How to Tell If Your Android Phone Has Spyware or Stalkerware
Stalkerware is software that secretly monitors a phone: messages, location, calls or what is on screen. It is usually installed by someone with brief physical access to the device, and it is built to stay out of sight. No single sign proves it is there, but a few checks in Android settings can show you whether something unusual has been given powerful access.
- Stalkerware is designed to hide, so look for powerful access granted to unfamiliar apps rather than for an obvious icon.
- The most useful places to check are Accessibility, Device admin apps, Notification access and Install unknown apps.
- Symptoms such as fast battery drain are weak evidence on their own; they have many harmless causes.
- If you suspect someone is monitoring you, think about safety before removing the app, because removal can alert the person who installed it.
What stalkerware is
The Coalition Against Stalkerware describes stalkerware as software that enables someone to secretly monitor another person's device activity.[2] It may be sold as a "phone tracker" or a way to watch a partner, and it often needs permissions that a normal app would never ask for. It is different from a parental-control app, which is meant to be known and agreed to; see our comparison of parental controls and spyware.
Possible warning signs
These signs are weak evidence by themselves, but several together are worth a closer look:
- Battery drains faster than before, or the phone runs warm when you are not using it
- Mobile data use is higher than your habits explain
- An app you do not remember installing, or an app with a bland name such as "System Service"
- Settings that you did not change, such as Play Protect switched off
- Someone knows details they should not, such as where you were or what you wrote
Treat the last one most seriously. Technical symptoms have many ordinary causes, such as a busy background app or an ageing battery.
Where to look in Android settings
Menu names vary by manufacturer and Android version, so use the search box in Settings if a path differs. These are the places monitoring software most often needs:
| Setting | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Accessibility | An accessibility service can read the screen and act on your behalf. Only apps you recognise and use for accessibility should be enabled. More on accessibility services. |
| Device admin apps | Admin status makes an app harder to uninstall. Few apps need it. |
| Notification access | Lets an app read your incoming notifications, including message previews. |
| Install unknown apps | Shows which apps are allowed to install other apps. About sideloading. |
| Permission manager | Lists which apps can use location, microphone, camera, SMS and call logs.[3] |
Also open the full app list in Settings and look for names you do not recognise. Some monitoring apps hide their launcher icon, so the settings list is more reliable than the home screen.
Run a Play Protect scan
Google Play Protect can scan the apps on your device and warn about harmful ones, and you can start a scan manually from the Play Store.[1] It is a useful safety net, but it may not flag every monitoring tool, particularly ones sold for "legitimate" tracking, so a clean scan is not proof that nothing is there.
If you find something, act safely
If you think a partner, ex-partner or family member may be monitoring you, removing the app can alert them, and that can raise the risk of harm. Think about your safety first.
- Consider using a different device you trust for private communication while you decide what to do.
- Reach out to a local support organisation or someone you trust before changing the phone. The Coalition Against Stalkerware lists organisations that help.[2]
- Take note of what you found, such as the app name and where it appears in settings, in case you need it later.
- When it is safe to do so, removing the app, changing your account passwords from a clean device and, if needed, backing up and resetting the phone are the usual next steps.
If the monitoring is something you set up yourself or agreed to, for example on a child's phone, that is a different situation. The difference is openness and consent.
How to make it harder
- Use a screen lock that others cannot guess and do not share it.
- Keep "Install unknown apps" off for every app unless you are using it right now.
- Leave Play Protect on.
- Review accessibility, notification access and device admin every few months.
Frequently asked questions
Can someone install spyware without touching my phone?
It is much more common for monitoring software to be installed by someone with brief physical access. Remote attacks exist but are far rarer for ordinary people, so protect the device itself first.
Will a factory reset remove stalkerware?
A reset usually removes apps installed on the phone, but anything restored from a backup or tied to your accounts can come back. Change account passwords from a clean device as well.
Does fast battery drain mean I have spyware?
Not by itself. Battery drain has many ordinary causes. Treat it as a reason to check settings, not as proof.
Is a hidden app icon a sign of stalkerware?
It can be, since monitoring tools often hide their icon, but some legitimate apps do too. Check the full app list in Settings and look at what access the app has.
Is a parental-control app the same as stalkerware?
Technically they can look alike, because both may use powerful permissions. The difference is that a parental-control app is meant to be visible and agreed to, and is used for a child's safety rather than secret surveillance.
- Google Play Protect — Google Play Help — what Play Protect scans and how to run a scan.
- Coalition Against Stalkerware — definition of stalkerware and support organisations.
- Permissions on Android — Android Developers — how Android permissions work and are granted.