7 Signs That Your iPhone Is Being Hacked
iPhone users are accustomed to believing that their phone's ecosystem is safer than Android or other platforms. In many ways, they're right! Apple's tight control over the apps you can download on iPhones (if you aren't jailbroken) means that there are fewer chances of downloading malware. But this doesn't mean that iPhones are immune to hacking.
On the contrary, hacking attempts on iPhones are increasing on a variety of fronts as hackers seek to compromise specific systems and gain access to data. Wi-Fi, iMessage, website browsing, and many other phone features have shown severe vulnerabilities in recent years. It's one reason that Apple is making the unprecedented move of allowing virus-tracking apps like iVerify to appear on the Apple Store.
This leads to an important question: If hackers are sneakily working on bypassing iPhone security, how do you know when you're being hacked? What are the signs that your iPhone is compromised? The clues can take many different forms, but here are some of the top red flags that iPhone users should be watching for. Continue reading to learn 7 Signs That Your iPhone Is Being Hacked.
Sudden Battery Life Problems
Hacking isn't usually just a brief session. Hackers
try to install various types of malware on iPhones so they can keep an eye on
conversations and look for valuable data, or create backdoors for easier
access. All that means that a hacked iPhone usually has extra, hidden software
running in the background for spying and similar purposes.
You may not be able to see this malware, but your battery sure knows it exists. A hacked iPhone will often suddenly suffer from battery issues. You may find that your battery drains much faster than it used to only a few days ago, or that the battery seems to drain even when the phone is unused. It's natural for iPhone batteries to experience battery decline over the years, but sudden changes like this can mean something is afoot.
Records of Activities You Didn't Do
A common way to hack into an iPhone is with a virus-laden iMessage, email, FaceTime, or similar form of communication that includes sneaky downloads. Hackers will then try to pass these messages along to other people in your contacts. The upshot of this process is that you may find messages on your phone that you didn't send or remember receiving. These messages will often look blank or have weird symbols that are not things you would type, even accidentally.
Anything like that is an excellent sign that your phone is infected, and is probably sending out infected messages to other people. At this point, it's time to take immediate action.
Shut Down and Reboot Issues
Malware doesn't usually care if you are or aren't using your phone, which means an infected iPhone can power cycle strangely. One thing that victims often notice is that their iPhones seem to have issues shutting down, powering up, or rebooting. These phones may suddenly turn off if you are using them, or may try to reboot out of nowhere when there aren't any software updates to install. The phones may also light up at odd times as if someone was invisibly trying to access it.
Keep in mind that battery problems can also cause many weird power issues. However, you should always consider the possibility that your phone has been hacked. Take it into an Apple Store to find out for sure.
Slowdown in Phone Performance
If malware is busy in the background and trying to track what you do, you may also notice that the routine activities you use your iPhone for are slower or experience other issues. Apps may take a long time to load and often freeze. Uploading and downloading may take far longer than it used to, as well. Even typing on your iPhone may seem to halt or skip when you didn't have any problems before. These are all important warning signs.
Strange Call Noises
It's not quite as popular as other hacking efforts in the age of smartphones, but hackers may still try eavesdropping on your phone calls with certain types of malware. They do this in hopes of collecting private or personal information they can use for identity theft, blackmail, or anything else that they can profit from. One of the most common signs that you are under surveillance like this is that your calls will start to sound funny. You may notice echoes, clicking noises, and other sounds where none existed before. Someone may be listening in. It's rare, but it's possible.
Changes in Your Bill
Successful hacking can lead to greater data usage. If you have data caps on your bill, you may notice that you are reaching them faster despite not changing your iPhone habits. This is a common warning sign that there's suspicious activity on your phone. More often, people even notice strange things charged to their Apple accounts. In that case, you should change your Apple ID/iCloud password immediately.
You Downloaded One of These Apps
Despite Apple's security measures, some iOS apps have been known to carry malicious code that can infect your phone. Fortunately, we have a list of the apps that are known for carrying this malware. Check the list and see if you've downloaded any of those troublesome apps. Delete them immediately if so.