Is My Phone Hacked? Warning Signs and What to Do (Android and iPhone)

Your battery is draining faster than usual, you're getting OTPs you never requested, or friends say they received strange messages from your WhatsApp. Is your phone hacked?

Often there's an innocent explanation, but some signs really do point to spyware, a malicious app or a hijacked account. This guide covers the warning signs, how to check Android and iPhone step by step, how to remove the problem, and where to report it in India and the US.

Warning signs your phone may be hacked

• Unknown apps you don't remember installing, especially ones with no icon or generic names like "System Service" or "Update."
• Battery draining fast and the phone heating up while idle.
• Mobile data usage spikes that you can't explain.
• Pop-up ads appearing on your home screen or outside any app.
• OTP messages you didn't request, or alerts about new sign-ins to your accounts.
• Messages or calls you didn't make, or friends receiving strange links from your number.
• Settings changing by themselves: call forwarding turned on, a new device admin app, or unknown linked devices on WhatsApp.

One sign alone is rarely proof: an old battery or a buggy app update can cause drain. Several signs together deserve action.

How phones actually get hacked

• Installing an APK file sent on WhatsApp or Telegram (fake "bank KYC," "electricity bill," "wedding invitation" or "traffic challan" apps are very common in India).
• Screen-sharing apps such as AnyDesk installed at a scammer's request during a "customer support" call.
• Phishing links that steal your Google, Apple or WhatsApp login.
• Sharing an OTP with someone on the phone, which lets them take over an account.
• Physical access: someone who knows your PIN installs a tracking app.

How to check an Android phone

1. Review apps: Settings > Apps > See all apps. Look for anything unfamiliar and uninstall it.
2. Check Accessibility: Settings > Accessibility > Installed (or Downloaded) apps. Banking malware abuses Accessibility to read your screen and tap buttons. Only trusted apps should be listed.
3. Check device admin apps: search Settings for "Device admin apps" and turn off anything you don't recognize; then uninstall it.
4. Run Google Play Protect: open the Play Store, tap your profile icon > Play Protect > Scan.
5. Check your Google account: visit myaccount.google.com > Security, review "Your devices" and recent security activity, and remove unknown devices.

How to check an iPhone

1. Look for configuration profiles: Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. Remove any profile you didn't install (unless it's from your employer).
2. Run Safety Check: Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check to see who has access to your location and data, and revoke it.
3. Review your Apple Account devices: Settings > [your name], scroll to the device list and remove anything unknown.
4. Update iOS: Settings > General > Software Update. Updates patch the flaws spyware relies on.
5. High-risk users (journalists, activists, executives) can turn on Lockdown Mode under Privacy & Security.

Check WhatsApp and call forwarding

• WhatsApp: Settings > Linked devices. Log out of any computer or browser you don't recognize. Then turn on Two-step verification (Settings > Account) and add a passkey.
• Call forwarding: scammers sometimes trick people into dialing a code that forwards calls (and OTP calls) to them. Check your phone's call settings for forwarding, or dial *#21# to see the status. Dialing ##002# cancels all call forwarding on most Indian and GSM networks.

What to do if your phone is hacked

1. Disconnect: turn on Airplane mode to stop data leaving the phone.
2. Secure your money first: call your bank to block cards and UPI if you see unauthorized transactions. In India, call 1930 immediately; the first hours matter for freezing stolen money.
3. Remove the bad app using the steps above. On Android, if it won't uninstall, restart in Safe Mode and remove it there.
4. Change passwords from another, clean device: email first, then banking, social media and cloud accounts. Turn on two-step verification or passkeys.
5. Factory reset if in doubt: back up photos and contacts (not apps or APK files), then reset. Restore only apps from the Play Store or App Store.
6. Keep the phone updated and never install apps from links again.

Where to report

India

• Financial fraud: call the national helpline 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in.
• Fraud calls, SMS and WhatsApp messages: report them on Chakshu in the Department of Telecommunications' Sanchar Saathi portal or app (sancharsaathi.gov.in).
• SIM cards in your name: Sanchar Saathi also shows all mobile connections registered to your ID, so you can report numbers you don't own.
• Lost or stolen phone: block it through Sanchar Saathi after filing a police complaint.

United States

• Report scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
• If your identity was misused, use IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
• Report internet crime to the FBI at ic3.gov.
• Ask your carrier to add a SIM PIN or port-out lock to block SIM-swap attacks.

FAQ

Can a phone be hacked just by answering a call?

For ordinary users, practically no. Normal calls can't install malware. The danger is what callers persuade you to do: share an OTP, install an app or open a link.

Can someone hack my phone through WhatsApp?

Mostly through tricks: fake APK files, phishing links, or asking for your six-digit WhatsApp code. Never share that code, and keep two-step verification on.

Does a factory reset remove spyware?

Yes, for almost all malware. Change your account passwords afterwards, because the attacker may still have your login details.

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