The most searched phrase, “What to do if your phone is hacked,” is a rising problem for many people. A new phone hack is circulating that unknowingly creates your video when your phone uses sensors to adjust brightness automatically. The most common hack via clicking suspicious links is also targeting victims increasingly. Hearing this, your brain can feel the fear of getting hacked.
According to Statista, “there were around 5.4 million global mobile cyberattacks in December 2023.”
Too much to take today, but relax; we have solutions for you in such situations. Let’s dive in and find out what to do if your phone is hacked.
Warning Signs! Your Phone Might Be Hacked
Signs that hackers are controlling your phone activities:
- You are noticing an unusual battery drain.
- Your phone overheats without excessive use.
- You see unauthorized apps installed and frequent alerts.
- You suspected unusual behavior on your online accounts.
- You find any unexpected charges on your bill and excessive data usage
What To Do If Your Phone Is Hacked: Immediate Actions
Here, we will discuss immediate actions that can secure your phone until you remove the hacker from your phone.
1. Turn On the Airplane Mode: Blocking the internet can temporarily prevent hackers from accessing your device. It gives you more time to protect your data on a suspected device.
2. Modify Important Passwords: Pay attention to social media, banking, and email accounts. Change the password immediately to protect yourself from any suspicious activity. Enable two-factor authentication and create strong passwords.
3. Verify the app’s permissions: Some malicious apps obtain a lot of access, such as your contacts, microphone, and camera. Check the permissions for anything questionable by going to Settings > Apps.
How to Remove the Hacker from Your Phone
Your query about what to do if your phone is hacked hasn’t been solved yet; your next move must be to remove the hacker from your phone. Let’s have a look at how you can.
1. Uninstall Suspicious Apps
Examine every installed app and get rid of anything strange, and if there is any app you didn’t download, delete it without any second thought.
- On the iPhone, long-press the app and select “Remove App.”
- On the Android device, navigate to Settings > Apps.
2. Empty the Cache and Browser History
Malware, viruses, and adware can hack your cached files. You can remove such threats by clearing your cache. Clear this from your browser settings. Removing stored data in your browser can eliminate tracking codes or cookies.
3. Perform a Security Scan:
Install a reliable antivirus app to find and eliminate malware on Android devices. If you are an iPhone user and it does not include built-in antivirus software, you can use security apps with scanning capabilities.
4. Install software updates
Update your operating system to close security holes that thieves could exploit. Patches included in software updates address faults and vulnerabilities used by hackers to download malware. To ensure that your phone is running the most recent version, navigate to Settings > Software Update.
5. Factory Reset
A factory reset is the last resort that can save you from hacker’s malicious activities. It will remove all your data, so make sure you back up all your important data.
To reset,
- Go to Settings > General > Reset on iPhone
- Go to Settings > System > Reset on Android.
Wrapping with a Few Prevention Tips
Cybercrime is at its peak; only your prevention can save you from such threatening incidents. Avoid downloading apps and documents from suspicious websites and platforms. Nowadays, phishing links are very common, and many people are under the target. The only way to protect yourself is to avoid clicking on anything suspicious. Never ignore the extra layer of protection; enable two-factor authentication while creating any account.
Be cautious, and stay safe!
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