As hackers continue to improve their methods, it can be tricky to tell if your phone has been compromised. But, despite their sneaky tactics there are some telltale signs to know if you are being tracked.

Unusual Battery Drain. One of the most common signs that your phone is being tracked is an unusual battery drain.

Tracking apps use GPS, and other sensors in your phone to collect data, and this process consumes a lot of battery power. So, if you notice that your phone is losing its charge quickly, it is a good idea to check if there is any tracking app installed on your device.

Data Usage If you notice a sudden increase in data usage on your phone, it could be a sign that your phone is being tracked. Tracking apps use your phone’s data connection to send data to the person tracking you.

Unusual Background Noise If you hear unusual background noise while making a phone call, it could be a sign that your phone is being tracked. Tracking apps use the microphone in your phone to record your conversations, and this can cause background noise.

Slow Performance If your phone’s performance has become slow and sluggish, it could be a sign that your phone is being tracked. Tracking apps use a lot of system resources, which can cause your phone to become slow and unresponsive.

Pop-Ups and Ads If you notice that your phone is displaying pop-ups and ads more frequently than usual, it could be a sign that your phone is being tracked. Tracking apps can display pop-ups and ads on your phone to collect data or generate revenue.

Phone Temperature If your phone feels warmer than usual, it could be a sign that there is a tracking app running in the background. Tracking apps use a lot of processing power, which can cause your phone to become warmer than usual.

Unfamiliar Apps Noticed any unfamiliar apps on your phone. It could be a sign that your phone is being tracked.

So, if you see any unfamiliar apps on your phone, it is a good idea to check them for any tracking features. 8.

Tracking apps can send commands and messages to your phone to control it remotely. So, if you receive any unusual or suspicious messages, it is a good idea to check your phone for any tracking apps.

Luckily, there are warning signs that you can pick up on that will alert you that there may be spyware infecting your device and monitoring your activities. While some signs are tougher to pick up on than others, if you stay aware of how your device usually performs, you can detect if something is going on with your device.

1) Unusually High Data Usage Has your monthly data usage spiked recently. Is your device suddenly using more data than normal, bumping up against your monthly data allotment, yet you haven’t changed your online habits.

Lower-quality spy tools will try to send as much data about your device back to their home base (AKA the bad guys) as they possibly can. This can use large amounts of data.

This makes detection a bit tougher. It all comes down to making sure that you stay aware of your monthly data usage and pay close attention to any sudden spikes in usage that you might see.

This means you can quickly check data usage without the need to search around on your provider’s website or app for data usage information. How to Check Cellular Data Usage on Android To check your cellular data usage on an Android 10 device, do the following.

Tap “Mobile Network” (It’s in the “Network &amp. Internet” section.) On the Mobile Network screen, tap “App Data Usage.” Here, you can view your current cellular app data usage.

(The process should be similar on other versions of iOS and on iPads running iPadOS.): Open the iOS 16 Settings app. Tap the “Cellular” menu option.

On the Usage screen, you can view the data usage for the current month. 2) Cell Phone Shows Signs of Activity in Standby Mode While you should expect your iPhone or Android phone screen to light up when you receive an incoming call, message, or most other types of notifications, your smartphone’s screen shouldn’t be lighting up for no reason while it’s in standby mode.

3) Unexpected Reboots Is your smartphone rebooting for no obvious reason or without you manually rebooting it. Someone may have unauthorized remote access to your smartphone.

This would also indicate they have all sorts of other access to your device and the personal data stored on it. It could also mean the latest app or operating system you recently downloaded has a bug in it.

See if you can duplicate the device reboot by using the app that was open when it happened. On your Android device, you can to scan your device.

4) Odd Sounds During Calls In the days of analog cell phone networks, weird noises in the background and unstable connections were to be expected. However, today’s all-digital cell networks usually provide connections that are stable and mostly noise-free.

5) Unexpected Text Messages Have you either received unexpected messages with weird characters in them or have your friends or other parties reported receiving weird or offensive messages from your phone. This can be a sign that you have spyware or malware installed on your smartphone.

If the victim taps the link, the worm can infect their smartphone. On your Android device, you can install and run security software such as antivirus or anti-malware to scan your device.

Also, be wary of clicking links in these text messages, as such links can also be used to scam you via phishing schemes to steal your personal and/or business information. This is true on both the Android and iOS device platforms.

Or, it could mean that your device is infected with spyware, and the additional load it’s putting on your smartphone is draining the battery quicker than usual. Spyware monitors all of your on-device activities and sends information about these activities back to the bad actors that infected your device.

Taking screenshots, copying and pasting text, recording your conversations, and possibly taking photos or recording video can eat up battery life at an alarming rate. This is especially obvious when your smartphone is supposedly idle.

Then, monitor the battery usage. Sorry iPhone users, your device’s batteries are not removable.

Users running iOS 14 and up can take advantage of a privacy feature that alerts you when an app on your device is using its camera or microphone.

On the iPhone, do the following: Open the Settings app. Tap “Privacy” (“Privacy &amp.

Tap either “Microphone” or “Camera” in the privacy menu. On the next page, you can view which apps have access to the selected feature.

On an Android Device, do the following: These instructions are for generic Android 10. The steps will be similar for customized versions of Android 10 or for other versions of Android.

Go to the Settings app. Tap “Privacy.” Tap “Permission Manager.” Tap “Camera” or “Microphone.” Here, you can view which apps have access to the selected feature.

7) Increasing Battery Temperature in Idle Mode While increased battery temperature can be a sign of multiple technical issues, it can also indicate that unauthorized activities, like spyware activities, are occurring in the background. If you haven’t used your smartphone recently, and it’s just been sitting idle on your desk, it shouldn’t be warm or hot to the touch.

8) Increased Device Shut Down Time Your smartphone, much like a Mac or Windows PC, attempts to shut down all active processes before turning itself off or when it is rebooted. And, much like your computer, occasionally those processes can hang up and either prevent or greatly slow the shutdown process.

You may notice that your smartphone takes longer than usual to shut down right after you’ve finished an active period with your mobile phone. This could mean the spyware is working in the background, saving its ill-gotten information and sending it back to home base.

Again, this can be caused by a harmless app misbehaving, but if it just started happening recently, or is happening more often than not, your device might be infected with spyware. (Did anyone else hear Jeff Foxworthy say that last sentence in their head.

Okay.) 10) Your Cell Phone is Growing Increasingly Slower High-end smartphones made in the last five years or so should run fast and not show many performance issues during day-to-day use. If you notice your smartphone is lagging, performing much worse than usual, or is suddenly running out of resources like memory or storage space, it might be infected with spyware.

But, if you pay attention to how your smartphone usually performs, you can usually tell if something is going on.

Unfortunately, hackers may easily get access to your phone. For them, it may be as easy as requiring you to click a link or install an app.

Sometimes, you may not even be aware that it is there. So, how can you find malware on an iPhone or an Android device.

For iPhone: Jailbreak: Apple does not allow the installation of spying or monitoring technologies. Because of this, if someone wants to put surveillance software on your phone, they must jailbreak it first.

While jailbreaking an iPhone may improve access to iOS’s fundamental features, it exposes your device to several security dangers. After jailbreaking the iPhone, installing surveillance software becomes pretty simple.

Your data and user accounts will be vulnerable to hackers. While attempting to jailbreak your iPhone, it may become unusable.

Because of this, if you discover the Cydia software on your iPhone and you didn’t jailbreak your device, it implies someone else did it secretly and maliciously. Accept invitations from find my iPhone without knowing: By default, you cannot tell the device is being seen with Find My iPhone.

Using free/open/public WiFi spots: A public WiFi Internet connection implies that hackers can read your data since it does not need authentication. Additionally, the administrator of the WiFi network may be able to observe the websites you visit and may even sell your information.

But like jailbreaking, rooting Android comes with several security dangers. You would send updates to you over the air or OTA.

After rooting, rogue software may install certain more harmful applications without your awareness. Viruses and Trojans may attack your device.

In reality, they are still active and vulnerable to misuse.

There are several indicators that can point towards the presence of spy software on your iPhone. Some of the most common ones include the following: 1 Noise During a Call Hearing background noise when making or receiving a call can be as a result of a poor connection.

This is because some spy software can record phone calls which can cause the noises you hear during a call. These noises can range anywhere from beeping, static, clicking and even actual voices.

If you notice that you all of a sudden have to charge you battery more often than you use to, it is very likely that someone is tracking your iPhone. Although this is an indicator, it is worth noting that your battery life will diminish as your device gets older.

3 Increase in iPhone Data Usage If you have noticed a sudden spike in the data usage on your iPhone, this is also an indicator of the presence of spy software on your device. There are certain types of Spy software that require an internet connection to send the collected data to whoever is tracking your device.

To assess the amount of data being used, use an app like Data Usage for iPhone to track your data usage. 4 iPhone Shuts Down Randomly Does your iPhone sometimes shutdown even when it is fully charged.

Low-quality spy software can cause your device to malfunction, thereby causing it to shut down at inopportune moments. 5 Too Many Strange Messages in Your Inbox If your inbox is filled with too many odd messages that contain some type of code, it is an indication that there’s a spyware tool on your smartphone.

6 Overheating of the Device How to tell if your cell phone is being tracked. Check your device’s temperature.

If you have experienced a sudden increase in battery temperatures in idle mode, beware of spying software that’s sending data to another device. 7 Strange Browser History One of the quickest way to check if your cell phone has been tracked or not is to check your phone’s browser history.

8 Look for Suspicious Apps An easier way to check if you’re being tracked is to browse your device’s application list. If there’s any suspicious app installed on your device, there’s a good chance that it’s being used to monitor your activities.

For instance, the screen may start to become unresponsive or the settings may start to change automatically. This type of behavior indicates that your device is being tracked remotely.

Use a root file explorer and look into different folders on your device. If you find any files named as “stealth”, “spy”, or “mobile spy”, understand that you are being monitored by someone.

— –> If you notice that your iPhone’s battery is draining unusually fast, it could be a sign that your device is being tracked.

In some cases, the tracking software may even prevent your device from entering sleep mode, causing the battery to deplete quickly.

If you have granted location access to your friends or family, they can see where you are through the app. To see who can track your location, open up the ‌Find My‌ app and tap on the “People” tab.

A person who is able to see your location will be denoted with “Can see your location.” If you tap on any person’s name in the list, you can get to settings that will let you stop sharing on an individual basis. Just tap on “Stop Sharing My Location” to block that person from seeing where you are.

You can also get to these settings by opening up the Settings app, going to the Privacy section, selecting Location Services, and then choosing “Share My Location.” This will list family and friends who are able to see your location. Tap on any name in the list to get to an option where you can toggle off location sharing.

Data Saver. To turn this on, select Settings, tap Network &amp.

When you put your phone down and stop using it, it should remain inactive. However, if it lights up and shows signs of activity, that’s a sign that.

Many spyware apps require a surprising amount of power. If your phone struggles to hold a charge, it may be a sign that your phone is running background tracking from a known app or perhaps stalkerware.

Finding trackers on your phone can sometimes be tough—especially if you have a lot of apps on your phone. We recommend periodically reviewing all the apps on your device under phone Settings.

That could’ve been your phone notifying you that someone was spying on you. Android 12 devices have privacy identifiers that notify you when an app is collecting your camera or audio data.

Here’s what each indicator means: Is your phone suddenly slowing way down.

If your phone is being tracked or monitored, the responsible apps can eat up your available RAM and slow down the phone significantly or even freeze or crash it. Certain apps may need access to some of your phone’s features.

For example, it makes sense for a social media app to ask for camera access.

If an app sends you strange permission requests, it may be trying to spy on you. For instance, an app built for setting reminders doesn’t need camera access.

If this is happening to your phone and you’ve ruled out other causes, like damage or an out-of-date operating system, it could be a sign that your phone is infected with spyware. Are you suddenly aware of some added noises while calling someone—even when you are in a quiet space.

The good news is that you can detect a tracker on your phone by checking if. Related to excessive RAM usage, spyware can cause your battery to overheat.

This one can be either a phishing scam or possible stalkerware. Beware if you receive strange texts with links or coded messages from unknown numbers or at unexpected times (e.g., a surprise text message from the IRS—hint: they’ll never text you.

If you believe your phone is being monitored, take steps to identify and remove the spyware app. Tip.

If you notice anything strange or suspicious on websites you visit, like an unusual amount of pop-up ads, you’ve probably been hacked. Another telltale sign to look out for is websites you haven’t accessed showing up in your browser.

You could also be redirected to unsafe websites when your phone has been compromised. To avoid falling victim to spyware in this way, don’t click on suspicious or unknown links you receive via email or social media.

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It makes sense that manufacturers, brands, and companies wish to track your phone and collect your data as well as your behaviors. However, someone may abuse the information.

A few signs can be helpful and let’s see what they are. Sign 1: Unknown Apps Without malicious software, others cannot track your phone.

If you see an unknown app on your device, chances are that your phone is tracked by someone else. On Android: Open the Settings app, tap ,App Management or Apps, and then press See All Apps or App Settings to get the entire list of installed apps on your phone.

Now, you can see the app list and the storage that each app uses. Sign 2: Battery Drain One of the significant signs that tell someone is tracking your phone is a sudden battery drain.

It works in the background, runs your GPS, and does other things. Fortunately, it is not difficult to learn battery usage on iPhone and Android devices.

Now, you can see the battery usage of your device and each app on your phone. On iPhone: Run the Settings app and tap Battery.

Sign 3: Abnormal Internet Traffic Since spy software needs to send your information out, so you may notice excessive data usage on your phone if your phone is tracked. Therefore, you should check your data usage regularly.

Press Mobile data usage, and check the data usage for the current month. On iPhone: Start the Settings app, tap Cellular, Mobile Data, or Cellular Data depending on the version of your iOS, scroll down, and tap Usage to learn data usage on your iPhone.

Some malicious software may load up phishing sites or nasty portals remotely. On Android: Open Chrome or another browser on your Android, tap the Options icon at the top right corner and choose History.

On iPhone: Head to your Settings app, tap Safari, scroll down and press Advanced, and choose Website Data. Then you should see all browser history.

If hardware issues have been dispatched, it means that someone is tracking your phone.

Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) is a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) protocol. It is used for communicating with your mobile network operator using text messages.

Here are some USSD codes that can help you determine if your phone is being hacked. Code *#06# for IMEI Check: IMEI is an abbreviation that means International Mobile Equipment Identity.

It doesn’t provide any information about if your phone has been hacked, but that doesn’t mean it’s not useful. Your IMEI number is a code that helps you to check where your phone is.

All you need to find your IMEI number is to dial the code *#06#. If your phone’s battery is removable, you may be able to find it there.

One of the signs that you’re a victim of this attack is that your phone rings without you being notified of an incoming call in any other way. You can use the code *#61# to check your call forwarding settings.

*#062#: Redirection Code Whenever you notice that you aren’t getting all the calls and text messages your loved ones send, hackers might have tapped your phone to redirect them all. You can use the code *#062# to see if your calls get redirected when your phone is off.

Show who catches my phone data when I’m busy or reject the call: *#67# Like the redirection hack, sometimes hackers can pick up on calls you reject or the calls you get when you’re on another line. At that time, you can use the code *#67# to see the number that receives your unanswered calls.

of a wireless provider’s customers. That flaw falls mainly on the account owners for having easy-to-guess or , using passwords they’ve used on different accounts that were , or falling for or attacks.

With access to your cellular plan’s account, a hacker, or even a family member who has access to the account, can easily set up call-forwarding so that all incoming calls and texts go directly to them. They could even be more stealthy about it by only selecting to forward calls and texts when the user doesn’t answer or is unreachable in a no-service area.

An easier way for someone to reroute your calls is with direct access to the device, even if for a moment. They could simply go into your Settings app and change some call-forwarding rules.

The attacker could flip a switch there and add their number where needed. Using short codes would be even faster for someone targeting your calls and texts.

These short codes, also called feature access codes, quick codes, vertical service codes, star codes, pound codes, and self-service short codes, are used by all the major wireless carriers: AT&amp. T, Sprint (), T-Mobile, and Verizon.

In a newer attack vector, a hacker could to a professional SMS/MMS marketing app into redirecting all of your SMS/MMS text messages to them.

and activity using your IP address, Bluetooth technology, and GPS services. Smartphone tracking lets your apps provide you basic services, like the ability to find your location on Google Maps or search for restaurants nearby.

This article contains: This article contains: –> This article contains: Advertisers and companies also use smartphone tracking, but for commercial purposes — to understand their market better and deliver customers better goods and services. If you’ve noticed ads related to products or questions you’ve been searching for, that’s because businesses use.

That data is aggregated across millions of users who are then segmented and served targeted ads based on the various cohorts they’re bucketed into. How else is phone tracking data used and how much do ad companies know about you.

And Google has seemingly limitless data about how everyone uses the web. All of this tracking helps these companies create “advertising profiles” that they can use to target their ads.

While that may be creepy, there is also a real danger in your information leaking through these channels, like the recent. When that happens, can get a detailed picture of your browsing activity.

We’ll dive into. For now, install to encrypt your connection and stop your phone from being tracked.

Yes, family and friends can track your phone if you use location tracking services like Find My on your iPhone. Advertisers and companies can use technology like cookies to track your phone and online browsing activity.

Yasar Turanli/Shutterstock. Family sharing and FindMy are a good way for trackers to gain access to your Apple devices.

Most people do not check these very frequently, as they’re mostly used in emergencies or to update and add new members. As a result, this tool has a lot of access granted to a user’s account which can be used for nefarious means.

If you do find a device in there that you do not recognize, there is an easy way to remove the device. Head to Settings &gt.

Family Sharing. Click on the device you want to remove, then click “Remove from Family” to clear that device from your family sharing.

will allow you to reset your advertising ID and unlink any targeted advertising profiles associated with your gadgets. Here’s how to limit ad tracking on both iOS and Android:iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch Open Settings.Tap Privacy &amp.

You can also view your ad targeting info here.AndroidOpen the Settings app on your Android device.Scroll down and look for the Google or Google settings option and tap on it. In Google settings, scroll down and look for the Ads or Ads settings option and tap on it.You may be prompted to sign in to your Google account if you haven’t already done so.

Tap on this option.A confirmation dialog may appear, explaining the consequences of opting out of personalized ads. Read the information and tap OK or Opt out to proceed.

While there is no single method to prevent people from tracking your phone, there are steps you can take to restrict your location sharing and protect your GPS data.

By granting an app permission to use your location, you may be allowing it to track and store your GPS data even when you aren’t using it. Companies often sell this information to advertisers, hedge funds or other businesses that can profit from it.

People can still track your phone if location services are off, but the apps won’t be able to access your location.

Fortunately, there are ways to detect and remove spyware from your phone. The easiest way to do this is by installing a spyware removal tool.

However, some apps that advertise as antivirus tools are actually fake, so research reliable apps before you decide to download them. Use a Private Browser Popular internet browsers — like Google Chrome or Firefox — use your location to perform various tasks, from targeting ads to personalizing your search results.

To help prevent this, you can turn off location tracking in your browser’s privacy settings or switch to a private browser. like DuckDuckGo and MetaGer allow you to surf the web without collecting your IP address, location or search information.

Turn on Airplane Mode You can put your phone in airplane mode if you suspect that someone is using your online activity to track your device. This disconnects your phone from cellular networks and prevents some online services from accessing your location.

Remove Unfamiliar Apps An unfamiliar app or download that you didn’t install could be a sign that a hacker has infected your phone with spyware. Malicious downloads are designed to access and steal sensitive information like login credentials, digital activity and even GPS data.

Protect Your Google Account If you have a Google account, it’s important to check your location settings to ensure that you aren’t sharing your location with unwanted parties. If you’ve shared your location with someone in the past, they may still be able to access it through Google.

This can be helpful if you want to see where you’ve been or remember how to get somewhere, but it also leaves you vulnerable if someone hacks your Google account. To keep your Google account secure and protect your location information from attackers, remember to update your password and privacy settings regularly.

Use a VPN Using a reliable VPN is one of the best ways to prevent hackers, companies and advertisers from accessing your IP address and exact location. by encrypting your data and rerouting your online traffic through an outside server.

This ensures that your connection remains private and prevents hackers from accessing your location, IP address or online activity. Turn Off Your Phone If you discover that someone is tracking your phone and need a quick solution, turning it off completely will cut off communications with networks and GPS data.

This is helpful if you are in immediate danger or don’t have time to disable tracking services, but it isn’t a permanent solution. Once you turn your phone back on, you’ll need to take additional steps to secure your device and remove unwanted apps or malware.

Hackers commonly use public Wi-Fi to perform , and other types of cyberattacks designed to install malware or steal sensitive data. To reduce the risk of a hacker installing spyware on your phone, you should avoid public Wi-Fi whenever possible and only connect to password-protected networks.

To prevent people from using apps like Facebook or Instagram to track your location or collect sensitive data, you should disable location tracking. You can do this by turning off location sharing for social media apps in your phone settings.

This won’t completely prevent the app from storing your location data, but it can make it more difficult for other users to access it. Lock Your SIM Card Even if you’re not a smartphone user, hackers or government agencies can still track your device’s location by accessing your SIM card.

Your SIM card is unique to your device, and you can use it to track your phone’s location if it’s ever lost or stolen. Unfortunately, hackers can intercept communications between your SIM card and mobile provider to access your location information.

Before you do this, though, you’ll need to verify your SIM card’s default PIN (personal identification number). Most carriers use the same one for every device, but guessing the wrong one too many times could lock you out of your SIM card completely.

Once you know the default PIN, you can follow the steps below to lock your SIM card: Android Open your phone’s settings Click on Security or Biometrics and Security Click on Other Security Settings Select Set up SIM card lock Enable Lock SIM card Apple Open your phone’s settings Click on Cellular Select SIM PIN Enter the default PIN Once your SIM card is locked, you should change the PIN so people can’t access your device using the default version.

There are a number of different ways to remove spyware from Android and iOS phones. These include using security software, removing the problem app manually, and updating the operating system.

This will delete everything on the device and restore it to its factory settings, so it is the same as it was when it left the factory. You’ll lose all your data and apps on the device, but the spyware will be effectively removed.

If you do a factory reset, make a backup of your data (including photos) first. Don’t reinstall the same apps or software after the reset because you might reinstall the spyware too.

CAUTION: The perpetrator will probably become aware that you’ve removed the spyware because their information flow will dry up. In some situations, it may be safer for you not to remove the spyware.

How to Remove Spyware Apps on Android 1Use a Spyware Removal Tool The simplest way to remove spyware from your Android phone is to use software designed for the job. It will scan your device for spyware (and other types of malware) and remove it.

Unknown security apps may themselves carry malware. Here are some safe options: , which has a free option.

2Remove the App Manually You may be able to find the spyware app in the Application Manager and delete it manually. To do this: Start the phone in Safe Mode: Hold down the power button, then long-press Power Off.

Enter the Application Manager: Go into Settings &gt. Additional Settings &gt.

Search for potential spyware apps: Try searching for “spy,” “trojan,” “stealth,” and similar words. Surprisingly, this can sometimes reveal suspect apps on the device.

FlexiSpy, for example, uses the innocent-sounding “SyncManager” for its name. mSpy uses the name “Update service” to go undetected.

Remove any suspicious apps: Uninstall any apps you’re concerned about. If you can’t delete the app, it might have device administrator permissions.

Security &gt. Advanced &gt.

Choose to deactivate the app. You should then be able to delete the app by repeating the steps above.

The app you deleted should be gone. 3Update the operating system If there’s an update available, applying it can sometimes break the spyware app.

We therefore recommend you use this approach alongside another. 4Carry Out a Factory Reset This will wipe everything from your phone, including your data, and restore it to its original settings.

To do a factory reset on an Android phone: Go into Settings, select System, and then Reset Options. The option you need has two names, depending on which phone you’re using.

Tap Reset Device and enter your PIN or password to confirm. Your device will be restored to its original settings.

You can then choose to Keep Your Apps and Data if you want to restore from an old backup. If you do, make sure that this backup is not from a time when the spyware may have been on the system.

NOTE: Remember that your login details might have been compromised, so be sure to set up new passwords for your email, social media, ecommerce, and any other accounts. How to Remove Spyware Apps on iPhone 1Remove the Spyware Manually In the wrong hands, some of the parental control apps from the App Store can be misused to spy on your location.

To do this: View your installed apps: Go into Settings &gt. General &gt.

Search for any suspicious or unexpected apps: Look out for any unexpected parental control apps, such as mSpy, Find my Friends and Family, and Spy Phone Phone Tracker. You can also tap on an app to see how much space it occupies.

Before deleting, it’s worth doing a quick bit of research to determine whether the app is actually important to you. 2Update the Operating System Updating the operating system on your iPhone will reverse any jailbreaking and remove any unauthorized apps that were installed outside of the App Store.

There are two ways to update the iOS: Connect your phone to your computer and use the iTunes software on your computer to update your device. Click Check for Update.

If an update is available, tap Download and Install. When the update has downloaded, select Install Now.

It wipes everything from your phone, including your data, and restores it to its original settings. Be sure to copy any data you need (including photos) off the phone first.

There is an option to restore from a backup, which will reinstall the iPhone software but will put your backed-up data onto the phone again. This should remove unauthorized apps and reverse jailbreaking, but any authorized apps (such as parental control apps) may remain.

General &gt. Reset.

NOTE: Don’t forget that your login details might have been compromised as well. Be sure to set up new passwords for your email, social media, ecommerce, and any other accounts.