Nowadays, people are using their mobile phones for everything. They use them to communicate, shop, play games, and even bank. Therefore, it’s very important to secure your phone, so it doesn’t become a target for hackers. Knowing how to know if your phone is hacked is the first step toward securing it against threats.
If you have started to notice changes in your recent activities on the Smartphone, such as emails from other people or sudden changes in apps, then chances are that someone has hacked into your device. Below are some helpful hints that will help you know your phone has been hacked. We will also provide you with some tips to prevent your phone from getting hacked in the first place.
7 Things That Happens When Your Phone Is Hacked
1. Irrelevant Pop-ups:
One of the most common signs that your phone is hacked is when you get irrelevant ads on your phone. For example, you are browsing the internet or watching a video, and suddenly an ad pops up. These ads can be from weird and strange companies or rival companies. This can also happen on applications such as Facebook or Twitter. When this happens, it is advisable to check your phone’s settings for any unusual changes.
2. Sudden Increase in Browsing Speed:
If you have noticed that your phone’s browsing speed has increased significantly, it may indicate that someone has accessed your settings. This can happen with apps such as Facebook, where some settings will become different after someone has entered them into their phone. A sudden increase in browsing speed can also be seen when you send bulk messages to your contacts. This can signify that someone is accessing your account and stealing messages to send to other people.
3. Receiving Mysterious Messages:
Another suspicious sign on your phone is receiving random and mysterious messages from random numbers. These messages will usually come with a document or map at the end. When you click on the link, it requires you to download the attachment before viewing the message. This can indicate that your phone has been hacked, so we recommend that you immediately change all passwords for all social media accounts.
4. Change In Settings:
When you notice that your phone has strange settings, it’s probably hacked. One of the most common examples of this on Facebook is when someone posts on your wall or uses a different name. Also, this is commonly seen when someone hacks an account and then uses the name with another profile picture. So if this happens to you, check your phone settings right away and change all passwords for all social media sites.
5. Excess Data Usability:
If you have noticed that your data usage is higher than normal, then it’s likely that someone is using your phone to access the internet. This can easily be seen when you check your data usage on your phone and find that some apps are using so much data you don’t know-how.
6. Sudden Restart:
Sudden Restarts of your phone come with a common sign of being hacked. Your phone will keep restarting over and over again without any visible reason. So the first sign that someone is hacking into your phone is when your phone starts to restart by itself.
7. Unknown Apps Installed:
Another sign that your phone is hacked is when you start seeing notifications from unknown applications. You may also find that your phone has installed a new and strange application without your consent.
Tips to Secure Your Phone
ü Always Have A Secure Password:
Changing your password as soon as possible helps protect you against hacks. Ensure you have at least eight letters or more in your password so no one can guess or hack it. Use both numbers and special characters on the keyboard for more protection.
ü Update Your Operating System:
Keeping up with the latest operating systems from the manufacturers can help protect you against hacking threats. Update your operating system regularly to help protect you against new threats and viruses.
ü Backup Your Data Regularly:
Backing up your data regularly will help restore all information in case of loss or hacking attempts. We recommend that you give the backup data to someone you trust. Then, if something happens, you still have the backup and can use it anytime.
If you ever find your how to know if your phone is hacked, take all necessary measures as soon as possible to secure your phone from any further threats. Some hackers are good at what they do; hence it may not be easy to trace them back.
