These days, there is no need to hire a private detective to know the whereabouts and linkups of a person, thanks to the release of the alarmingly high rate of phone spyware. Techspirited will tell you how to detect and remove spyware from an iPhone.
Jailbreak in iPhone
Jailbreaking is a method in which you run modified firmware on the iPhone, which otherwise, the iOS doesn’t allow you to access due to potential malware. Jailbreaking allows the user to run unsigned software on his iPhone. Spyware is installed on iPhone through jailbreaks.
This article is for all those people whose iPhone is being accessed by their jealous or possessive significant other, or by a friend, boss, or relative who has always been nosy into their private affairs. There is a great possibility of your iPhones being jailbroken, in order to use it to spy on you.
Installing spyware on an iPhone can provide access to the victim’s text messages, call logs, e-mails, banking passwords, and even the current location can be traced with a spyware.
Technology has improved and upgraded to such an extent that these days, people don’t even know by whom are they being watched. Did you know that people who secretively install spyware software on the phone, are in most cases, the ones whom the victim trusted the most and least expected to spy on his or her private life? The fact that iPhone does not have any software, which can detect such spyware, is all the more threatening.
But hey, relax! Here we will not only tell you how to understand if your iPhone is being used to spy on you, but also methods for removing spyware from your iPhone. The most important aspect while detecting spyware on an iPhone is to recall if the iPhone had physical access by a second person. Spyware can be installed by a person with an average knowledge about jailbreaking. This procedure does not take more than 5 minutes.
Signs that Your iPhone has a Spyware Installed
☞ Watch out for unexplained heating up of the iPhone even when not in use and poor battery backup in spite of frequent charging of the phone. The reason for poor battery levels is that a lot of data has to be monitored by the spyware and sent to the installer’s phone. This recedes the battery life.
☞ Check if your display screen shows a data transfer icon even when the data transfer is ticked ‘off’ and the Internet is not in use. If it does, the possibility of the spyware being installed shoots up all the more.
☞ Freezing of the iPhone, sudden shutdowns, slow restarts, excessive usage of Internet data, and huge bills for texts and calls, which don’t match the rate of utility of the iPhone, is another shout out from your phone, indicating that something’s wrong.
☞ Look for signs of jailbreak and search for the Cydia App (software which allows the jailbroken iPhone to install apps) icon on your home screen. If this app doesn’t show on the home screen, then search for it in “applications.” Nevertheless, if you yourself have jailbroken your phone in the past, then this pointer for detecting spyware should be avoided.
Show the Spyware its Way Out
☞ They say, prevention is better than cure. So, always keep your iPhone password protected. From your display screen to all the other applications, make sure that you keep everything protected with a password. And if possible, try keeping your phone to yourself and don’t let it out to people, unless there is an emergency.
☞ Delete applications and programs that are not installed by you. But updating or clearing data will not solve the entire problem. Sync your data, for example, your contacts, and photos (not your applications) with iTunes. Now, with the help of iTunes, restore your data. This way, all your data and purchased applications will be restored. The reason for not syncing your applications with iTunes is that, doing so will take a backup of the spyware as well.
☞ Avoid jailbreaking your iPhone. iPhones that are jailbroken are more susceptible to spyware. Always have an antivirus installed in your iPhone.
☞ To conclude on the pointers of removal of spyware from an iPhone, remember that a simple update of the iOS will paralyze the spyware, rendering it useless.
So the next time you feel that you are being spied on, you definitely know how to ward off the trouble. Removing spyware from an iPhone is easy, but we suggest that always secure your phone with tricky passwords and stay away from your possessive exes.