Eliminate a hacker from the Android mobile
Android it is an extremely customizable operating system, however its "open" nature makes it quite vulnerable to hacker attacks of various kinds: a little distraction and a few "risky" taps are enough to leave the field open to spies and malicious people. Below I show you all the methods to underste if you have fallen victim to a hacker e, possibly, get rid of it in a short time.
Check for suspicious apps
The first aspect I want to focus on concerns the apps installed on the victim's mobile phone: there are some software, in fact, designed for parental control or for act as an anti-theft device in case the device is stolen. Even if designed with the best of intentions, these apps can be exploited by bad guys to steal secret information and remotely take control of a smartphone.
Among the most popular apps of the genre I can mention you Qustodio, Norton Family Parental Control e Cerberus
To function properly, these apps need to get elevated administration privileges: therefore, to check if a hacker has installed such an app, you must first access the relevant section and check for the existence of rumors about it.
How? Simple: to get started, just tap on the icon Settings placed in the drawer of your Android phone (the area where the icons of the installed apps reside), then access the section Security> Administer Device (Or Other settings> Privacy> Device administration) and take a look at the list that opens on the screen.
If you notice the presence of one of the aforementioned apps, or any other "suspicious" app, then you are probably the victim of an attack: to immediately eliminate the hacker, revoke the access permissions to the apps in question by removing the check mark in correspondence of their respective names.
At this point, do not hesitate otherwise and perform the complete uninstallation of these apps using the procedure you would usually use: if it is the first time you uninstall an app, and you need specific instructions on how to proceed, I recommend that you conont mine in-depth guide on the subject.
In addition to the "legal" apps for parental control, I recommend that you also pay attention to the so-called spy-app! As the name implies, these are programs designed with the purpose of stealing information without permission in mind: two of the apps of this type are iKeyMonitor e mSpy, easily agolable on the net.
To work properly, most apps of this type require that i permits of root: thanks to them, spy apps can “hide” from the list of apps installed on the system, and appear with fake names among the running apps, thus making it difficult to detect.
Nevertheless, there are very specific methods that allow you to detect their presence: by exploiting the browser or dialer in system it is possible to access the secret configuration panel of the spy app, with the possibility of tracing the name used to enter the system and deactivate it directly. Below I show you the two most effective procedures.
- Start the phone dialer (i.e. the manual dialing screen) and enter the code * 12345: in this way, you should have access to the configuration panel of the spy app installed on your smartphone. Once in the panel, manually deactivate the app and identify the name with which it is present on the system, then uninstall it with the procedure you would usually use.
- If the above procedure has not worked, start the browser installed on the mobile phone and connected to the address localhost: 4444 or localhost: 8888: in this way, you should have access to the app management panel.
- If root permissions are already active on the mobile phone, start the app SuperUser / SuperSU and check the presence of any app-spy among the apps that have obtained root privileges: if the response is positive, immediately revoke the permissions to the offending apps and proceed with the uninstallation using the usual procedure.
Check running apps
Another way to track down any hacker intruders on your cell phone is to check the running processes, that is the apps currently active on the device: in this way, it is possible to find out what is acting on the smartphone in real time, eventually tracking down apps that have escaped the previous checks.
One of the best apps to view running processes on Android is System Monitor Lite, agolable for free on the Play Store. Once the app has been downloaded and installed, start it by recalling it from the drawer of your device, then press the button ☰ collocato in alto a left and selects the voice TOP APP attached to the panel that opens on the screen.
Once this is done, carefully check the list containing all the processes related to the apps launched in the system: if you encounter some "suspicious" reonts, do not hesitate to search Google for the name of the related process e, if it is a control app, delete it from your device immediately.
Disable installation from unknown sources
Usually, the apps with "criminal" intentions are not present on the Play Store: Google, to protect the integrity of the system and the safety of users, adopts a very restrictive policy on the apps hosted by the official market.
Numerous spy apps, on the other he, can be downloaded from alternative markets, taken from some dedicated spaces on the Internet or offered as sponsored downloads in some advertising circuits: in order to avoid the accidental setup of these contents, Android blocks by default the installation from unknown origins, i.e. the ability to install apps outside the Google Play Store.
If, for some reason, you have changed this setting in the past, you should disable the installation of apps external to the official Android store, in order to increase the security of your phone and make it less fertile for potential hackers.
Doing so is very simple: tap the icon Settings of Android, then go to the section Safety (Or Privacy and security or again, Additional Settings> Privacy) and deactivate the toggle next to the option Unknown origin, if this is active. In this way, the installation of apps not coming from the Google Play Store will be blocked automatically.
Scan with antimalware
If you have followed the instructions I have given you so far to the letter, you should have been able to eliminate any hackers from your phone and secure your data. What I advise you to do, at this point, is to download and install a good antimalware and perform a thorough scan: in this way, not only will you be able to get rid of any unwanted "residues", but you will be able to protect your device from any future attacks.
Di antivirus via Android there are so many suitable for this purpose: Avast, Bitdefender and AVG are just some of the names you can find around. How do you say? Not sure which one to choose? Do not worry, even in this case I have the solution for you: conont without hesitation my in-depth analysis on the best antivirus for Android e, I guarantee you, you will have clear ideas in no time!
Remove the root
As you probably already know, rooting on Android means obtaining high administrative privileges on the entire operating system, thus increasing the margins for modification and customization, both in terms of graphics and functionality. While this can be an advantage, the root can turn into a risk in no time at all: this procedure, in fact, can grant some apps privileges that they shouldn't have, allowing the reading and modification of areas of the system that, on the other he, should remain "hidden".
Let me explain: do you remember when, speaking of spy apps, I mentioned to you that these can only be efficient on terminals previously subjected to the root procedure? Well, this is a valid reason why you should run for cover: unless you are an expert on the subject and have no special needs, it would be better to remove the root from your device, so as to preserve the integrity of the operating system and restore those limitations that help protect the security of data and applications.
Rooting an Android device is generally a relatively simple procedure - all you need to do is launch the app SuperSU / SuperUser, go to the section Settings and select the option relating toUnroot complete, then following the simple on-screen instructions provided.
Unfortunately, I cannot be more precise about the procedure best suited to your device, as the various steps can change from case to case: I therefore recommend you to search on Google the most suitable procedure for your smartphone model (for example “remove the root from Huawei P10 Lite”).
Restore Android
You have followed to the letter all the advice I have given you so far, however you still have a very strong suspicion that a hacker is checking your phone and you cannot be calm. At this point, the advice I can give you is to restore eroid, formating the smartphone and restoring it to the factory state.
I know, it is a fairly drastic solution, but this guarantees you the complete elimination of the data and apps present in the system (including those that the attackers could use to spy on the device): immediately after the reset operation, the phone will return in the factory state, and you will be sure to have a clean smartphone in your hes and safe from prying eyes.
Restoring Android is relatively simple - all you have to do is save the data that is important to you, open the Settings of the device by touching the relative icon e, finally, access the sections Backup and reset> Factory data reset, following the on-screen instructions provided.
If you do not know how to complete the backup operation, you need more information about the restoration or you also want to safely delete the data on your smartphone's memory.
Eliminate and hackers from iPhone
Despite Apple, for company policy, has designed iOS (i.e. the operating system that the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch are equipped with) in order to make it closed and secure, there are still apps and ways of acting that allow unauthorized access to the system. Even in this situation, the distraction of those who use theiPhone plays a decisive role: it takes just a few seconds and the damage is done! Don't worry though: in this section, you'll learn if you've fallen victim to a hacker attack and how to get out of it by securing your phone.
Check for custom configuration profiles and VPNs
Exactly as I have already explained to you in the section on Android apps, also for iOS - and therefore for the iPhone - there are apps designed for parental control: since it is completely "legitimate" software, it does not raise alarms for security built into iOS, however it could be used to hack the device.
To work, the apps in question can make use of custom configuration profiles, which can guarantee access with particular privileges to certain areas of the operating system, and VPN to monitor Internet traffic: consequently, just conont the appropriate sections of iOS and check the proposed list, to realize the presence or absence of "suspicious" apps.
How? Very simple: first, tap the icon Settings residing on the home screen of your iPhone, then select the items Generali e Manage device to access the list of custom profiles and check the presence or absence of apps that you consider "offending".
In the event of a positive response, touch the item relating to the "offending" profile, press the button Eliminate profilo, enter the security code set in the system and press the button Delete. Finally, delete the app in question with the classic procedure provided by the iPhone. If you can't find the Device Manager entry on your iPhone, then you can rest assured: there are no apps that require advanced access permissions.
To check for VPN, instead go to the menu Settings> General> VPN of iOS e, if you find any suspicious names, delete the related app from the iPhone.
Check for spy apps
If your iPhone has already been subjected to the jailbreak procedure, that is a modification that involves access to parts of the system otherwise "blocked", as well as the installation of the store Cydia, then you should also check for spy-app: these, as I have already explained to you previously, are generally used to remotely monitor and control the phone of those who fall victim to them.
To verify that the curios on duty is not checking you in this way, start up first Cydia and check the packages installed on your iPhone: if, in the list, there is an app that makes you suspicious, delete it immediately using the usual cancellation procedure. How do you say? Not very practical on the subject of Cydia?
Some spy apps, however, could escape the previous control, since they are able to "hide" from the list of installed and running apps: in this case, I suggest you to put into practice one of the following methods to "hunt" the related configuration panel and proceed to deactivate the apps, and then uninstall them completely through the procedure provided by iOS.
- Launch your browser Safari and try typing the addresses localhost: 4444 or localhost: 8888 to access the configuration panel of the spy app installed on the iPhone.
- If the previous procedure has no effect, start the dialer (i.e. the screen that allows you to manually type in a phone number) and enter the code * 12345.
Eliminate the jailbreak
As I mentioned earlier, the jailbreak operation allows you to unlock "protected" parts of the operating system, access the Cydia alternative market, and install apps that offer far more advanced features and customization margins than those offered. from the “not hacked” version of iOS.
If this can be a positive aspect, however, it is also true that accessing the operating system in ways not foreseen by its manufacturer (Apple, in this case), can also expose you to considerable security risks! Think for example of the case of spy apps, which I told you about a few lines ago: these apps are able to access data and information, and to control the victim's iPhone, thanks to the permissions acquired through the jailbreak procedure.
So, as an additional security measure and as a method to eliminate any threats from the mobile phone, I would advise you to eliminate the jailbreak: usually this can also be done by avoiding the iPhone format, using a particular Cydia tweak, such Cydia Eraser, within a few taps.
If you are not familiar enough with the subject, I do not recommend that you throw yourself "blindly" in the procedure of eliminating the jailbreak, as this could reont in the loss of data or the unusability of the iPhone. But don't worry, it doesn't mean that you can't do it yourself: read carefully the instructions I gave you in my guide on how to remove the jailbreak e, you will see, you will be able to secure your iPhone in a completely safe way.
Restore iPhone
Did you follow all the "tips" I gave you to the letter but are you still terrified of being monitored remotely? The only advice I can give you, then, is to restore the iPhone: in this way, you will have the certainty of using a clean device and away from any suspicious apps, so as to close all the doors to potential criminals willing to monitor you.
You have two ways to proceed with restoring the iPhone: the first is to go to the Settings of the "iPhone by", then accessing the section General> Reset and finally selecting the option initialize content and settings; the second, on the other he, involves the use of iTunes: after deactivating the option Find my iPhone From Settings smartphone, connect the device to the computer, select the "iPhone by" icon from the window iTunes (top left), press the button Restore iPhone located at the top right and follow the instructions provided on the screen.
The advice I want to give you, however, is to make a preventive backup of your important data, as the restore operation deletes everything in the memory of your device.
Other useful tips
Finally you understood how to eliminate a hacker from your mobile e, almost without realizing it, you managed to complete the goal you set yourself in a masterly way!
If you have read this far, you have surely understood that the main cause of unwanted access to mobile phones is the distraction of those who use them: it takes very little, in fact, to pave the way for an attacker and open the access doors, without not even realize it.
It is for this reason that, before leaving you, I would like to provide you with some useful tips to avoid the repetition of this unpleasant inconvenience: what I am about to tell you may seem obvious, but I can guarantee you that, all too often, it is not at all!
- Update the operating system and apps - some cybercriminals "study" the code of the operating system and of the most famous smartphone apps, looking for malfunctions to exploit for their own purposes. For this reason, making updates is nothing short of fundamental: having the most updated versions of the app and operating system means decreasing, and greatly, the possibility of being exposed to problems of this type, thanks to the corrections that programmers make from time to time. in time to their products.
- Properly protect your smartphone - as I have repeated several times, it only takes a few minutes for someone to install a spy app on the phone, without the owner realizing it. Therefore, especially if you tend to leave your smartphone unattended for even very short periods, it is essential to protect it with a PIN, a biometric system (fingerprint, facial recognition or iris scan) or a password, to be jealously guarded and not disseminated in ride: this makes it impossible for unauthorized people to use the smartphone.
- Avoid dubious Wi-Fi networks - what I am about to tell you may seem strange to you, but some malicious people could create fake wireless networks (e apparently functional and open to all) to steal data in transit and guarantee access to the accounts - or devices - of those who connect to them . Even if today this procedure is no longer very successful, thanks to the introduction of sophisticated methods encryption (i.e. data protection) in almost all apps for smartphones and tablets, it is always advisable not to connect to Wi-Fi networks whose reliability is unknown. Also, if possible, I invite you to use a service of VPN, such as NordVPN (which I told you about in depth here) and Surfshark, to encrypt all the data that passes through your connection (making them inaccessible by malicious people, providers, etc.), overcome regional blocks, censorships and access foreign catalogs of streaming services (at low prices).
- Do not lend your smartphone to strangers or untrustworthy people - it is a rather trivial measure, but it should not be underestimated: if the mobile phone were to fall into the wrong hes, the attacker on duty would have plenty of time to configure an anti-theft or parental control app, and to make it invisible even to the antivirus ( these apps, in general, are considered safe and trustworthy). Furthermore, lending such a personal device can induce those who take advantage of it to poke their nose among the stored files, potentially allowing them to acquire data and information that would backfire against the rightful owner: this is why, even if it may seem rude, one must know how to say no to the right moment!
