Owners of the flagship devices of the line Samsung Galaxy often wonder about the safety of their personal data. In the digital age, the threat of unauthorized access to a microphone or camera is becoming a real problem. Many users suspect that their device is under the control of third parties, but do not know how to check it themselves.
Modern malware has become so sophisticated that it can work in the background, consuming virtually no resources and without raising obvious suspicions. However, the operating system Android and shell One UI provide a number of diagnostic tools. In this article we will analyze all available methods for identifying hidden surveillance.
First, you need to understand that no method provides an absolute guarantee, but an integrated approach allows you to minimize risks. We will look at both software and hardware signs of interference in the operation of your smartphone.
Primary signs of device infection
The first warning sign is often the strange behavior of the gadget. If your Samsung started to discharge faster than usual with minimal use, this is a reason to be wary. Spy modules constantly transmit data to attacker servers, which requires an active connection to the network and processor operation.
Pay attention to the temperature of the case. Even in standby mode, the phone should not be hot. Overheating without running resource-intensive games or a navigator often indicates hidden processes. It is also worth listening to the quality of the connection: extraneous noise, echoes or clicks during a call may indicate interception of the audio stream.
⚠️ Attention: Isolated cases of overheating or discharge may be caused by system updates or a poor network signal. The alarm should only be sounded if these symptoms recur regularly.
Another important indicator is the unexpected turning on of the screen or the flashing of notification indicators. If the phone comes to life on its own in your pocket, the remote operator may be activating the microphone or camera. Check your call history: strange outgoing calls to unknown numbers or short beeps may be a sign of a Trojan.
Diagnostics using engineering codes
The operating system provides hidden menus for debugging, which can be accessed through a special character set in the “Phone” application. This is one of the fastest ways to check the forwarding status. Enter the code *#21# and press the call button.
The screen will display the forwarding status of voice calls, messages and data. If any item has the status “Enabled” and an unknown number is indicated, this is a critical signal. Attackers often use forwarding to intercept SMS with confirmation codes from banks.
*#21# - checking the status of forwarding*#62# - checking forwarding when unavailable
##002# - complete cancellation of all forwardings
Use the code *#62#to find out where calls are routed when your phone is turned off or out of network coverage. Fraudsters often set up redirects specifically for this scenario. To reset all forwarding settings, you can use the universal command ##002#, which will return the parameters to factory values.
After entering the codes, be sure to restart the device so that the changes take effect completely and the system processes are updated.
Analysis of the device manager and administrator rights
Malware often requires elevated privileges to operate. To check which applications have administrator rights, go to Settings → Biometrics and security → Other security settings → Device administrator applications. Here you will see a list of apps that can block factory resets or manage a screen password.
Check out the list carefully. System applications like Find My Mobile or Google Pay should be present there. However, if you see an unknown application with a name like “System Update”, “Wi-Fi Service” or just a set of characters, this is a clear sign of a threat. Such apps are often disguised as system services.
| Application name | Status | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Find My Mobile | System | Leave enabled |
| Google Play Protect | System | Leave enabled |
| Unknown Service v.2 | Suspicious | Disable immediately |
| Battery Saver Pro | Third-party | Check necessity |
If you If you have detected a suspicious administrator, uncheck him. After this, the application can be deleted in the standard way through application settings. Sometimes malware blocks the disable rights button; in this case, you will need to switch to safe mode.
☑️ Check administrator rights
Monitoring data and battery consumption
The spyware should transmit the collected data (audio, photo, geolocation) to a remote server. This creates abnormal traffic. Go to section Settings → Connections → Data usage. Sort applications by the amount of data transferred for the current month.
Pay attention to applications that you rarely use, but which consume megabytes or gigabytes of traffic. Background processes with names that do not correspond to their functionality are especially suspicious. For example, a simple “Flashlight” should not consume Internet traffic.
Carry out a similar check in the battery section. Go to Settings → Device maintenance → Battery. View the discharge graph and list of applications. If some app occupies the top lines of the rating, although you have not used it, this is a reason for a detailed check. Hidden recording screen or sound requires significant energy resources.
⚠️ Attention: The menu interface may vary slightly depending on the version of One UI (12, 13, 14, 15). If you do not find the item in the specified location, use the search in the settings.
For a more in-depth analysis, you can use the built-in Digital Wellbeing tool. It will show how long the application has been running in the foreground and background. A disproportion between usage time and background activity often reveals spyware.
Checking through Safe Mode
If the phone behaves strangely, but you cannot find the culprit in normal mode, start the device in Safe Mode. In this state, only system applications are loaded, and all third-party software is disabled. This is an ideal way to understand whether the problem is caused by installed apps.
To enter Safe Mode on Samsung Galaxy, press and hold the power button until the menu appears on the screen. Then press and hold the Power Off icon on the touchscreen with your finger. A request to switch to safe mode will appear - confirm the action.
What to do if the problem disappears in safe mode?
This means that the culprit is one of the applications you installed. You will have to remove them one by one, starting with the most suspicious or recently installed ones, and check the phone's operation after each removal.
After rebooting in safe mode, check if overheating, strange sounds or rapid discharge disappear. If the phone works normally, then the threat is located among user applications. Begin sequential removal of suspicious software. To exit safe mode, simply restart your smartphone as usual.
Safe mode is a “clean” environment for diagnostics. If the symptoms disappear in this mode, then the virus is definitely a third-party application and not a system error.
Use of specialized software for protection
Manual scanning is effective, but does not guarantee the detection of complex rootkits. For reliable protection, it is recommended to use specialized antivirus solutions. The store Google Play presents products from Kaspersky, ESET, Dr.Web and other vendors.
Many modern antiviruses have a function to check for spyware. They scan not only files, but also application behavior, access permissions, and network activity. Regular full scanning of your device should be part of your digital hygiene.
In addition to antiviruses, there are bookmark detectors that analyze the list of installed certificates. Attackers can install their root certificate to intercept encrypted traffic (HTTPS). You can check the installed certificates in the section Settings → Biometrics and security → Other security settings → Trusted credentials.
⚠️ Attention: Do not install antiviruses from unverified sources or APK files from forums. Download security software only from the official Google Play store so as not to introduce a virus instead of treatment.
It is also worth paying attention to the function Google Play Protectbuilt into the application store. It works constantly and warns about potentially dangerous applications even before they are installed. Make sure this option is active in your Google account settings.
Radical measures: factory reset
If none of the methods helped eliminate suspicions, and paranoia haunts you, the last and most reliable option remains - a complete data reset. This is guaranteed to remove any malware as the phone returns to its out-of-the-box state.
Before performing this procedure, be sure to back up your important data: contacts, photos, and documents. However, be careful: do not restore the backup of your applications immediately after the reset, as you may bring back the virus along with the data. It is better to install applications manually.
To perform a reset, go to Settings → General settings → Reset → Reset data. Confirm the action and wait for the process to complete. After turning on, the phone will require setup as a new device. This is the best way to ensure a clean system.
When restoring data after a reset, do not copy files from the Download or Documents folder from an old backup if APK virus files may have been stored there. Recover only media files and contacts.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Can the phone listen to me if it is turned off?
On modern smartphones with a non-removable battery, a complete shutdown de-energizes the processor and radio modules. When turned off, the phone cannot transmit data. However, there are theoretical vulnerabilities at the level of basic processors (Baseband), but their exploitation requires the resources of special services, and not ordinary attackers.
How to find out if the camera is hidden?
Starting with Android 12 and the One UI 4.0 shell, a green indicator appears in the upper right corner of the screen when using the camera or microphone. If you see this dot when you haven't opened any apps that have access to the camera, immediately check your notification bar to see which app is using the sensor.
Is connecting to public Wi-Fi dangerous?
Yes, it is a risk. On public networks, attackers can use Man-in-the-Middle attack techniques to intercept traffic. Avoid entering passwords for banks and important services via open Wi-Fi without using a VPN connection.
Will changing the IMEI number help against wiretapping?
No, changing the IMEI will not protect against software bookmarks inside the operating system. Moreover, changing the IMEI is illegal in many countries and may result in your device being blocked by your carrier. The problem of wiretapping can be solved by cleaning the software, and not by changing the hardware identifiers.
Can a virus hide from resetting the settings?
Extremely rare. Some complex viruses can be registered in the Recovery partition or system partition if root access have been obtained on the phone. In this case, only a complete flashing of the device via a computer using the official Odin software for Samsung will help.