To know if your iPhone is being tracked, look for quick battery drain, high data usage, or unexplained apps; check the Find My app's People tab and Settings > Privacy > Location Services/Tracking, disable unknown devices in Settings > [Your Name] > Devices, and look for orange/green dots (mic/camera use). The best defenses are changing your Apple ID password and using Safety Check to review sharing permissions.
Scan for malware
Spyware or tracking apps can run in the background without your knowledge, collecting data like your location, messages, and browsing activity.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking. The list shows the apps that requested permission to track you. You can turn permission on or off for any app on the list. To stop all apps from asking permission to track you, turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track (at the top of the screen).
Keep an eye out for significant changes in device temperature and battery life, as these might indicate remote access. During calls, pay attention to any strange noises or voices, as they could indicate unauthorized call monitoring or recording. Be cautious of increased service messages and pop-up ads.
Three-finger gestures on iPhone primarily activate accessibility features like VoiceOver (for screen reading and navigation) and Zoom (magnification), allowing scrolling, zooming, and text manipulation (copy/paste/undo) with specific taps and drags, though some text actions work without VoiceOver enabled for quick editing. Common gestures include three-finger double-tap to toggle VoiceOver speech, triple-tap for the screen curtain, and pinching/spreading with three fingers for copy/paste actions, notes this YouTube video.
5 signs your phone is possibly being tracked
To stop sharing your location with certain apps and services, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, then choose the apps and services you want to stop sharing with. Tap the app name, then under Allow Location Access, select Never.
This makes us wonder—"How can someone read your text messages without your phone?" Believe it or not, it's possible. Hackers, stalkers, and even people close to you may find ways to bypass modern security measures. Here are three major signs that someone might be monitoring your messages—and what you can do about it.
Yes, resourceful cybercriminals have ways to mirror a victim's phone without their knowledge. Once the device is mirrored, the attacker can spy on the victim's screen, tracking their every action.
Use an anti-tracking extension in your preferred browser
An anti-tracking browser extension like the Ghostery Tracker & Ad Blocker can be installed on your preferred browser to block ads and trackers. Our browser extension is free to use and is rated as one of the best anti-tracking extensions on the market today.
On an iPhone, dialing *#21# is a USSD code used to check the status of your unconditional call forwarding, revealing if your calls, SMS, or data are being redirected and to which number, without actually changing settings; it's a simple privacy check to see if someone has secretly set your phone to forward everything, though it doesn't detect advanced spyware. Dialing this code brings up a message from your carrier about your call forwarding status, often showing "Disabled" or a specific number if it's active.
If you previously received an unwanted tracking notification and want to review the information again, do one of the following:
If you think your phone is being tracked, check for where spyware could be installed on your phone and remove it. Better yet, install an anti-spyware tool to protect against future spyware infections. Use an anti-spyware tool that can search your device for signs that your phone is infected.
No, your iPhone doesn't send a notification when someone simply checks your location in the standard Find My app, but you can see if you've set up location alerts, or if someone uses the newer Precision Finding feature to find you nearby, which does trigger a notification. Otherwise, your best bet is to monitor for significant battery drain or check Location Services in Privacy settings for unusual activity.
Shutting down your phone's location settings blocks apps from accessing your GPS information. While this can prevent unwanted location tracking, it also means you can't use phone features that rely on GPS — such as maps, fitness, and augmented reality apps.
Open your device's Settings app. Google Location Sharing. Tap the list of people you share your location with. Find the person you want to stop sharing with.
To check if your phone is hacked, look for signs like rapid battery drain, unexpected data spikes, new apps you didn't install, strange pop-ups, slow performance, or weird noises on calls, then use reputable antivirus software, check your account activity, and dial codes like *#21# to see if calls are being forwarded, taking steps like changing passwords and resetting to factory settings if needed.
A device that is infected with malware or spyware can track your location even if your location settings are turned off. Malware can also record your online activities, allow cybercriminals to steal personal information, and slow down your operating system.
What Does ##002# Really Do? 🔐📞 ##002# instantly cancels all call forwarding on your phone — busy, unreachable, or no-answer. It's a simple way to reset settings and protect your privacy.
*3001#12345#* on an iPhone activates the hidden Field Test Mode, a diagnostic tool for network engineers and power users to see detailed cellular data like signal strength (dBm), cell tower info, and network quality, accessible by dialing the code in the Phone app and pressing call, often after turning off Wi-Fi for accurate cellular readings.
You can double-tap or triple-tap the back of iPhone to perform actions such as taking a screenshot, turning on an accessibility feature, running a shortcut, and more. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap. Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap, then choose an action.
Messages automatically uses the following screen effects for specific text strings: