With the right online tools, it is now possible to spy on someone, or even maintain visual surveillance on them anywhere they go. One way to do this is through your phone and laptop camera.
Have you ever wondered if someone is spying on you this way? Do you feel like your privacy has been compromised? How can you confirm your suspicion? This article providers answers to these questions. Continue reading if you want to know if someone is watching you through your phone and laptop camera.
Can Someone See You Through Your Phone Camera?
Yes, someone can see you through your phone camera. However, an app or software must be installed on your phone to send the pictures or videos to a remote location. While no one will intentionally install such dangerous software on their phone, some phone users fall victim when they download apps from unverified sources.
Fishy apps can be hidden in applications that originate from unverified sources. This is a common Android issue as users can even download apps through a simple google search. Hackers can easily send malicious emails that will activate a Remote Access Trojan when opened. This gives the hacker access to everything on your phone, including both the front and rear cameras. That is why many Android users in high-risk zones prefer covering their front cameras with black tape.
Be mindful of the applications you download and install on your computers. Verify an application well before granting it access to your media. Read the terms and conditions as well as the privacy policies. The good news about it is that this feat is very unlikely to be pulled off by an average person. Only an experienced hacker or a government agency can attempt it.
Read also: How to Know If Your Phone Is Being Tracked by the Police
How to know if someone is watching you through your phone camera
1. Camera settings and storage
One exciting thing about phone cameras is the ability to switch from front to rear camera with just one click. However, this feature can help you know if someone is watching you through your phone camera. If you notice any of the following signs on your hone’s camera, it is an indication that someone may be watching you.
- The camera app turns ON without prompt
- The camera suddenly switches from front to rear view without prompt
- If camera settings look different from what they used to be
2. Significant reduction in storage space
As we take pictures and make videos, we usually save them in our local phone storage. If you have noticed that this storage space is getting used up all too often, this is a sign. If you have found out that some photos or videos of you are stored on the phone, and you can’t remember ever making these clips, it’s an indication that someone is likely remotely tapping into your phone camera.
3. Uninstalled Apps running in the background
Regularly check the apps running in the background. While there are system apps that must run for the phone to run seamlessly, if you see any app that you did not install running in the background, this is a red flag.
Read also: Do Police Investigate Credit Card Theft?
How to know if someone is watching you through your laptop camera
Although quite difficult to spot, there are certain ways to figure out if someone is watching you through your laptop camera.
Webcam Indicator Lights
This is the most common indicator that someone is watching you through your camera. If the Webcam indicator light is flashing all of a sudden, it can only mean that the webcam is in use.
Test-run the Webcam
If the webcam indicator is not flashing, launch the webcam application. If you get an error message stating that the webcam is already in use, someone might be remotely watching you through your laptop camera.
Check Task Manager
The task manager shows the applications that are currently running on your computer. If you have not turned your webcam ON but you find it on the list of applications in the task manager, the webcam is probably opened somewhere else without your knowledge.
Read also: Can Someone Hack My Phone from My Number?
How to tell if someone is spying on your iPhone
In recent times, our smartphones contain almost all of our important files. This can make our phones targeted by people who want to spy on us. Here are a few signs that your iPhone has been broken into:
Unrecognized applications
Spyware is always hidden in applications. If you see an app you didn’t install, that’s a sign.
Jailbroken iPhone
Jailbreaking is the iPhone language for ‘rooting’ and it can hide apps from the screen. Monitoring apps can then be installed this way on the phone. If you didn’t initiate the jailbreak, someone might be spying on your phone.
Outgoing messages that you didn’t send
If you notice strange outgoing messages, someone else likely has access to the phone.
Bad picture quality
Everyone knows that iPhones have one of the best phone cameras. Spy apps reduce the quality of pictures and screenshots to make sending to a remote location very seamless. If you notice this on your iPhone, that’s another sign that someone is likely spying on you.
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