How to Check My Phone is Hacked or Not (10 Codes) (2024)

Smartphones have become integral to our lives. From work to entertainment to communicating with our loved ones, they are a necessary evil to stay connected. Your phone is a prime target for hackers because of the personal information it stores.

Hackers can spy on you and gain access to your most confidential information by tapping your mobile phone; that’s why the security of your cell phone is paramount. Fortunately, you can detect if hackers are targeting your phone.

How To Know If Your Phone Is Hacked

Have you seen anything suspicious on your phone? Then you need to examine if your phone is hacked. If you notice multiple issues, you should assume your phone has been breached.

Here are points that you should check:

Noticeable Decrease in Battery Life: If you notice that your phone battery dies quickly despite not doing anything out of the ordinary, it could mean that your phone has been hacked. Your phone battery dying even when you are not using it is a definite cause for concern.

Mysterious Pop-Ups: A red flag is constantly seeing strange pop-ups on your phone despite using an adblocker. It indicates malware on your phone, which is trying to steal your information. This pop-up is known as phishing.

Sluggish Performance: Your phone suddenly moving significantly slower or frequently crashing is a sign that someone could be stealing your login credentials. At that time, Malware apps working in the background slow down your phone or cause it to automatically reboot.

High Data Usage: One of the signs that you have malware on your phone is a sudden increase in the amount of data your phone uses. The increase in data usage could be due to apps monitoring your activities and uploading your data to a server.

Outgoing Calls or Texts You Didn’t Send: When hackers tap your phone, they can directly send messages or calls to your contacts. If your loved ones are receiving messages you didn’t send, your phone may be hacked, and your accounts could be compromised.

Unusual Activity on Any Account Linked to Your Mobile Device: Noticing strange activity on any of your accounts could mean that you’re facing a serious issue. The hackers have access to your phone and accounts, meaning you’re in danger of identity theft.

Helpful Codes to Find Out that Your Phone is Hacked

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. USSD codes are alphanumeric codes that are programmed to give the sender a particular response or specific information.

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’s a 15-digit number that’s unique to your phone. 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. Essentially, it helps you track your phone. 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.

If Someone Catches My Unanswered Calls: *#61#:

Scammers can use conditional call forwarding to redirect your calls to another phone. 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. If you do this and discover that your calls are getting forwarded, use code ##61# to turn it off.

*#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. If this code returns a phone number, then that’s where your calls are forwarded to.

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. If the number that comes up isn’t yours, dial the code ##67# to reset your settings.

Important Codes to Verify If Your Phone Is Being Tracked

It’s rational to fear that your phone is being tracked by someone else. There are countless stories of hackers ruining innocent lives using stolen information. Use the code *#21# to see if hackers track your phone with malicious intent.

You can also use this code to verify if your calls, messages, or other data are being diverted. It also shows your diverted information’s status and the number to which the information is transferred. In the case where you realize that your calls are being diverted, you should dial the code *#21# immediately.

##002#: The Catchall Code

The code ##002# is an anti-diversion code. It acts as a universal code for turning off all forms of phone redirection. It erases all forwarded calls, messages, and other data and then resets the forwarding settings on your phone.

The best time to use this code is before using roaming, as it prevents you from losing money when calls get automatically routed to your voicemail.

Show all information on conditional phone forwarding: *#004#

The code *#004# gives you all the information on the call forwarding status of your phone. That involves when you’re on another line, unreachable, reject the call, or when you just didn’t answer. You can use this code ##004# to remove all call conditional forwarding on your phone in one go.

*#*#197328640#*#*: Utility Net Monitor Code

The code *#*#197328640#*#* provides you with information on data your phone receives from messages, calls, etc., and the location from which the data was retrieved. This code takes you to the main menu.

Here are the steps to find out where your hacker might be located.

Step 1) Input the code

Once you’ve input the code, you should first select the UMTS Cell Environment option.

Step 2) Choose UMTS RR Information

Once you have chosen UMTS RR Information, you should note the cell ID number.

Step 3) Go Back to Main Menu

Next, you need to select the back button to go back to the main menu, then choose the MM Information option.

Step 4) Select the Serving PLMN

Once you have selected the serving PLMN, you will be able to note the local area code displayed on the screen.

Step 5) Use a Net Monitor

Lastly, to find out if your mobile phone has an unknown connection, go to any net monitor website and enter your cell ID and area code.

What to Dial to See if Your Phone is Hacked or Not: Popular USSD code numbers

Here are some other helpful USSD codes.

*#*#1472365#*#*

Hackers can use your phone’s GPS to track your location. This code helps you find your phone if lost or stolen. You can use this code to see how effective your phone’s GPS is.

*#*#7780#*#*

Sometimes the only option you have is a factory reset. It can be due to bugs, malware, or other problems that hinder the performance of your Android smartphone. Sometimes, a factory reset is the most effective and only solution left for you.

You should note that when you use this code, your phone will erase all your information, settings, and data. The only way to get back your information after a factory reset is by backing it up before you erase everything.

*#*#34971539#*#

Most people fear that someone is spying on them through their phones, and it’s a valid fear to have. The code *#*#34971539#*#* shows the firmware details of your phone’s camera. When you use this code, you can easily spot if your phone has been tampered with.

*#*#232338#*#*

This code helps you check whether your Mac device is hacked or not. A network interface controller’s MAC address is a unique identifier (NIC). It’s necessary for network protocols such as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), which will not work without your MAC address.

This secret security code provides your MAC address information. You can see if it still corresponds to your phone’s network. If it doesn’t, it’s a good idea to look for some possible flaws.

*2767*3855#

You can only resolve some issues you face with your phone by deleting everything on your device. The easiest way to do this is by a hard reset. Before using this code, make a backup of your data. Once you’re certain that all of your vital information is safe, you can use this USSD code to wipe your smartphone clean of all data.

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