You can tell if your iPhone is hacked by looking for several warning signs and performing some checks: Common Signs Your iPhone May Be Hacked:
- Your iPhone’s battery drains quickly or it overheats, indicating background malicious activity. Performance may also slow down, with apps taking longer to open or webpages loading slowly
- Unfamiliar apps appear on your home screen that you did not install. These apps might be used by hackers to spy on you or steal data
- Your contacts report receiving spam or strange messages from you that you didn’t send. Check your sent messages and call logs for unknown outgoing messages or calls
- You notice higher-than-normal data usage without increased activity on your part, which may mean malware is sending your data out
- You see intrusive pop-ups or fake security alerts claiming your iPhone is hacked, often trying to trick you into installing fake antivirus software
- You get locked out of your Apple ID or receive notifications that your Apple ID was used to sign in on unknown devices
- Unauthorized purchases appear on your Apple ID or linked payment methods
- Your camera or microphone indicator lights turn on unexpectedly, signaling possible spying
How to Check More Specifically:
- Review installed configuration profiles in Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. Unknown profiles could give hackers control
- Check devices connected to your Apple ID in Settings > Apple ID. Remove any you don’t recognize
- Review app permissions under Settings > Privacy & Security to ensure apps don’t have unnecessary access to your microphone, camera, etc.
- Check battery usage in Settings > Battery to identify apps consuming excessive power
- Use special USSD codes to detect call forwarding or redirection that hackers might have set up:
- Dial *#062# to check if calls/texts are redirected.
- Dial *#61# to check missed call forwarding.
- Dial *#21# to check if calls are tracked.
- Dial ##002# to reset all call forwarding settings
If you confirm your iPhone is hacked, immediately delete unknown apps, change your Apple ID password, and consider performing a factory reset after backing up your data
. In summary, signs like rapid battery drain, unknown apps, strange messages, increased data use, unexpected pop-ups, Apple ID issues, and unauthorized purchases strongly indicate your iPhone may be compromised
. Checking settings for unknown profiles and devices, reviewing app permissions, and using diagnostic codes can help confirm and address the problem.
