Can Someone Listen to Your Phone Calls? Sign and Tips

Have you ever watched a movie where detectives eavesdrop on their target's phone calls and wonder, "Can this really happen in real life?" The answer is yes. Someone can indeed listen to your phone calls in reality, and it might not require as much effort or technical expertise as you'd think.

So, in the next few minutes, we'll walk you through some telltale signs that someone might be listening to your calls. Plus, we'll share practical tips to protect yourself from this invasion of privacy.

Can Someone Listen to Your Phone Calls?

Yes, someone can bug your phone calls using spyware, hard-wired or wireless bugs, parental control apps, SIM card cloning, etc. There are several common situations that your phone calls can be tapped:

• Government Surveillance:

The government may monitor some people's phones through technical means to maintain national security or investigate crimes.

• Business or Family Supervision:

Some employers may monitor employees' phone calls or computer activities to ensure that they won't disclose company confidentiality. Also, for children's online security, parents take actions, such as using AirDroid Parental Control, to listen to their calls.

• Hacker Attackers:

Hackers may install malware or spyware on your phone to monitor it for obtaining your private information. They may exploit the vulnerability in your device software or use malicious links to do so.

How to Know If Your Phone Call is Tapped

Now that you know some of the techniques someone can use to listen to your conversations through your cell phone. Next, let's look at how to know if someone is listening to your calls.

Unknown Microphone Permissions

As we all know, the microphone permission is active during calls. But you may not know that microphone access is also required before it detects audio and taps the phone calls.

Therefore, if you notice another unauthorized app is using your microphone during your conversation, it could be an obvious sign your phone calls have been tapped.

To view which app is using the microphone when you call, follow this:

iPhone

Android

Unusual Sounds During Calls

You should always watch out for unusual sounds such as beeping, clicking, popping, echoes, or strange noises during calls. In all honesty, some of these sounds could be caused by a bad signal. However, if this sound occurs frequently, then there is a likelihood that someone is spying on your phone call.

Fast Battery Consumption

When you are using your phone for a not heavy-duty task like calling, the battery won't drain quickly. So, if you notice fast battery consumption, there is a possibility someone is monitoring your phone call.

And this is because the majority of the apps used for phone call tapping often run in the background on the target device. During this period, they perform resource-intensive tasks like encryption, call interception, or recording. These tasks drain the battery faster than normal usage.

Moreover, the monitoring apps often send recorded conversations to the remote server, and this requires the phone's internet connection to stay active, thus increasing the rate at which the battery is drained.

Overheating

Overheating is another common sign that your phone call is being monitored. During the process, monitoring tools keep the microphone active and it always runs in the background, even when you're not on a call. This prolonged use may increase power consumption, which could in turn lead to overheating.

Non-existent Phone Number

Cloning the SIM enables someone to control, monitor, make, and listen to calls via the original number. To check if your SIM card has been cloned, you can ask others to call you. When hearing "the number you are calling does not exist," it might show your SIM card is cloned and someone is listening to your phone calls.

How to Stop Someone From Listening to Your Phone Calls

If the above signs indicate that your phone call is tapped, don't fret! Just use any of the methods below to stop the person.

Cut off the Internet Connection

Most of the monitoring apps, such as spyware or MDM software, need an active internet connection to connect to your phone and then bug your calls. Without internet access, these tools may not be able to send data to their controlling servers or the person monitoring your phone calls.

Fortunately, by disconnecting from the internet, it is no longer for these apps to work and your phone calls won't be tapped. To be completely offline, you can enable the Airplane mode or turn off WiFi and cellular data from the control center.

Manage the Microphone Access

The truth is, most monitoring apps cannot access your microphone without your permission. By managing the microphone access on your phone, you can stop unauthorized access to your microphone, and this might reduce the likelihood of your phone calls being tapped or recorded.

We've shared steps in Part 1 to help you discover if another app is using your microphone during calls. If any, you can directly disable the microphone permission for this app.

Close or Uninstall the Suspicious App

In addition to managing the microphone access, you can also uninstall the app when finding the suspicious app is listening to your conversations. Once you close the app, it stops working to tap your phone calls this time. While uninstalling can permanently terminate its work.

Report Privacy Breach

Once you notice your phone call is tapped without your consent, keep the evidence and report the privacy breach to the relevant authorities, such as the local police or cyber security agency. They'll investigate the wiretapping, and collaborate with technical experts to verify if your phone is compromised. Then, they'll take legal action to find out and punish the mastermind if unauthorized surveillance is confirmed.

FYI: Is Phone Call tapping illegal?

The legality is depending. Phone call recording without the other party is illegal in many countries as it usually involves a breach of privacy, let alone call bugging. Here is the list of the countries with the strictest call recording or tapping laws:

• Germany
• France
• Norway
• UAE
• Spain
• Italy
• Sweden

*Resource: Telephone call recording laws by Wikipedia

However, there are certain situations where phone tapping is legal. For instance, law enforcement agencies can obtain a court order to tap someone's phone if they are suspected of committing a serious crime.

Conclusion

With the right technology, such as spyware, SIM card cloning, etc, someone could easily listen to your phone calls. However, you can prevent this breach of privacy by turning off your internet, managing microphone access, and uninstalling suspicious apps from your phone.

That said, you don't have to wait to become a victim before safeguarding yourself against phone call tapping. Moving forward, avoid downloading apps from unreliable sources, refrain from clicking on suspicious links, and be cautious about answering calls from unknown numbers. These steps can help you avoid unknowingly installing malicious monitoring apps.