The constant fear of someone spying on our smartphone activities is a concern shared by many, whether it’s the photos we share on WhatsApp, our banking transactions, or our social media conversations. Fortunately, Android 12 offers a hidden feature that can help you identify and eliminate apps that may be spying on your phone.
This fear is often most pronounced among older individuals who may feel less tech-savvy and vulnerable to inadvertently accessing malicious websites or downloading harmful software. However, once you become familiar with Android’s privacy panel, you can alleviate these concerns.
How to Identify Spy Apps on Your Android Device
In today’s world, protecting the privacy of our smartphones is crucial due to the wealth of personal information they store. Android 12 has made it significantly easier to enhance mobile security by introducing the Privacy Panel, which allows you to monitor application permissions.
Whenever you download an app, it’s your responsibility to grant permissions for accessing various features, such as the gallery, microphone, camera, contacts, and notifications. This is essential for apps like WhatsApp to function fully, enabling you to send photos and audio messages. However, some apps may attempt to acquire permissions without your consent, potentially to harvest your data or spy on your device.
With the Android 12 Privacy Panel, you can quickly identify which apps have accessed different sections of your smartphone in the past 24 hours and detect any anomalies. Learning how to use this feature is straightforward:
- Access the settings of your Android device.
- Navigate to the ‘Privacy’ or ‘Security’ section.
- Select the ‘Privacy Panel’ option.
You will see a graph displaying detailed information, along with a list of device sections to which apps can request access. For instance, clicking on ‘Location’ provides you with a detailed hourly log, showing which applications accessed your GPS and helping you identify any potential spy apps on your mobile.
It’s important to note that apps like Instagram and WhatsApp require certain permissions for their core functions. Therefore, focus on unfamiliar apps or those requesting access to sections they don’t genuinely need.
How to Revoke Permissions from Suspicious Apps
If you identify an application that may be spying on your mobile device, you can take action by either uninstalling it or revoking its permissions. You can achieve the latter through the Privacy Panel or the Permissions Manager. Assuming you’ve followed the steps mentioned earlier, here’s how you can proceed with the first option:
- From the Privacy Panel, select the section you want to review, such as ‘Camera.’
- At the bottom of the screen, tap on ‘Manage permission.’
- Find the app you suspect of spying.
- Tap ‘Do not allow’ to prevent it from accessing your data.
By following these steps, you can safeguard your Android device from potential spy apps and maintain your privacy.
