Phone tracking: Stop being monitored with these steps

Most accept phone tracking as a part of using technology. For example, it’s one of the terms people accept whenever they register on social media. However, it’s a problem when you don’t consent to monitoring. 

Strangers may put software in your phone to monitor your activity. Consequently, you might notice your phone behaving strangely.

READ: Urban air quality is now a global concern

Look out for these signs that someone’s tracking your phone. Then, use the later steps to stop unknown individuals from following your online activity. 

What are the signs of phone tracking?

Tech guide website MakeUseOf says the first thing you must check is unknown apps. If you find an unfamiliar icon in your phone, confirm if it’s not part of an official update. 

If it isn’t, that’s a red flag for phone tracking. Also, you should check whether your overall app data usage is higher than normal. You may check that information in your phone’s Settings app. 

Open your browser history to see if it shows websites you did not visit. If there are, malware might likely have been accessing those without permission. 

Another telltale sign of phone tracking is battery drain. Your mobile device might be running out of energy faster than usual due to a malicious program.

However, that doesn’t mean it will trace everything you do. For example, the hacker might be able to see what you browse but not your messages. 

Compromised devices may also randomly light up and freeze without receiving notifications. Sometimes, a quick restart fixes the issue, or your phone might have faulty hardware. 

If these don’t apply to your gadget, it might contain a phone tracking program. Other red flags include frequent overheating and suspicious permission requests.

How to stop someone from tracking your phone

The United States National Security Agency recommends restarting your device weekly to disrupt phone tracking malware. 

Neal Ziring, the technical director for the NSA’s Capabilities Directorate, admitted to the Associated Press that rebooting a phone won’t deter more sophisticated schemes. 

“Since a lot of modern cyberattacks are [a] chain of two, three, or even more vulnerabilities in a row that have to be successfully exploited…”

“…you can reset the adversary back to the beginning of that chain and force them to go through the whole thing again,” he explained. Learn more about this method in this other Inquirer Tech article. 

Cybersecurity firm AVG recommends turning off location services to prevent malware from knowing where you are. You may disable that feature with your phone’s Quick Settings or Settings app.

While you’re in the settings, turn off Bluetooth and check your app permissions. See if there are suspicious apps that have way too much access to your phone and delete them. 

You could download and install an antivirus, but the best way to prevent phone tracking is proper online etiquette. Check this Inquirer USA article for internet safety tips.