15 Scary Signs Someone Is Tracking Your iPhone And How To Stop It—Including ‘Share My Location’

Your iPhone Heats Up 

It’s normal for your iPhone to heat up if you’re using a resource-intensive game or other apps, but it’s NOT normal for it to just randomly get hot and stay hot. This is a sign that there could be another process running in the background and you could be being tracked. 

Screenshots on Your Phone 

Check your Photos and tap on the Screenshots album. If there are screenshots here that you did not take, it’s possible someone else is taking screenshots of your phone to find out what you’re up to. 

Unexpected behavior 

If your phone is acting weird — turning off unexpectedly, for example — you could have a software issue. But this could also be a sign you are being tracked. 

Your Camera & Microphone Are Always On 

If your camera and microphone are being used at times you don’t need them, it could be a sign someone is tracking you. Check your settings and microphone to make sure it is turned off. 

Hearing Weird Noises on Phone Calls 

Hearing strange noises on your phone calls? That could indicate your phone is being tapped. 

Content Privacy Restrictions 

Tap on Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions. Look at the switch next to it — if it’s on against your consent, turn the switch off. This could be preventing you from making changes to your content. And if you didn’t set this up yourself, it could be a sign that someone did this for you. 

Check for Suspicious Apps

If you’ve been tipped off by the fact that your battery can’t hold a charge very long, check the list of app installed on your iPhone to see if anything suspicious stands out. Go to Settings and scroll down to see a list of your apps. Delete anything that you didn’t install yourself and keep an eye on your phone.

Email Forwarding

Scary, but are your emails being forwarded without your knowledge? The two most popular email settings on your iPhone are Gmail and iCloud — here’s how to check each to make sure you’re safe.

On Gmail, go to Settings > See all Settings. Tap of Forwarding and POP/MAP. If you see “forward a copy” of your email to another email address, click on Disable Forwarding and save your setting. 

On iCloud, tap on Mail >Settings > Preference. In the middle you’ll see the Forwarding section. Uncheck that box and tap “done” if you are forwarding your mail unknowingly. 

Text & iMessage Forwarding 

Your texts and iMessages could also be forwarded without your consent. Make sure this isn’t happening by tapping on Settings > Messages > Text Message Forwarding. Make sure that the only devices selected are the ones you purposely want your messages being forwarded to. 

It’s never pleasant thinking that your iPhone isn’t secure, but taking steps to check that your settings are private is a wise move to keep your data secure.