Warning Signs That Your iPhone Is Being Tracked

One of the scariest situations many of us can imagine is finding out someone has been tracking us via our iPhones for some time — and has been listening to our calls, intercepting our messages, and more.

Terrifying thought, for sure. But if you’re paying attention and know some of the signs and what to look for, you’ll find your phone will let you know that something isn’t quite right. As the experts at Payette Forward explain, there are warning signs you’ll notice if someone is tracking you on your iPhone. They aren’t always subtle, and some may go right over your head. Don’t blame yourself — it may take some time to realize something has been amiss.

If someone is tracking your iPhone and compromising your data and privacy , it’s more than likely one of these warning signs will clue you in.

1. Increased Battery Usage

If your phone has always required four charges per day to keep it powered, there’s a chance you simply use several resource-intensive apps that have drained it of power. But if you’ve been noticing lately that your device suspiciously drops in battery power and you haven’t done anything differently, such as download new apps or increase your screen brightness, there’s a chance someone could be tracking your phone.

Go to Settings > Battery and check your battery usage over the past 10 days. If there are unexpected spikes in your usage or you see apps that you didn’t download yourself, that’s a red flag. Someone could be tracking your iPhone.

2. Your Phone Constantly Heats Up

There are several reasons why your phone could be heating up at strange times. If its battery is starting to degrade, whether from age or incorrect charging habits, this can cause your device to get hotter. Using several resource-intensive apps at once may also do it. But if you’ve corrected these potential issues, or these aren’t issues at all for you, a heated phone is a sign of a process running in the background, and it might mean someone is tracking you. Pay particular attention to this if your device heats up even when you aren’t using it.

3. Email Forwarding

The sooner you can make certain that your emails are staying in your email and not being shared with anyone else, the better you can rest. Each email provider will have different steps on how to check email forwarding. But since Gmail is one of the most popular, the experts at Payette Forward recommend going to Settings in Gmail, clicking on the “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” tab, and checking the Forwarding settings. If anyone’s email is in this slot and it is enabled, disable it immediately and save the settings. This will stop your emails from being forwarded to someone who is tracking them.

Even if the risk of your phone being tracked is low, it’s always a smart idea to stay aware of some common red flags and take action if you suspect your phone has been compromised.