How to Stop Someone from Accessing Your Phone Remotely
Half of our lives are on our phones in this day and age. Whether it is personal messages or photos or sensitive projects or documents from work, all of it resides on our phones. In the hands of the wrong people, your phone can cause some severe damage. Third parties can hack into your phone and sell your data to others and exploit you.
Therefore, while trusted Android remote access apps like AirDroid can make your life easier, it's essential to ensure that only you have this remote access to your phone. Abiding by specific rules and safety precautions can stop someone else from accessing your phone. Let's learn how to stop someone from accessing your phone remotely and what you can do to prevent it.
Can Someone Access My Phone Remotely?
Yes, unfortunately, people can access and even control your phone remotely. There are plenty of spyware apps and bugs that let people hack into your phone without you even knowing about it. It's usually through certain links or credentials that hackers do this. People can even install spyware on your phone even if they have access to your phone for a only few minutes! If you connect to unsecured public Wi-Fi networks, hackers may intercept your data and gain access to your device.
While remote access to your phone can be a handy feature, it is only safe if you are the one using it. AirDroid, for instance, therefore makes it a top priority to ensure the privacy and security when remotely accessing and controlling your Android devices. It requires you to log in to your account, and other people can't use your AirDroid account to access your phone remotely without your credentials. Besides, it provides end-to-end encypted remote access to ensure your data safety.
However, if someone can guess your password or find out your credentials somehow, it becomes possible for them to access any of your devices. So you'd better set up complex password and use dynamic 9-digit connection code in AirDroid Remote Support for remote access.
How to Tell If Someone Is Remotely Accessing to Your Phone
Can someone take control of your phone remotely? yes, it's possible. So, if you suspect that someone is accessing your phone or its information, then it's something you must confirm right away. And there are a few things that you can look out for.
Unfamiliar Apps: If you find some random unfamiliar apps lurking around on your phone, then most likely, it's a hack app.
Strange Web Addresses: If you are connected to a public Wi-Fi network and find the links at the top of your browser to be a bit weird, then it's highly likely that your connection to the network is being intercepted.
Slow Performance: If your phone suddenly becomes sluggish, freezes frequently, or takes longer to respond, it could be a sign of unauthorized access.
Battery Drains Fast: Remote access apps or malware can consume a lot of battery power. If you notice that your phone's battery is draining faster than usual, it might be worth investigating further.
Phone Keeps Warm: Even though your are not using the phone, it is still warm.
Unusual behavior: If you notice your phone behaving strangely, such as apps opening or closing on their own, random pop-ups, increased service messages, emails, and pop-up ads or unusual error messages, it could indicate unauthorized access. Strange noises and voices during calls is another sign.
Increased data usage: If you notice a significant increase in your mobile data usage without any explanation, it could be a sign that someone is remotely accessing your phone..
How to Stop Someone from Accessing Your Phone Remotely
Even after taking all the necessary precautions, someone may have remotely accessed your phone. If you can successfully detect remote access on Android or iPhone, it is best to inform your family, friends, and colleagues not to open any suspicious messages from you. This precautionary measure will help them avoid potential issues or complications. Then here are some actions what you should do to stop it.
Disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
If you find that someone is mirroring your phone without your knowing, the first thing you can do is turning off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi can help protect your phone from certain types of attacks, but it may not necessarily prevent all forms of phone mirroring. It's important to take additional steps to ensure the security of your phone.
End Unrecognized Devices and Change Password
If you have noticed some suspicious activity on your phone, you should start by checking your account activity on different apps. Facebook and Google, for instance, allow you to check all your active sessions. See if you find any sessions that you do not recognize.
Begin by logging out of unrecognized devices active sessions from your Google account, please head to Settings > Google > Manage your Google Account > Security. Then please scroll down to Your devices section and tap Manage devices. Next you will see a list of devices where your account is signing in. Tap the device you are unfamiliar and select Don't recognize this device? to sign out the device. Finally, you'd better change your password.
You can also proceed to sign out of Gmail remotely on Android by logging into your Gmail account from your laptop and ending all of your active sessions. For multiple Google accounts on the phone, you'll have to do each separately. After you have logged out, you can change your passwords to secure your account. This process will also work for your Social Media accounts.
You can also check your AirDroid app to see if any sessions are active and connected. AirDroid will notify you on your phone if you connect the device to another device or PC. You can also change the password on your AirDroid account to be safe.
Check Spy Apps
With so many apps on your phone, you might not even know if someone had secretly installed a new app on your phone. Check your phone for any unknown apps and uninstall them.
You can also uninstall any apps that you do not use regularly. Sometimes third-party apps can also contain viruses and malware. Check for any hidden apps running in the back accessing your device.
If everything fails and you still suspect that there is spyware on your phone, you can try to reset your samsung Galaxy or other Android device. You can do this on an iPhone as well.
Resetting your phone will remove any malware or viruses hiding in the deepest corners of your phone. But this is the last resort because it will wipe away all your data from your phone. So remember to back everything up before you attempt this step.
Uninstall Suspicious Apps
If you've been noticing issues right after downloading an app, try uninstalling it. Sometimes we download third-party software from random websites without even considering the associated risks. And many people even download pirated apps to their phones.
These sometimes contain harmful viruses that create gateways for hackers to your phone. Here's how you can get rid of them:
Step 1: Open Settings.
Step 2: Go to Apps & Notifications > See All Apps > Manage Apps.
Step 3: Find the apps that seem suspicious to you or you don't remember downloading.
Step 4: Click on the app.
Step 5: Tap Uninstall.
Disable Call Forwarding
Someone can easily set your phone to forward your calls and text messages to their phone. It might not be a full-blown hack, but it is still spying. And considering the amount of important information we get through our texts and calls, especially bank-related information, you have to put a stop to this. Here's how to do it:
Step 1: Open your Phone app.
Step 2: Find the 3-dot-button at the upper right corner and press it.
Step 3: Tap on Settings and then Calling Accounts.
Step 4: Press Call Forwarding.
Step 5: Disable all the call forwarding options by pressing Turn Off for each of them.
If you are still concerned about the security of your phone, it is advisable to contact your mobile service provider or a professional in cybersecurity for further assistance.
Useful Tips to Prevent Unauthorized Phone Remote Access
You should always avoid clicking on unknown or suspicious links or logging into your accounts on unrecognized devices. If you are just a little cautious, you can make it hard for anybody to hack into your phone and remotely control your Android or iPhone without permission. So regardless of what phone you use, here's what you should do to prevent someone from accessing your phone remotely.
Install Trusted Apps
Many spyware works by sending out links and luring people to click on them. Be careful about what links you click, as these may install spyware apps on your phone. Try not to install apps from shady websites that aren't available on the Play Store or App Store. Shady apps can often have viruses that allow people to hack into your phone.
Use trusted sources and check the reviews before installing any apps. Look for good ratings and ones that are well-known and used by many people. If you must download an app manually, be sure it is from a trusted source, and try to uninstall it if you don't use it a lot.
Solid Passwords
Nowadays, everything is so synched, and all accounts are linked to each other, just getting access to one password can make it easy to hack into all your other accounts and your entire phone. For instance, if you use an Android phone, a hacker can guess your Google account password and remotely access your Android phone.
Similarly, getting your iCloud credentials can help a hacker quickly get into your iPhone. So use solid passwords for your accounts, and you can even regularly keep changing them to be safe. Keep up with the security updates that Google or Apple sends you and update any changes that might be necessary. This practice will protect your phone. You can also set up multi-factor authentication for your account.
Lock Your Phone When Not in Use
Leaving your phone unlocked even for a little while can give people the time to install spyware on your phone or hack into your accounts. For instance, if you are logged into your AirDroid account on your PC and have your phone connected, then if you leave your PC, anyone can come and remotely access your phone and control it.
So do not leave your phone unlocked or unattended with someone you don't trust, mainly if you use AirDroid Remote access regularly.
Use an Antivirus
Anti-virus apps can act as an Android remote access blocker and stop you from clicking suspicious links. They can prevent viruses from entering your phone and prevent the background installation of suspicious third-party apps.
Having an anti on all your devices is a great practice, and it keeps your phone safe. Try to go for good brands, and don't hesitate to invest a little in anti-virus products, as they can save you a lot of money and hassle in the long run.
Conclusion
Now that you know what to do to prevent other people from remotely accessing your phone and also how to stop someone from accessing your phone remotely in case it does happen, you can rest assured. With just a little precaution, you shouldn't have to face this problem. Thanks for sticking around till the end!
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