventing it from functioning normally.
Failure to Deliver Emails
Another telltale sign that a hacker may have hacked into your phone is unusual activity in your email account .
In this case, you will receive notifications informing you that your email has not been delivered. This could mean that your account is being used for spamming activities.
Other weird things to notice include emails being marked as read (not by you) and getting alerts about suspicious logins to your account.
Lower Quality of Screenshots
If your phone has excellent camera quality, but you suddenly find that the screenshots are of inferior quality, you could be the victim of a poor form of keylogger attack.
The keylogger is spyware that allows hackers to eavesdrop on your phone and steal data by recording the keystrokes you type.