How to Tell if Someone is Spying on your iPhone

If you have doubts that someone has installed spyware on your iPhone and he's actually monitoring all of your device activities and tracking where you go and do, then there are many ways to check if that's right or not.

But of course, it all starts with simple questions to ask yourself first, like whether or not you gave your smartphone to someone else who could put a program on it. If that's the case, then you know who the person is, but for sure, that's not always valid, and strangers can hack iPhones if the user gives them access even without noticing that. Here is how to know the truth.

8 signs to tell if your iPhone is being spied on

1. Your iPhone started working too slowly

The iPhone is known for being super fast; even if you compare it to other smartphones with higher RAM, the iPhone is unique, especially with the new Bionic chip built by Apple. If there are any unusually slow-loading apps, then that's not good, and it's a sign that your iPhone is being tracked by someone. So, keep an eye on your iPhone speed and see if it becomes slower than before without making any big changes to it.

Also, when adding images or videos, the optimized storage that's integrated on the smartphone can still work fine, but once it becomes so slow, then that's probably a sign of a spying tool that took all the iPhone resources.

2. A high increase in data usage

If a person is snooping on someone's iPhone, he'll use the device remotely and automatically to send the data, but that needs access to the Internet connection to work. So, the majority of spyware sends users' activities on their iPhones on a daily basis, especially when they're asleep or away, to avoid any trace.

However, many users won't notice the same increase in their data usage because they don't use their iPhones often or that frequently by taking photos, browsing the web, or using social media.

In that case, the unknown person who spies and monitors the iPhone will only need a few megabytes or less to get your daily activity, and that's the issue as it's not always detectable as a sign of spying.

3. WiFi or cellular data turned ON by itself

For someone, maybe your girlfriend, husband, or others, it's crucial to have your mobile phone data turned on all the time to see what you're doing and receive the data. So, try to turn off your iPhone cellular data and also the WiFi for some time and check that the next day.

If the data is turned back on by itself, then there is a hidden app on your iPhone that does that on behalf of someone else who is monitoring your activity. In reality, some spy apps have built-in tactics to automatically enable the cellular data if it's not working, so they get the data anyway.

4. Problems when you call or text

One of the most common signs of being monitored by someone who installed a spyware tool on an iPhone is getting calls interrupted, having an unclear voice sometimes, spending lots of time waiting for an SMS to be sent, and related issues.

When you notice any of these problems often, that's because someone is getting the data from your device, and that may consume RAM and device resources, especially when the app is full of bad-quality files and code that cause more serious problems for the phone.

5. Check the camera and microphone activity

Besides checking photos and videos, you've got to see what apps requested access to your iPhone camera or microphone. The device allows you to see the list of apps in an easy way.

First, go to "Settings," then find "Privacy," and then click on Camera and Microphone. They are very important as people may be hearing what you say, and they can also see what you do without your permission on your iPhone if you grant them access.

Here is an example that you can see under the iPhone Camera tab: there should be no hidden apps that request access to your device camera.

If you're not using the app in the list of allowed access, then why should you keep their permissions? Instead, turn that off, and in all cases, it's not safe to allow apps you don't use to have access to your iPhone camera. The person who can spy on you can take videos through WhatsApp directly, so be careful with that.

6. Check your photos and videos

This is one of the ways you can tell if your iPhone is being spied on by a partner or someone else. In fact, if the person has access to your camera, he could take photos for many reasons, which could also include videos; hence, he may forget to remove them, and your phone will send them to your iCloud for backup.

Thus, by taking a look at your recent photos, you can see if there are any pictures you have never taken. Another tip here is: don't limit yourself to photos and videos; take a look at your memos and see if there is any saved voice recording that you don't recognize or never did yourself.

7. Location tracking shouldn't always be on

This is when you disable location tracking, and then you find that the app is allowed to track where you go on its own. In reality, people may want to see where you go and where you're at a specific time of the day or night. In addition, lots of wives care about their families, so they could install a tracking app on their child's iPhone or even on their husband's device.

Keep in mind that iOS is the most advanced and fastest operating system for smartphones, and so it has more to offer in terms of security, features, and privacy. On the other hand, you have more options to turn off or on the location tracking features when an app asks you for them, like Maps; in other words, you shouldn't let any app monitor your location and track your activities, so double-check this issue.

8. Drops in battery levels when you don't use it

One of the best ways to check and see if someone is tracking you on your iPhone is by looking at the battery level and activity. That's important because you can see the drops in battery levels by hours and days, and if there is any continued drop that's not normal while you are asleep or not doing what you used to do as activities on your smartphone, like checking emails or using Facebook, then there should be a hidden app that drains your iPhone battery and monitors everything.

Now, to see the iPhone battery level and drop over time, click on "Settings" and then find "Battery" (it's the one with the battery icon) and click on it.

We recommend verifying the battery level drops. Can you see any coincidence with the apps you used in the last few hours or days? Are there any significant drops in battery levels in the background? Just give yourself a few minutes to investigate the issues, and you may get an answer about whether or not someone is spying on your iPhone.

Further investigations

By investigating the way your device is being used, how the battery drains quickly, or other related signs in this guide, you'll be able to check and verify any spy on your iPhone. That being said, there is no guarantee to catch someone who spies on your cell phone without taking the problem seriously, so, when you have doubts, make sure you sign in on another device like a laptop and change all your account passwords, like banking logins, social media sites, email, etc.

The reason for changing your login details is that the person may have gotten your passwords on Instagram, Snapchat, and other sites, so you don't want to wait until they block you from accessing your accounts again. Of course, the best way to solve the problem is to always reset your iPhone to factory settings and delete everything. It's the safest way to remove spyware from any iPhone, but backup your contacts, photos, videos, etc. first.