Millions of iPhone users can check if an app is spying on their phone.
Cyber experts have told The U.S. Sun how to uncover sinister snooping on your Apple device – and then quickly put a stop to it.
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Apps on your iPhone can sometimes access private parts of the phone.
WhatsApp requires your microphone to make voice notes. Instagram, on the other hand, will have access to your photos and camera.
You may be able to access private data without your consent if you use rogue applications.
Chris Hauk is a consumer privacy advocate who reveals how to identify these malicious apps.
Hauk of Pixel Privacy said that iPhone users could take advantage of Apple’s App Privacy Report which was built into iOS 15.2 or later.
The App Privacy Report gives details on how frequently apps can access data about you, including location, camera and microphone.
First you’ll need to make sure you’re updated to at least iOS 15.2 by going into Settings > General > Software Update.
Then go to Settings > Privacy > App Privacy and turn the report on.
You can check this report at any time to see which apps are accessing your personal info – and how often.
Instantly see when apps are using your microphone or camera.
Hauk explained that iPhone users are able to tell from a quick glance if an application is using their iPhone’s microphone or its camera.
If you notice a small green circle in the upper right-hand corner, this means that an application is using the iPhone camera.
A yellow dot indicates that an application is using your microphone.
Be on the lookout for these dots, and explore them if you feel anything is suspicious.
At any time, you may revoke the permissions of an application if it is causing you to be unhappy.
Just go to Settings > Privacy and Security and tap on the part of your phone you want to investigate.
The toggle switch allows you to turn on/off specific apps.
What about Android?
Android users can check their app security as well.
Hauk explained that Android users could check in Settings’ Privacy section to see which apps were using their device’s microphone or camera.
Android devices display a green or orange dot on the right-hand side of the screen when the device is accessed via the microphone or camera.