How to Remove Spyware from Your Phone?

Regardless of what smartphone you are using, whether the device is an Android phone or an iPhone, someone can install spyware onto your phone. It's even possible for them to monitor your mobile phone's activity without ever even touching it.

Someone can gain remote, real-time access to your smartphone using spying software. Mobile spyware, sometimes called stalkerware, can be installed onto your mobile phone to monitor your information. These include calls, text messages, emails, location, photographs, and browsing history.

There are even some cases where the spyware can take photos and record nearby conversations.

Spyware can remain hidden. It has the capability of monitoring your phone without you knowing. Are you wondering if someone is spying on your phone? Spyware is detectable if you know what you're looking for in your device.

Spyware can remain hidden. (Photo credit: totalavreview.com)

The following are the cell phone spyware detection and removal methods:

• An overheating phone. A well-functioning smartphone should not overheat. So, if your device feels unusually warm or even hot, this may indicate someone is spying on your mobile device. However, keep in mind that spyware installation is not the only reason for an overheated phone.
• Drained battery. Is your phone always running on red? Spyware works behind the scenes all the time or 24/7 to spy on your digital movements without you knowing. A constantly drained battery is an evident sign of spyware. You should check if your battery is draining at a fast rate.
• Unusual messages. Are you getting random pop-up messages on your smartphone when you browse online? You see, unsolicited advertisements might indicate spyware infiltration. Spyware is more often than not bundled with adware. These odd messages may come in the form of text messages. Or app notifications will show if you've jailbroken your phone and installed apps from outside the App Store.
• Excessive data usage. As previously mentioned, spyware will drain your battery. It can also deplete your data. That means you are footing the bill to send a stalker, hacker, or unwanted snoop data on your digital activities.
• New apps. You will find that in several cases, a parent or suspicious partner can secretly install spyware. Do you have apps you don't remember downloading on your phone? It is an understandable reason to install a mobile security app. Unknown apps can indicate that someone else has access to your smartphone.
• Strange activity in standby mode. Did you know that your mobile phone can still receive messages and calls when it's on standby or in sleep mode? However, it shouldn't be lighting up or making noises for any other reason. If it is, it might be a symptom of spyware.  
• Issues when shutting down the phone. Spyware apps sometimes interfere with a smartphone's shutdown process. They cause the device to fail in turning off. It also takes an unusually long time to do so. 
  In addition to that, frequent and seemingly random reboots can be an indicator that there is spyware on your phone as well.
• Sudden restarts and shutdowns. Did you notice your phone shutting down in the middle of a running application? Your mobile phone should only start or shut down when you command it to do so. But when it reboots or shuts down without your command, then there is the possibility that your phone has spyware on it.
• Autocorrect is misbehaving. Did you know that keyloggers are a form of spyware that keeps a record of all your keypresses? Someone spying on your phone can use a keylogger to capture your messages and login details.
  Another sign that someone may be using a keylogger to spy on your phone is a misbehaving autocorrect system. You see, the keylogger interferes with how the to autocorrect function works. As such, if you notice the autocorrect acting strangely or working significantly slower than usual, someone might be spying on your phone.
• Background noise in calls. Some mobile spyware contains features that can listen to and record your calls without alerting you. You may be able to hear strange voices, people talking distantly, or experience noise that is not natural as you talk using your smartphone.

How to Remove Spyware from Your Phone?

There are several kinds of spyware and stalkerware apps, namely:

• SpyPhone Android Rec Pro
• FlexiSpy
• mSpy
• PhoneSpector
• MobileTracker
• FoneMonitor
• Spyera
• SpyBubble
• Spyzie
• Android Spy
• Mobistealth

Apart from the previously mentioned apps, others offer similar features. Take note that someone can still track you by legitimate software abused by hackers.

Some developers designed information recovery apps and services to track down a handset in the case of loss or theft. These apps could turn against you by tracking your location instead.

Do you want to know when someone is monitoring you? A dead giveaway on an Android phone is a setting that allows apps to be downloaded and installed outside of the official Google Play Store.

If you noticed that this setting is enabled, it means that your phone has been tampered with, and someone did jailbreak without consent. However, keep in mind that not every form of spyware and stalkerware requires a jailbroken device.

Do you want to check if someone jailbreaks your phone? You might want to install Root Checker, which is available in Google Play Store.

If you want to look for that setting, head to Settings > Security > Allow unknown sources or Apps > Menu > Special Access > Install Unknown Apps.

If you have an iPhone device, there's an app called Cydia, a package manager, that allows users, like you, to install software packages on a jailbroken device. Having the Cydia app installed on your iPhone indicates tampering.

Spyware and stalkerware are hard to detect. And removing these apps is just as hard. Here's how to uninstall hidden spy phone app on iPhone and how to remove spyware from Android phones:

• Run a malware scan. There are a variety of mobile antivirus solutions available on both mobile phones and PCs. It may be able to detect and remove standard forms of spyware. While this is the easiest solution, it may not be effective in every case.
• Change all of your passwords. Do you think that your account is compromised? You need to change every password on every significant account you have. You probably have one or two central accounts, such as an email address.
  Your email address can act as a hub for other accounts and password recovery. You need to change the password of that account.
• Remove suspicious apps. Notice an app on your mobile phone that you didn't download? You need to delete the suspicious application on your smartphone. You can do it by pressing and holding the app icon. You will notice that several options will appear.
  If you have an iPhone, you should tap "Remove App" or "Delete App," depending on your version of iOS. And then, confirm by tapping the Delete app.
  Remember that each application will offer a different range of choices after pressing and holding the app icon to activate settings. All apps have the Delete App option in red as the first or last option if you need it.
  

  

  Spyware and stalkerware are hard to detect, and removing them is just as hard. (Photo credit: 149367133.v2.pressablecdn.com)

  
  
• Consider creating a new email address. Make sure that the new email address is only known to you. It becomes tethered to your main accounts.
• Update the operating system of your phone. When an operating system from Apple or Google releases, this new version comes with security patches and upgrades. It can cause conflict and problems with spyware, helping to keep you and your device safe. As such, you should keep your phone's OS updated.
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA). You should enable two-factor authentication, in which account activity and logins require further consent from a mobile device. It can also protect individual accounts.
• Protect your device physically. You should use a PIN code, pattern, or enable biometrics. It can protect your mobile phone from future tampering.
• Perform a factory reset. If all else fails, you should try performing a factory reset to remove the spyware. However, this method will erase all data from your device. As such, make sure to back up your mobile phone before wiping it clean.

If you want to remove the FlexiSpy, which can masquerade on Android devices as "SyncManager," you should try to uninstall it directly. After that, restart your phone. But it may also appear under another generic name. As such, before you delete any apps, you might want to perform a search on the app name first.

To remove mSpy, what you need to do is to access Cydia on your iPhone. You need to search for "Installed" first and then make sure to look for "IphoneInternalService." After that, press modifies and remove.

If you think your smartphone is compromised and you need a new phone, you might want to consider purchasing refurbished smartphones. Phone experts recommend that you buy your refurbished smartphones from a reputable retailer, like the QwikFone.

At QwikFone, you can choose your favorite refurbished smartphones and buy them pristine. The company assures you that the mobile phone you get from here comes with impressive deal terms such as a free complete set of accessories and a 12-month warranty policy. There's also a return policy with a full refund guarantee