X

The Scary Signs You Can Tell If Your iPhone Is Being Tracked, According To Experts: Location Sharing, More

November 13, 2025 by Abigail Connolly

 
Shutterstock

Although having a smartphone is great and convenient, there are some scarier downsides to having one, like the risk of getting hacked.

These days, smartphones are so modern and up to date that they already come with lots of security software that can make it difficult for hackers and scammers to access your device. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not still possible. When an iPhone is hacked or being tracked, it can start exhibiting some strange behavior. We’ve used information from tech experts to list two concerning signs your device might be hacked. Read more about them below.

1. Your Microphone or Camera Is Suddenly Turned On

As iPhones have evolved, Apple has created a feature in its newer models that can help people see when exactly their cameras or microphones are being used. In the past, it could be harder to tell, but now, there are clear indicators.

Tech pro and content creator, Trevor Nace, pointed out in one of his YouTube videos that an easy way to tell something is wrong with your iPhone and that it might be getting accessed by hackers or suspicious trackers is to look for the orange or green lights in the top left part of your screen.

"If you see a little orange dot, that means the microphone is currently in use, and if you see a little green dot, that means either your camera or your camera and your microphone are currently in use," explains Nace. "Now, if you see those at the top of your phone but you're not making a call, or you're not on FaceTime or anything like that, that might be an indication that someone is using your microphone or camera to spy on you."

2. Suspicious Apps Are Using Your Location

When you have an iPhone, there are several apps that ask to track your location. These are typically navigation apps or social media apps where sharing your location is common. However, sometimes, when your phone is being tracked or there's something fishy going on, some apps that don't need your location may suddenly have it. It's best to check these things out in your settings.

Nace advises going to your settings, hitting Privacy & Security, then Location Services, where you can look through a list of the apps that are or aren't using your location. The ones that are typically have a little 'location' arrow next to them.

"Those arrows indicate that an app has been using your location, potentially spying on your location, so if you haven't used any of those apps recently but it has that little arrow next to it, you might want to tap on it and switch the location access to 'never' for that specific app," he explains. "This will help prevent that app from tracking your location."

Load more...