Cellphone hacked? - these are typical signs

Cybercrime is an increasing problem: millions of cell phones are hacked and the first signs are often not properly recognized. That is why we show you in this practical tip which typical signs of a hacked mobile phone you should recognize.

How to protect yourself from hacking your phone: prevention

You can protect yourself against a hacker attack with the following measures:

• Turn off the Bluetooth on your device when you are not using it. This makes it difficult for possible hackers to access the cell phone.
• Have you installed the latest software updates? Regularly update your apps to the latest status.
• Set up a third-party lock to avoid hidden subscriptions.
• Do not open phishing emails or messages that you think are dubious.
• Install an antivirus program on your smartphone. This allows the system to recognize malicious apps in good time and prevent them from being installed.

Android: Typical signs of a hacked cell phone

Hackers often have an easy time on mobile phones with the popular Android operating system. The OS is open and unauthorized apps from dubious sources quickly land on the phone. Apps from the controlled Google Play Store are also not always safe.

• First of all, lock your device for apps from unknown sources. You can do this in the settings under "Security". Only download apps from the Google Play Store or known and secure sites, such as the CHIP download portal "best apps".
• If it's already too late and you feel like you've been hacked, you should take a look at your cell phone bill. Malicious apps often send expensive SMS or make calls to premium numbers without being noticed. You can block access by third parties through your mobile service provider.
• Control the data usage of your apps. If you find apps in the settings under "Mobile data" or "Data usage" that consume a particularly large amount of data for no apparent reason, you should pay close attention. Here data could be forwarded to hackers.
• You should also check your money and mail account, which is on your phone. Detect unauthorized access or unusual movements here, change the passwords and have an antivirus program check your cell phone. If in doubt, you should even block bank accounts.
• A noticeably slower performance can also be a sign of a hack. Malware often runs as an invisible process in the background, but it gnaws at the overall performance of the phone.
• As mentioned in the previous point, malware affects performance - this also applies to the battery. If it suddenly empties much faster or becomes particularly warm, your phone could be infected by a virus.
• You could even see a hack while talking on the phone - if you frequently drop calls or hear strange noises on the line.
• If you recognize apps on your phone that you haven't downloaded yourself, consider a hack. Adware or other malicious apps are often downloaded.
• When surfing, many websites suddenly look completely different than usual? This could also be a sign of a virus that affects the data exchange between the servers of a website and your cell phone.
• Probably the clearest indication of a virus or hacks: pop-ups. If windows suddenly open that don't appear to come from a specific and reputable app, you should be careful.
• With antivirus programs, it is easy to detect malicious apps and, if necessary, free the cell phone from the clutches of the hackers. A recommendation from our editorial team is the reliable service "Avast Security & Booster".

Typical signs of a hacked Apple iPhone

• The same applies to iPhones as to Android phones: only download apps from secure sources, use anti-virus programs and regularly check your accounts for unusual movements.
• However, Apple makes it extremely difficult for hackers to take control of your phone. The app store is well secured and every app is checked manually by Apple.
• If you don't have a jailbroken iPhone right now, don't worry. If you've jailbroken your iPhone, you should follow the steps above.

The phone was hacked: You should do this:

The following tips should be used if your cell phone has been hacked:

• First reset the phone.
• Change any passwords related to your cell phone.
• Format the SD card if there is one.
• If the above points do not work, it is best to contact a specialist.

In the next practical tip, we will show you how to use a tool to check your cell phone for viruses.