Phone monitoring is one of the most common methods of surveillance. Anyone can fall victim to it – from well-known politicians or CEOs of major companies to you and your loved ones. To avoid espionage and protect your privacy, it’s worth familiarising yourself with the best ways to protect yourself. We explain how to detect eavesdropping on your phone!
Eavesdropping on conversations is no longer just a feature of spy movie scenarios. Surveillance technologies are becoming more sophisticated and ubiquitous with each passing year – posing a threat in both the professional and private spheres.
Our smartphones are an increasingly frequent target of attacks. They store a lot of sensitive personal and banking data and are a major source of communication with others. Applications that spy on the phone, enabling eavesdropping on conversations, for example, are becoming popular.
Are you worried that someone might be following you in this way? Do not underestimate your suspicions and act before it is too late! We explain how to recognise a smartphone bug and what to do if you find one.
Not eavesdropping, but smartphone spyware
It is worth noting at the outset that developments in technology have completely changed the face of smartphone surveillance. Nowadays, we are unlikely to encounter the popular ‘bugs’ attached to the device. A bugged phone most often means hardware infected by spyware malware or a special call interception application.
Unfortunately, in most cases, all it takes is a moment’s inattention to unwittingly bring misfortune upon oneself. Just clicking on a suspicious link from a friend, allowing unknown applications to access settings or downloading files from insecure sources can infect our phone.
Sometimes those closest to us are responsible for bugging our smartphone: a suspicious partner, an overprotective parent, a work friend or neighbour. All we have to do is leave the device in their presence and disappear from the room for a moment. Then, in just a few seconds, they can upload the spyware from their computer or smartphone.
It also happens that law enforcement agencies are responsible for tracking the smartphone. A phone under police wiretap is a common occurrence that is legal when justified – unlike other cases of surveillance.
How do I find out if my phone is bugged?
If you suspect that a device belonging to you may be monitored, pay attention to its operation. There are signals whose occurrence should worry you. By far the most common is slower performance of the smartphone. If you are performing a lot of operations and the system “stutters”, this is the result of being overloaded with spyware.
Phone eavesdropping – symptoms:
- unusual noise and interference during phone calls
- faster battery discharge,
- overheating of the device,
- sudden increase in data consumption,
- automatic screen movements,
- receiving suspicious emails and text messages,
- unusual activity on your phone bill,
- making calls on its own,
- phone switching off in random situations.
Keeping a close eye on the above processes is one of the first and basic steps in how to check a phone. And although we may need the help of specialists or professional equipment to detect malicious apps, noticing a problem is essential to taking action to protect privacy.
How do you detect spyware and eavesdropping apps on your phone?
There are various ways to find out if a phone is bugged. If your observations suggest that spyware has been installed on your device, don’t delay and take action!
Detecting eavesdropping on your phone in 7 steps:
- Conduct a virus scan – install an anti-virus programme on your device that will analyse all files, applications and the system to find malware. In most cases, this should be enough to keep your phone safe.
- Verify the list of applications – check all installed applications and remove permissions for those that do not need them to function. Also be aware of the potential presence of
- Check battery consumption – phone monitoring apps clearly reduce battery life. Analyse recent power consumption.
- Monitor network traffic – use software to monitor unusual activity and large data transfers (e.g. GlassWire or NetGuard) to help you detect anomalies.
- Use eavesdropping check codes – although they are not responsible for detecting spyware, selected configurations on the numeric keypad will allow you to verify, for example, whether private data is being forwarded to another number (code *#21#). The checking code *#62#, on the other hand, will tell you the number to which calls are forwarded in the event of out-of-range.
- Reset the smartphone to factory settings – if you are concerned that the phone is bugged, perform a complete reset. Remember to save files that are important to you in advance and back up your data
- Get the help of professionals – counter surveillance experts and IT specialists can effectively detect phone tapping using their knowledge and advanced detection equipment. By opting for support, you gain almost 100 per cent confidence that software verification will be successful.
To summarise – to detect phone monitoring, it is useful to look closely at the behaviour of the device and analyse its operation according to the diagram above. However, if you want to solve the problem with maximum efficiency and prefer not to risk overlooking an important clue, entrust the detection of eavesdropping to specialists.
Detection of eavesdropping on phones – FAQ
Are you worried that you are being bugged? Not sure how to check if your phone is bugged? Find out the answers to the most frequently asked questions!
How do I find out if my phone is bugged?
There are various ways to detect eavesdropping on a smartphone. Start taking action by carefully analysing the device’s behaviour, which can suggest to you whether the equipment is being spied on. However, the best move would be to enlist the help of professionals.
What are the call diversion check codes?
To check which phone number calls are diverted to when you are out of range, use the code *#62#. On the other hand, the *#21# configuration will allow you to verify that your Sensitive Data is not being sent to a number other than the one belonging to you.
Is wiretapping legal?
All forms of surveillance through eavesdropping are illegal. The only exception may be considered to be the conduct of such activities by the police in situations where the spying programme offers an opportunity to prevent a serious crime.
What are the signs of phone tapping?
A smartphone with an eavesdropper will work differently to a normal device. Look for differences such as increased battery and mobile data consumption, unusual noise in the handset during calls, overheating of the device or unusual activity on the phone bill.