Do you suspect that someone is tracking your iPhone? With so many ways to track data on mobile devices, you may be justified in your paranoia. But how can you tell for sure? Well, there are several ways you can detect the presence of spy software on your device. For someone to track your iPhone and have access to your iPhone’s data, they may need to install spy software on your device.

In this article, we will share with you several ways on how to tell if someone is tracking your iPhone and how to remove it to prevent the tracking action in the future.

Part 1: How to Tell If Your iPhone is Being Tracked

There are several indicators that can point towards the presence of spy software on your iPhone. Some of the most common ones include the following:

1 Noise During a Call

Hearing background noise when making or receiving a call can be as a result of a poor connection. But it can also be an indicator that spy software is installed on your device. This is because some spy software can record phone calls which can cause the noises you hear during a call. These noises can range anywhere from beeping, static, clicking and even actual voices.

noise during the call

2 More Power Consumption

Spy software installed on your device may also cause a sudden increase in battery usage. If you notice that you all of a sudden have to charge you battery more often than you use to, it is very likely that someone is tracking your iPhone. Although this is an indicator, it is worth nothing that your battery life will diminish as your device gets older. What you need to watch out for is sudden battery drains/battery stuck.

More Power Consumption

3 Increase in iPhone Data Usage

If you have noticed a sudden spike in the data usage on your iPhone, this is also an indicator of the presence of spy software on your device. There are certain types of Spy software that require an internet connection to send the collected data to whoever is tracking your device. This process may require a lot of data. To assess the amount of data being used, use an app like Data Usage for iPhone to track your data usage.

4 iPhone Shuts Down Randomly

Does your iPhone sometimes shutdown even when it is fully charged. If this happens a lot, you might want to check the device for unwanted spy software. Low-quality spy software can cause your device to malfunction, thereby causing it to shut down at inopportune moments.

iPhone Shuts Down Randomly

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5 Too Many Strange Messages in Your Inbox

If your inbox is filled with too many odd messages that contain some type of code, it is an indication that there’s a spyware tool on your smartphone. Remote managers send these codes to check the status of a spy app.

Too Many Strange Messages in Your Inbox

6 Overheating of the Device

How to tell if your cell phone is being tracked? Check your device’s temperature. Since spy apps run in the background, your phone will start overheating quickly. If you have experienced a sudden increase in battery temperatures in idle mode, beware of spying software that’s sending data to another device.

7 Strange Browser History

One of the quickest way to check if your cell phone has been tracked or not is to check your phone’s browser history. If there are any websites that you don’t remember opening, someone may have opened them to install the spyware app on your device.

Strange Browser History

8 Look for Suspicious Apps

An easier way to check if you’re being tracked is to browse your device’s application list. If there’s any suspicious app installed on your device, there’s a good chance that it’s being used to monitor your activities.

9 Unexpected Device Malfunction

When a spyware app is installed on a device, it usually affects the overall functionality of the device. For instance, the screen may start to become unresponsive or the settings may start to change automatically. This type of behavior indicates that your device is being tracked remotely.

Unexpected Device Malfunction

10 Explore Your Phone

While it may sound a bit hectic, this is one of the best ways to tell if your cell phone is being monitored or not. Use a root file explorer and look into different folders on your device. If you find any files named as “stealth”, “spy”, or “mobile spy”, understand that you are being monitored by someone.

Part 2: How to Protect Your Phone from Being Tracked

If your iPhone is exhibiting all of the symptoms we’ve mentioned above, it is very likely that someone is tracking your iPhone location or iPhone data. Some of you might thinking about removing these spyware app from your device.

However, there’s a huge possibility that by the time you remove a spyware app from your device, someone has already got the most of your important data. So, it’s always recommended first to take preventive measures so that no one can track your cell phone using a spyware application in the first place. Here are the most effective methods to protect your device from being tracked by other.

1 Don’t Root or Jailbreak

Rooting or jailbreaking a device makes it vulnerable to unverified app installations as anyone can install apps on your device without your permission. That’s why it’s never advised to root or jailbreak your device unless you are willing to verify every app before installation.

2 Don’t Install An Unverified App

It is important to install apps from verified sources. Any app that’s not available on the App Store or Google Play Store (Android) will possess some sort of threat to your device and it might be a spyware app. So, it’s always a better strategy to install apps from trusted sources.

3 Keep Your Device Up to Date

Device manufacturers usually release regular software updates. The primary focus of these updates is to enhance the security level. So, always make sure to install the latest device updates so that your device does not remain vulnerable to malware.

4 Install Anti-Spyware Tool

The most effective way to protect a smartphone from being monitored is to install anti-spyware apps. These types of apps will automatically detect the presence of a spyware app and alert you instantly. As a result, you won’t have to go through the hassle of locating the spyware app yourself.

Here we collect some trusted anti-spyware applications you can install on your device. Let’s take a look.

5 Norton 360 Standard

An all-in-one protection app for smartphone. Norton has been known for its remarkable performance in dealing with virus, malware, ransomware and it doesn’t leave spyware behind as well. You get smart Firewall, secure VPN, online threat detection and so on.

6 McAfee Total Protection

An anti-spyware app with other features like VPN encryption! This spyware tool can help you providing variety of safety features that may comprise safe web browsing, unlimited VPN etc. Moreover, you can save your Wi-Fi, password, encrypted storage and the like.

7 BitDefender Total Security

An overall security solution for people who make frequent financial transactions on their phones! “Safepay” is a special feature with this tool that allows users to keep their bank details get protected from the people having bad intentions or should we say the “cybercriminals”. It also helps you keeping your passwords saved on a secure vault.

Part 3: How to Delete Tracking Apps

After knowing how to protect your cell phone from being hacked. Some of you might ask, what should I do if I found there is a spyware app installed on my phone? Is there any way to delete tracking apps on my phone? Definitely, you can. Doing that is not as easy as uninstalling an app as you would ordinarily, but there are several steps you can take to remove them. They include the following:

Way 1: Change to a Strong Password

One of the easiest ways to stop someone from tracking your iPhone is to change the password you're using. Keep in mind that this will not remove any tracking or spy app that may be installed on your device, but it will keep it from sending any information to the person tracking you.

It is important to ensure that the password you chose is very strong. We have the tendency to use the same password for all accounts and while this may be easy, it does open up all your devices to hacking and other security issues. When you change your password ensure you do so for every service you've signed into on our iPhone and also make sure that no one can access it.

Way 2: Upgrade iOS Version

Upgrading your device to the latest iOS 17/18 can stop the tracking app from working correctly. This is especially true if the tracking app was compatible with the older version of iOS. Making an iOS update can also have the effect of removing certain apps and settings that could be harmful to the device and may very well eliminate the tracking app on your device.

upgrade ios version

Way 3: Refresh the Device

If there is no update, the next best thing to eliminate the tracking app from your system would be to refresh the device by doing a factory reset. This is the most effective way to remove the tracking app since a factory reset will remove all apps and settings from the device.

It is important to ensure that you have a backup of all the data on your device before attempting a factory reset. You should also note that a factory reset may void the warranty on your device.

To factory reset an iPhone, follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Make sure that you have an iCloud or iTunes backup of the data on your device. If you don't have the backup, take a moment to create one. Go to "Settings" > "iCloud" > "Backup" and ensure iCloud Backup is turned on before tapping "Back Up Now". Or plug in the device to your computer and create a backup in iTunes.

Step 2: With a Backup of all your data, go to "Settings" > "General" > "Reset" and then tap "Erase All Contents and Settings".

Step 3: Enter your passcode when prompted and then tap on "Erase iPhone".

You may need to enter your Apple password to complete the process. Once it is done, the iPhone will go back to the Set-up screen. Set it up as new and restore it from a backup. The tracking app should no longer be on the device.

factory reset iphone

Final Words

Tracking apps can be installed on your device without your knowledge. But now you know the signs to look out for and how to eliminate them should you find them. I bet you have already picked one of the solutions we provided to protect your privacy. Tell us what do you think about this topic and leave a comment down below if you have any questions.