Is my phone hacked? Usually not, but some signs deserve a closer look: apps you didn’t install, sign-in alerts you didn’t trigger, pop-up ads outside apps, and messages your friends got that you didn’t send. A warm phone or faster battery drain on its own is rarely a hack.
To check, run Google Play Protect on Android, review which apps have Accessibility or device admin access, look for unknown profiles on an iPhone, and secure your main accounts from a different device. If problems continue, back up your photos and factory reset.
Most people who ask this have noticed something odd and want to know if it matters. This guide separates the real warning signs from the myths, walks through the checks built into Android and iPhone, and gives you a calm, ordered plan if something does look wrong. We check the Android steps on a Samsung Galaxy. The iPhone steps are based on Apple’s support pages, because we don’t test on an iPhone.
Is my phone hacked? Real signs vs common myths
Phones do plenty of strange things that have nothing to do with hackers. The table below sorts the common worries into the ones worth acting on and the ones that usually have an ordinary cause.
| Worth investigating | Usually not a hack |
|---|---|
| Apps you don’t recognize, especially ones with no icon or a generic name | Phone gets warm while charging, gaming or using the camera |
| Sign-in alerts or password-reset emails you didn’t request | Battery drains faster for a few days after a system update |
| Pop-up ads on the home screen or lock screen, outside any app | A phone that has slowed down after several years of use |
| Friends receive messages or posts you didn’t send | Clicks, echoes or static on calls |
| Sudden “No service” plus texts about a SIM or eSIM change you didn’t make | Ads about something you talked about (usually ad targeting from searches and browsing) |
| A security profile or device admin app you never set up | A pop-up in your browser saying your phone has “13 viruses” (that pop-up is the scam) |
Heat and battery drain get blamed on hackers a lot, but updates, a weak signal, a bright screen and background syncing cause them far more often. If battery life dropped after a recent update, start with our guide to One UI 9 battery drain. Treat a drain as a clue only when it comes with something else on the left-hand side of the table, like an app you don’t recognize.
Start with your accounts, not just the phone
A lot of “my phone is hacked” moments are really account takeovers. Someone has the password to your email, Google account, Apple Account or social media, and they’re signing in from their own device. Your phone is fine, but your accounts are not.
- Google account: open your Google Account, go to the Security section and run the Security Checkup. Look at Your devices for anything you don’t own and sign it out.
- Apple Account: on an iPhone, open Settings and tap your name to see the list of signed-in devices. Remove any you don’t recognize.
- Samsung account: check the signed-in devices list in your Samsung account settings.
- Social and messaging apps: most have an “active sessions” or “where you’re logged in” list. If Instagram is the problem, follow our guide to recover a hacked Instagram account.
If you find a device or session you don’t recognize, sign it out and change that account’s password from a device you trust. Then turn on two-step verification or, better, set up passkeys, which can’t be phished the way passwords can.
How to check an Android phone (tested on our Galaxy)
1. Run a Play Protect scan
Google Play Protect is built into Android phones with Google Play. Google says it’s on by default and scans apps when you install them and periodically after that. You can also start a scan yourself.
- Open the Google Play Store app.
- Tap your profile icon at the top right.
- Tap Play Protect.
- Tap Scan and wait for the result.
- Tap the Settings gear on the same screen and make sure Scan apps with Play Protect is on.
2. Check apps with powerful permissions
Malware and stalkerware usually need special permissions to read your screen or stop you uninstalling them. Two places are worth checking: Accessibility, which lets an app see and control what’s on screen, and device admin, which can block removal.
- Open Settings → Accessibility → Installed apps. Turn off access for anything you don’t recognize or didn’t set up yourself.
- Open Settings, tap the search bar and type Device admin apps (Samsung’s own support page recommends this). On recent Galaxy phones it’s usually under Security and privacy → More security settings.
- Expect to see things like Find My Mobile or a work app. Turn off admin access for anything unexpected, then uninstall it.
- Open Settings → Apps and scroll the full list. Uninstall apps you don’t recognize. Search the exact name first if you’re not sure: some system apps have odd names.
3. Look at battery and data use
Open Settings → Battery and look at which apps used the most power since the last full charge. Then check Settings → Connections → Data usage → Mobile data usage. An app you never open near the top of either list is worth a closer look.
4. Turn on Auto Blocker
Samsung’s Auto Blocker lives in Settings → Security and privacy → Auto Blocker. According to Samsung, it blocks app installs from unauthorized sources, blocks unauthorized commands over USB, and blocks images in messaging apps that are suspected of carrying malicious code. A stricter Maximum restrictions option is there for people who want more protection and can live with some features being limited.
On phones running Android 16 or later, Google also offers Advanced Protection for people at high risk, such as journalists or activists. Most people don’t need it.
How to check an iPhone (based on Apple’s support pages)
We don’t test on an iPhone. These steps come from Apple’s support documentation.
- Update first: Settings → General → Software Update. Updates close the security holes that real attacks use.
- Look for unknown profiles: Settings → General → VPN & Device Management. A profile you didn’t install, and that isn’t from your school or employer, can reroute traffic or install certificates. Remove it.
- Run Safety Check: Settings → Privacy & Security → Safety Check (iOS 16 or later). Manage Sharing & Access shows which people and apps can see your location and data. Emergency Reset stops all sharing at once.
- Check signed-in devices: Settings → your name, then scroll to the device list.
- Know what a real Apple warning looks like: Apple sends threat notifications to people it believes were targeted by mercenary spyware. They appear on the Lock Screen and in Settings, by email, and at the top of your Apple Account page.
- Lockdown Mode (Settings → Privacy & Security → Lockdown Mode) is an extreme protection for the very few people who may be personally targeted by sophisticated attacks. Most people will never need it.
Can a code like *#21# tell if my phone is hacked?
No. Videos and forwarded messages claim that dialing a code will reveal a hack. No dial code can scan your phone for malware. On many networks, *#21# only shows whether call forwarding is turned on.
Call forwarding is still worth a look. If calls are being forwarded somewhere you didn’t choose, contact your carrier. Be careful the other way round too: never dial a code that a stranger sends you or reads out on a call. Codes that start with *21* followed by a phone number can turn on call forwarding to that number, which lets a scammer receive your calls, including verification calls.
If your phone suddenly shows “No service” and you get messages about a SIM or eSIM change you didn’t ask for, call your carrier from another phone straight away. That pattern can mean someone moved your number to their own SIM.
If someone you know may be watching your phone
Stalkerware is monitoring software that someone installs on another person’s phone, often a partner or ex. The FTC lists signs such as fast battery drain, higher data use and overheating. The clearest sign is that the person seems to know things they shouldn’t: where you’ve been, who you’ve talked to, or what you wrote.
Removing stalkerware can alert the person who installed it. The FTC suggests getting help first, from a device they can’t access. In the US you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788, and make a safety plan with an advocate before changing anything on the phone.
What to do if you think your phone is hacked
Work through these in order. The first steps protect your accounts, which matter more than the phone itself.
- Stop signing in to banking and other sensitive accounts on the phone until you’ve finished.
- From a different device you trust, change the password for your main email first, because it can reset everything else. Then change banking and social media passwords.
- Turn on two-step verification or passkeys and sign out of any sessions you don’t recognize.
- Update the phone’s software and all apps.
- Remove unknown apps, device admin access and profiles using the checks above.
- If problems continue, back up photos and contacts, then factory reset the phone. Reinstall apps from the Play Store or App Store one by one instead of restoring every app from a backup, as the FTC advises for stalkerware.
Never call a phone number shown in a pop-up that says your phone is infected. Real security warnings don’t ask you to call anyone or install a “cleaner” app. That’s a tech support scam.
Where to report it
If money was taken, call your bank or card issuer first, using the number on your card. In the US, report fraud to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, report identity theft and get a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov, and report online crime to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Outside the US, use your country’s national fraud reporting service.
How to keep your phone from getting hacked
- Turn on automatic updates for the system and apps.
- Install apps only from the Play Store, Galaxy Store or App Store, and leave Auto Blocker on.
- Use a screen lock with at least a 6-digit PIN, and don’t share it.
- Use passkeys or two-step verification on your email, Google, Apple and Samsung accounts.
- Don’t tap links in unexpected texts. Our guide to stopping spam texts shows how to report them.
- Be wary of urgent calls from “family” or “your bank”. Read how AI voice-clone scam calls work.
- Keep the phone with you. Most stalkerware needs someone to have the unlocked phone in their hands.
For more guides like this, see our security hub, or the Android and iPhone sections.
FAQ
Can my phone be hacked by a phone call?
Simply answering a call is extremely unlikely to hack an up-to-date phone. The real risk on calls is being talked into sharing a code, installing an app or dialing a forwarding code.
Can someone hack my phone through a text message?
Usually only if you tap a link and enter details, or install something it points you to. Rare zero-click attacks exist, but they target a very small number of high-risk people. Keeping your phone updated is the best defense.
Does a factory reset remove hackers?
It removes apps and nearly all malware from the phone. It doesn’t protect your accounts, so change your passwords from a trusted device as well, and reinstall apps one by one instead of restoring everything.
Do I need antivirus on my Android phone?
For most people, no. Google Play Protect is built in, and Samsung adds Auto Blocker. Keeping apps to the official stores and updating regularly matters more than an extra app.
Can someone see me through my phone camera?
Only an app with camera permission can use it. Recent Android phones and iPhones show a green dot or icon when the camera is in use, so check which app is using it and remove camera access from apps that don’t need it.
Sources
- Google Play Protect — Google Play Help
- Protect your Samsung Galaxy with Auto Blocker — Samsung
- Manage Samsung phones or tablets with device administrators — Samsung US
- How Safety Check on iPhone works — Apple Support
- About Lockdown Mode — Apple Support
- About Apple threat notifications and protecting against mercenary spyware — Apple Support
- Malware: How To Protect Against, Detect, and Remove It — FTC
- Stalkerware: What To Know — FTC
- Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) — FBI
