Android infected by spy software? The signs you should be aware of

O the fact that Android is a more open ecosystem than iOS on iPhone makes many mobile enthusiasts choose Google's operating system, arguing that it is possible to download apps from virtual stores beyond the official.

However, this greater openness is partly responsible for the greater vulnerability of Android phones to malicious software infections – especially versions known as “spyware”.

This type of malicious software aims to steal private data from users, such as passwords or banking data. Those responsible for spyware can infect mobile phones Android disguised them as apps, fake updates or text messages, leading victims to the installation without realizing what they're doing.

As discreet as they are in the way they install on mobile phones, the engadget site that these spywares still manage to reveal signs of their existence and leave some clues to which they should be aware. If you do not want to become a victim of private data theft via “spywares” you should start by not installing unknown apps – especially those not in Google’s Play Store.

If you want to redouble your attention, you can find below some of the signals that may indicate that your mobile phone is infected and that in most cases result from the fact that spyware is operating in the background.

If you check the existence of multiple of these signals, your phone is likely to be infected, and in this case you will need to analyse the Google system from the settings, install an antivirus app – such as Bitdefender Mobile Security or Malwarebytes – or ultimately make a factory replacement.

Signs that your mobile phone is infected with spyware:

• Abrupt (for worse) changes in cell phone performance;
• Overheating of battery;
• Unexplained grounds for using mobile data;
• Internal storage space that no longer exists from one moment to the next;
• Requests for access to the camera, microphone or location of the mobile phones coming from apps you do not remember having installed;