Everyone fears their iPhone will be hacked, but will you even know if it’s happening? Perhaps an even greater fear is that we’ll carry on using our phone while it is hacked, which can lead to even more of our personal data and confidential information leaking. The sooner you diagnose a phone hacking you can stop it and save your data.
The good news is that hackers don’t hide in the shadows for very long. They get to work fast finding as many ways as possible to crack your passwords and get access to your data. Here are two telltale signs that your iPhone has been hacked, and what to do about it.
Struggling With Sleep? This Rechargeable Sound Machine Is A Total Game-Changer
1. Unfamiliar Apps on Your Phone
One of the most unusual signs your phone has been hacked is the sudden presence of unfamiliar apps that you never downloaded onto your device. They appear out of the blue, and your first instinct may be to click on the app and see what it is. This is the worst thing you can do: hackers often add malicious code to these apps so that once you click on it, it installs malware or spyware onto your device. These programs then start stealing as much of your data as they can, including passwords, credit card information, contacts, locations, and more. In extreme cases, these apps can lock you out of your phone completely.
As soon as you spot an unfamiliar app on your phone, delete it and change your passwords.
2. Unusual Battery Drainage
When your phone has been hacked, malicious software is constantly running in the background. This takes up a ton of battery power, and you’ll notice it when your phone refuses to maintain a charge for as long as it used to. Before jumping to conclusions though, check your battery settings to make sure a specific app (like Facebook or Facebook Messenger) isn’t responsible for the bulk of your battery depletion. If nothing looks out of the ordinary, and your phone is also acting sluggish, overheating, or throwing pop-ups your way, it’s a good idea to assume your phone has been hacked and take steps to correct the situation.
Delete all suspicious apps on your phone, update your iOS, change your Apple ID password, and revoke permissions for apps that don’t need them (go to Go to Settings > Privacy & Security and review which apps have access to your camera, location, microphone, and more). In extreme cases, you may need to perform a factory reset or contact Apple for help.
