How to Know if Someone Is Watching You Through Your Phone Camera

Can someone spy on you through your phone camera?

Plenty of spy and stalkerware exists that could compromise your device, and anyone with the right software and expertise could realistically use your phone's camera to spy on you. On top of that, popular app developers aren't immune to accusations of watching you through your phone's camera.

Generally, however, a stalker would need to install spyware on your device in order to compromise it. Hackers can gain access to your phone physically, through apps, media files, and even emojis. As you can see, the resourcefulness of malicious operators knows no bounds, which is why utilizing good security practices is critical.

How to know if someone is watching you through your phone camera

If you suspect someone of spying on you through your phone's camera, several indicators can help you confirm or disprove your suspicions. The following signs may indicate that someone is using your phone's camera to watch you:

• Suspicious background apps
• Camera misbehaving
• Odd files and inexplicably low storage space
• Misbehaving indicator light
• Battery draining fast

Let's discuss each factor in greater detail.

Check for background apps

If an unauthorized person wants to see you through your phone's camera, using a spyware app is a viable method. Fortunately, if your stalker isn't a sophisticated hacker, the software they use may appear as an open application running behind the scenes.

A more advanced malicious operator wouldn't use such an obvious tactic, but checking for suspicious background apps on your iOS or Android device — usually by hitting the recent apps button on your phone — is a quick way to identify any issues.

Does the camera misbehave?

If your phone's camera is misbehaving, someone may be using it to watch you. A camera that turns on automatically, says it's already in use when it shouldn't be, or triggers frequent alerts could be compromised.

However, software glitches and faulty hardware can produce similar symptoms, so you'll need to investigate the issue further.  

Do strange files appear on your phone?

If someone is using your phone's camera to spy on you, the saved video content has to go somewhere. You may notice odd recordings or other unexplained files appearing on your device.

Additionally, even compressed videos can take up a lot of space, so a compromised phone may experience issues with low available storage for no obvious reason. Legitimate media content and other large files can also use a lot of space. Therefore, you should closely examine the contents of your device before jumping to any conclusions.

Is the indicator light misbehaving?

Monitoring your camera's indicator light is one of the best ways to determine whether someone is watching you through your phone. While an elite hacker could potentially disable the indicator light on your device, doing so requires a high level of competence and expertise. Unless you're a serious target for governments or other high-level organizations, you probably won't attract the attention of anyone with such advanced skills.

Therefore, monitoring the state of your indicator light for any unusual behavior is an excellent way to know if someone is spying on you through your phone's camera.

Is your battery draining fast?

Recording video requires a lot of resources, and frequent filming can quickly drain your battery. If your phone is losing charge faster than expected, someone may be using your camera to spy on you.

With that said, several other factors, such as open apps, background services, or a poor cellular connection, can cause a battery to drain quickly. As always, if you suspect a breach, you should monitor your device more closely to rule out other causes.

Prevent phone camera spying and protect your privacy

Following good security practices is the best way to avoid having someone use your phone's camera to spy on you:

• Don't open suspicious emails
• Never click suspicious links
• Avoid downloading apps outside of the Apple App Store and Google Play Store
• Never leave your device unlocked and unattended
• Don't jailbreak your phone
• Install good security software

Most of the suggestions are relevant any time you use electronic devices that access the internet, including phones, tablets, and computers. However, more specific advice applies to Android and iOS devices. If you believe that someone has hacked your laptop, you'll need to follow specialized troubleshooting advice.

Use good security software to prevent phone camera spying

If you want to avoid many of the pitfalls associated with using an internet-connected device, installing good security software, such as Clario's comprehensive app, will help keep you safe.

Clario for iOS provides data breach monitoring, ad blocking, and fraud link checking so you can avoid the common avenues hackers use to infiltrate your device. iPhone security is already quite tight, so antivirus and other similar features aren't usually necessary.

Android devices, however, require a little extra attention when it comes to finding and removing spyware. Clario's Android app provides a malware removal tool and an all-important spyware detector to prevent stalkers from using your phone's camera against you.

Here's how to detect spyware with Clario and stop someone watching you through your Android phone's camera:

1. Install Clario for Android

2. Launch the app and sign in or create an account

3. Tap Device

4. Tap Start scan under Spyware detector

5. Let the scan complete and remove any threats

Performing a regular spyware scan will keep your device clean and help you identify any legitimate threats to your privacy. Take advantage of Clario's 7-day free trial and rid your phone of any malware stalkers may use to see through your camera.

How to protect your iPhone camera from spying

Here's how to check microphone and camera permissions on an iOS device:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy

2. Tap Camera or Microphone

3. Examine the list and make any necessary changes

How to protect your Android phone camera from spying

Monitoring your phone's permissions is a great way to identify any potential spying issues. Here's how to check microphone and camera permissions on an Android device:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy > Permission manager

2. Tap Camera or Microphone

3. Examine the list and make any necessary changes

Don't let anyone spy through your phone

If you suspect someone of using your phone's camera to spy on you, following a thorough investigative process will help you learn the truth. Once you identify an issue, removing the threat — whether it be spyware or another rogue app — will help you regain your privacy.

Ultimately, prevention is the best measure, and following good practices and protecting your device with solid security software will help you avoid most privacy breaches.