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Introduction to Spyware
Imagine someone secretly watching your every move on your smartphone. That is essentially what spying applications do. From simple internet browsing to financial activity, everything can be recorded.
If you’re the victim of a spyware attack, your personal information may not be safe until these malicious data collection tools that snoop on your details are off your device.
Let’s see how you can detect and get rid of spyware, and keep yourself protected in the future.
What are Spyware Apps & Why They're Harmful
Spyware, also known as spy apps or malware, is maliciously installed software that secretly sees and logs your activity. These can collect:
- Key Logs
- Screenshots
- Location Logs
- Audio Recordings
- All files on your phone
Spyware software is downloaded through phishing emails, malicious websites, and links you receive through social media chats. And before you know it, your Android cell phone is linked to another phone, transferring all of your data. This information can be then sold to the highest bidder or used to blackmail and extort.
Here's a breakdown of why these hidden eavesdroppers are so harmful:
- Information Theft:
These tools can steal a variety of sensitive data. This can include logins to your bank accounts, socials, and more.
- Identity Theft:
Criminals can use your stolen information to impersonate you online, opening fraudulent accounts or racking up charges.
- Financial Loss:
Your banking details can be stolen and used to steal money directly from your accounts.
- Privacy Invasion:
The constant spying is a significant privacy violation. It can erode trust and damage relationships.
- Device Damage:
Some spying software can drain your battery or slow down your mobile device's performance.
- Gateway for More Threats:
Spyware can be a backdoor, allowing other malware to infect your device.
How Do I Check if There is a Spying App on my Android Phone?
Like most standard apps, spy apps leave traces behind. While some are untraceable, the signs below will help you see if your phone is tapped.
i. Overheating
Phone mirroring apps work nonstop, syncing every bit of activity to an external server. This activity causes excessive strain on your mobile, causing it to heat up. If your cell phone has started to heat up seemingly out of nowhere, it’s a sign that it has a spying tool installed.
ii. Unknown Apps
If you have apps on your Android cell device that you don't remember installing, you need to run a security checkup. However, this is not always a sign of something wrong. Phone carriers can sometimes pre-install apps, which is also known as bloatware.
iii. Excessive Data Usage
Spy software runs in the background constantly. This means that it uploads data to its servers and consumes data continuously. If your data plan dries up faster than usual, it may be time to run a security check.
How to Remove Spyware from Your Android Cell Phone (6 Proven Methods)
If you've experienced any of the above phenomena, the next thing you should do is to confirm the presence of such tools on your smartphone.
We've collected the 3 best ways to detect listening devices and remove them from your mobile. For the purposes of this guide, we will be using a Samsung phone.
1. Run an Antivirus Scan
Most popular Android brands already have an antivirus program preinstalled. Search ‘Antivirus’ or ‘Scan’ in Settings and run a scan. You can also download a third-party antivirus, such as Avast or Norton. These will detect and flag spy apps disguised as normal software on your smartphone and alert you if your cell phone is tapped. You can then take action to stop any snooping and secure your mobile device.
2. Check App Permissions
App permissions are the features you allow the software to use on your phone. For example, Google Maps will use your 'Location' permission to know where you are. Android 12 and onwards give you rigorous control over permissions to better guard your privacy.
Phone mirroring tools may have been given access to all sensitive permissions usually reserved for system-level tools. To check this, go to Settings and then Permissions and check which apps use sensitive permissions, like the aforementioned Google Maps. If you see some you don't recognize or trust, remove them.
3. Perform a Factory Reset
As mentioned earlier, some surveillance applications are undetectable. The best way to stop them is to perform a factory reset and completely wipe your device clean.
While excessive, this is the only step that will eliminate any stealth app disguised as regular tools on your smartphone. It will also ensure that any links are severed if your phone is linked to another mobile device.
From Settings go to General Management and then to Reset. Once in reset, look for the Factory Data Reset option. Please note that this will erase all of the data on your phone.
4. Start your Phone in Safe mode
Booting up your app in Safe Mode disables all third-party apps. This will help you determine whether spyware applications are slowing your phone down or if the problem is coming from somewhere else.
Follow the below steps to boot into safe mode:
Hold down your phone’s power button to see your power off and restart options. Long-press the Power off option and tap Safe mode.
You should see a “Safe mode” indication in the bottom left. Now use your phone as you usually would, and monitor whether the performance problems disappear. If not, continue to the next set of steps.
While in this mode, monitor your phone’s performance. If the problem has disappeared, you can assume that spyware is installed on your phone.
To exit safe mode, simply reboot your phone.
5. Remove Suspicious Apps
In Safe Mode, you can easily remove suspicious apps by following the below steps.
i. Go to Settings and scroll down to Apps. Scroll through the list of installed software on your phone and remove any you don’t recognize.
ii. Select Uninstall to uninstall any apps you do not recognize. Please note that you may need to enable some apps before uninstalling them.
6. Check Device Administrators
Some advanced activity snooping apps grant themselves administrator rights, meaning they cannot be uninstalled like normal apps. You will first need to remove their permissions. To do this, follow the steps below:
i. Navigate to your phone’s Settings, and scroll down to Security and privacy. From here scroll to More security settings.
ii. Choose Device admin apps. This will show you all the apps wih device administrator permissions. Revoke permissions from any apps you do not recognize, and tap Deactivate to confirm.
This will revoke all permissions a spyware needs to function, thereby rendering it useless.
How Does Spyware Get on Your Android?
Hackers and other cybercriminals will try many ways to install spyware on your mobile phone. We have covered some of the more famous ones below.
a. Phishing/ Spam Emails
Scammers often send fake tech support emails pretending to be from reputable companies like Amazon, Microsoft, or Google. They claim you've been charged for a service you don't remember buying and get you to click a link or call a number. This ultimately leads to the download of spy tools and the tracking of your activity.
b. Malvertising Scams
These ads often appear on low-quality websites, seemingly offering exorbitant rewards to entice clicks. When a user clicks on them, malware is secretly downloaded to their computer, collecting information in the background.
The websites hosting these ads try to mimic the design and branding of reputable companies to gain users' trust. The easiest way to verify the legitimacy of such sites is by checking their URLs.
Another simple rule to remember online is that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
c. Malware Infected Apps
Android apps are usually downloaded from official software product websites or the Play Store. Software downloaded from sources other than these 2 will likely be infected with malicious spyware designed to spy on your mobile phone's activity.
What do Spyware Apps Look Like on an Android?
Usually, these applications are disguised as less commonly used tools you might overlook on your phone. Utility tools are a common suspect; for example, "Calculator," "Compass," and "Fitness" are just some of the disguises snoopware might use. These may seem innocuous but can contain malicious software meant to watch what you do online.
More sophisticated spying applications can be even more dangerous since they work invisibly and leave no traces behind. These advanced programs can infiltrate your device without showing any signs of their presence, making it challenging for the average user to notice anything amiss. They can access sensitive information such as messages, emails, and even keystrokes, posing a significant threat to privacy and security.
How to Protect Your Android from Spy Applications?
Once you have remedied the problem, your next step should be protecting your Android from further exploitation.
Here's how you can protect your mobile phone from snoopware:
i. Install An Antivirus: An antivirus protects your cell phone from malicious software, spyware, and other attacks. Having one in place can really protect your phone.
ii. Update to the Latest Version of Android: Google will release updates to Android every couple of months to get ahead of any exploits hackers might develop. Updating your OS as frequently as possible is always a good idea.
iii. Don't click suspicious links: Only click links from websites and email contacts you know and trust. Links in emails are the most common form of malware attacks.
iv. Change your passwords often: Changing your passwords prevents hackers from accessing your accounts. Use a password manager to keep track of all your passwords for each site, making it easier to update them regularly.
