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How to know if your phones are being hacked and what to do about it

How to know if your phones are being hacked and what to do about it

Smartphones and mobile devices play a vital role in our lives.

These pocket computers would generally contain some of our most sensitive information as well as our most precious and cherished treasures, which makes these gadgets prime targets for hackers.

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So how would you know if your devices are being hacked?

1. Battery drains faster than usual

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Though the battery life of your mobile devices generally decreases and gets shorter over time, compromised devices would show a very significant decline in its battery power.

If you notice that your devices might be draining way faster than it should be, chances are it might be infected with malware and other malicious software as these programs are using power to gather and transmit information and data from your phone to external servers.

2. Slow performance

Notice your phone being all slow, sluggish, lagging?

Does your device keep crashing and restarting itself for no reason?

Find that it’s impossible to switch off certain apps even after countless attempts to close or even uninstall em’?

Then this might be a sign you’re being hacked as your devices is unable to function properly as its resources are being used by other unwanted applications.

3. High data use and expensive bills

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Devices that are compromised are secretly running programs in the background, transmitting data over to external criminal servers.

If you noticed your data being drained without proper cause or your phone bill jumping unexpectedly, might be time to give your device a good look through.

4.  Weird and unusual activities on your accounts

If your phone has been hacked the accounts linked to the device like emails, banking and even social media accounts are also vulnerable.

Keep an eye out for suspicious activity on your associated accounts to know if you have been compromised.


Though there is never a foolproof way to completely protect yourself from being hacked, there are still measures you can take to keep your data and privacy from being exploited.

1. Keep devices locked and password protected

One way to protect yourself from being a victim of data theft is to ensure that your vault is secure.

Be sure to keep your devices locked and password protected at all times.

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Keep on changing these passwords regularly every three to six months, and as you should, do not share these passwords with anyone.

You could also go several steps further and secure your devices by multiple ways that some smart devices have today like, fingerprint, facial and voice recognition.

It’s even advisable to set up two-factor authentication for your devices and accounts connected to it.

2. Keep your device updated

Yes, updating might seem like a tedious process, but tech companies usually would come up with software updates and security patches to improve on their operating systems (OS).

So as soon as an update is available for your device, it is advisable to download and install em’ right away to avoid hackers from exploiting vulnerabilities in out-of-date software.

3. Careful with the apps you install

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Always be mindful of the applications you put on your mobile devices and download them from reliable and trusted sources like the Apple App Store or Google Play, and it’s advisable to never install anything from unfamiliar websites or links received via texts.

Applications also might ask you for permissions to access certain things on your devices like your contacts, camera, file manager and microphone, so be sure to think carefully before you grant these access.

4. Be cautious over unsecured Wi-Fi

Sure free internet can be an irresistible temptation, but open wireless networks carry great risks that you might not even be aware of.

Hackers use all sorts of techniques to snoop around while you might be connected to these public Wi-Fi networks and its best to be prudent to where you are connected to.

Try avoiding unsecured Wi-Fi connections whenever possible or you could even add an extra layer of security by using a virtual private network (VPN) that encrypts your traffic from unwanted eyes.

5. Turn off Wi-Fi, data, Bluetooth when not in use

Hackers can use multiple means to gain access to your devices even when it’s not connected to the internet.

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Having multiple entry points open makes your devices vulnerable to threats, so be sure to turn off these connections when you are not using them.


But what can you do if you suspect that your mobile device has been hacked?

So if you think that your mobile devices have been breached, it’s advised that you have the device wiped and formated completely.

Restore your device to its original factory settings and be careful when reinstalling applications.

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It’s also a good tip to install reliable antivirus software to further screen and protect your devices of unwanted and malicious malware.

If you still feel a little paranoid over the possibility of being hacked, you could always get professional assistance.

Visit an authorised mobile store and have em look over your gadget to be extra sure that all threats have been detected and cleared from your devices.

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