What to Do If Your Phone Is Hacked? The first 10 Minutes are Critical. If you think your phone has been hacked, immediately turn on Airplane Mode, disconnect Wi-Fi, remove suspicious apps, change your passwords, and run a security scan.
Acting quickly in the first few minutes can help stop hackers from stealing data or accessing your accounts.
Finding out your phone might be hacked is a horrible feeling. It can make your stomach drop for a moment. Our smartphones hold so much of our lives -photos, private messages, banking apps, emails, and personal accounts. It’s almost like carrying a piece of our digital identity in our pocket.
It’s not just a phone anymore. It’s your digital life.
So when something feels off, it’s completely normal to feel anxious or overwhelmed. Many people immediately worry that they’ve already lost control of their data.
If you’re wondering what to do if your phone is hacked, take a breath and stay with me for a moment. I’ll walk you through a simple 7-step on how to secure a hacked phone which will help to stop hackers, remove possible spyware, and secure your phone.
Quick Fix Table
| Symptom | Immediate Action |
|---|---|
| Phone overheating | Restart phone and check background apps |
| Battery draining fast | Review battery usage for suspicious apps |
| Random pop-ups | Clear browser cache |
| Unknown transactions | Freeze bank cards immediately |
| Strange apps installed | Delete suspicious apps |
Step 1: Disconnect Your Phone from the Internet
Turn on Airplane Mode immediately. Also disable Wi-Fi manually.
Why this matters:
Most spyware needs internet access to send stolen data to the hacker. Cutting the connection stops that data transfer instantly.
Step 2: Remove Hidden Hacker Profiles (iOS & Android)
On some phones, attackers install administrator permissions or configuration profiles that give them deeper control over your device.
Check for Unknown Device Administrators (Android)
On most Android phones:
- Open Settings
- Tap Security & Privacy (or just Security depending on your device)
- Tap More Security Settings
- Select Device Admin Apps or Device Administrators
Look for apps that have administrator access.
If you see something you don’t recognize:
- Tap the app
- Disable administrator access
- Then uninstall the app
Legitimate admin apps may include things like Find My Device, work email security apps, or parental control tools.
Check for Unknown Configuration Profiles (iPhone)
On an Apple iPhone:
- Open Settings
- Tap General
- Scroll down to VPN & Device Management (or Profiles & Device Management)
If a configuration profile is installed, you will see it listed there.
Check carefully for:
- Unknown VPN profiles
- Unknown mobile device management (MDM) profiles
- Profiles installed by apps you don’t recognize
If something looks suspicious:
- Tap the profile
- Tap Remove Profile
Most personal iPhones should not have any profiles installed unless they were added by a workplace or school.
Step 3: Look for Suspicious Apps
Open your app list and sort by recently installed.
Look for apps that:
- Have no icon
- Have strange names
- Imitate system tools
- Use large amounts of battery
Spyware often hides behind apps that look normal.
Not sure if that weird app is a virus? Compare your symptoms with our 10 Signs Your Phone is Hacked guide.
Step 4: Remove Suspicious Apps
Delete any apps you don’t recognize.
If an app refuses to uninstall, it may have admin permissions, which you must remove first.
Step 5: Change Your Important Passwords
Use another device if possible.
Start with:
- Apple ID / Google Account
- Banking apps
- Social media
Enable two-factor authentication whenever possible.
Step 6: Check for SIM Swap or eSIM Fraud
Modern phone hacks don’t always start with malware. Increasingly, attackers use AI-driven phishing messages that look incredibly convincing. These texts or emails may appear to come from your bank, delivery services, or even a friend. Some scams even use AI voice cloning to impersonate people you trust.
Another growing threat is eSIM swapping. In this attack, criminals trick or socially engineer your mobile carrier into transferring your phone number to their device. Once they control your number, they can intercept verification codes and reset important accounts.
Pro Tip: Check your mobile carrier account to ensure no unauthorized SIM or eSIM transfer requests have been made. This is a common technique hackers use to bypass text-message two-factor authentication.
Step 7: Run a Security Scan
Install a trusted mobile security app and scan your phone for malware or spyware.
Some reputable options include:
- Malwarebytes Mobile Security
- Bitdefender Mobile Security
- Avast Mobile Security
- Norton 360
These apps can help detect:
- spyware
- hidden malware
- malicious apps
- suspicious system changes
Run a full scan and follow any recommendations the security app provides.
Important: Only download security apps from the official app store (Google Play or Apple App Store). Fake security apps sometimes appear in third-party stores.
Step 8: Factory Reset- the nuclear weapon
If strange behavior continues, the safest option is a factory reset.
Important tip: Do not restore from a backup created after the hacking started, or the malware could return.
Before performing a factory reset, ensure your Photos and Contacts are synced to a clean cloud service (like iCloud or Google Photos) so you don’t lose your memories along with the malware.
Learn everything you need to know to keep your smartphone safe from cyber criminals in our Ultimate Phone Security Hub page.
Read more: Is Someone Secretly Accessing Your iPhone?
How to Prevent Your Phone From Being Hacked Again
- install apps only from official stores
- keep OS updated
- avoid unknown links
- use 2FA
- use biometric lock
- use VPN on public wifi – I recommend Surfshark
FAQ
Can a hacked phone be fixed?
Yes, in most cases, a hacked phone can be fixed.
If the issue is caused by a malicious app, spyware, or suspicious settings changes, removing the app, updating the phone, and changing passwords often solves the problem.
For more serious cases, a factory reset usually removes most malware and spyware from the device.
Should I change my banking passwords?
Yes please, immediately.
If you suspect your phone has been hacked and you use banking apps, payment apps, or saved card details on that device, change your passwords as soon as possible from a different trusted device
Do I need a factory reset?
Not always but sometimes it is the safest option.
Can spyware survive app deletion?
Yes, sometimes it can.
Deleting the suspicious app may remove the spyware if it was only installed as a normal app.
But some spyware may:
reinstall through backups
stay linked to compromised accounts
leave permissions or admin access enabled
exist as deeper malware in rare advanced attacks
That’s why deleting the app alone may not always be enough.
For peace of mind, many security experts recommend:
delete suspicious apps
change passwords
review permissions
factory reset if symptoms continue
Final Thoughts: What to do if your phone is hacked?
If you think your phone is hacked, the first few minutes matter most.
Disconnecting your phone, changing passwords, and checking for suspicious apps can often stop the damage before it spreads.
I hope you never have to deal with this, which is why building simple digital safety habits now is so important. A few small steps today can help protect your data, privacy, and digital life.
Let us know in the comments if this helped, and tell us what digital safety habits you use to stay safe online.
Explore our curated Family safety toolbox ; free cybersecurity tools and trusted products that help protect your data, prevent identity theft, and keep your digital life safe at home or on the go.
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I think everyone should read your article! It’s so important to know these things, especially nowadays. Thanks for the tips and the useful information.
Valuable and practical tips on what to do when our phone gets hacked. Thanks a lot for putting it together.
I have learnt something new here… Thank you for sharing