How to make sure no sneaky smartphone apps are eavesdropping on you
Whether you’re partial to iPhone or Android, the risk of running into malware apps is very real. And while it might be higher for Android users, hackers continue to hunt for iPhone vulnerabilities as Apple patches old ones. One thing malware apps might be after is your personal data, which involves spying on users with the help of the camera and/or microphone.
Thankfully, there are ways to detect when third-parties are accessing the camera and mic on iPhone and Android. And that’s the kind of basic security checkup you should occasionally perform to ensure that no app is attempting to eavesdrop on you.
Access to the microphone for apps that shouldn’t have it or that don’t have any microphone-related functionality should be a red flag. Those apps could theoretically eavesdrop on you if they can access the microphone.
As you use your phone, you’ll be granting apps access to the microphone left and right. Video chat apps like Zoom or messengers like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger want access to the microphone. Add apps that let you record video and voice, like Instagram and TikTok, to the list as well.
Revoke microphone permissions
That’s why you should remember to check from time to time which apps have access to the microphone.
Here’s how to do it on iPhone:
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll to Privacy & Security
- Tap Microphone
- Review the apps that have access to your microphone and toggle them on or off
Here’s how to do it on an Android handset:
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Privacy
- Tap Permission Manager
- Tap on Microphone
- Review the apps that have access to your microphone and toggle them on or off
Another way to do it is to go to the Applications Manager section of the Settings app. In there, you’ll want to tap on each app and see which of them have access to the microphone.
Check on camera and location access
You should rinse and repeat those steps for camera and location access.
Not all apps that want access to these…
