What should I do if I think my phone is being hacked right now?
Answer
Put the phone in Airplane Mode, turn off Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth, power it off, and remove the SIM if the tray opens easily—modern phones usually have no removable battery.
Before you start: stop right away if…
- Never share one-time codes or remote-access apps with someone who claims they are helping remove a hacker.
- Forcing open a sealed phone to remove the battery can damage it and create a battery fire risk.
- A factory reset erases local data that is not backed up.
Follow these steps
Cut wireless access immediately
Turn on Airplane Mode. Then turn off Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth if they can still be enabled separately. Unplug charging cables.
You should see: The phone is offline from cellular and local wireless links.
Remove the SIM if possible
Use the SIM tool to open the tray and remove the SIM card. Do not pry open the phone body to remove a non-user battery.
You should see: Cellular service on that SIM stops; the sealed battery stays untouched.
Power the phone off
Hold the power button and power off fully. Leave it off while you secure accounts from another device.
You should see: The phone is completely powered down.
Secure accounts from a trusted device
On a different computer or phone you trust, change passwords for email, Apple/Google account, banking, and turn on multifactor authentication. Do not approve unknown login prompts.
You should see: Critical accounts use new passwords and block unknown sessions.
Clean or reset the phone later
When ready, power on offline, uninstall unknown apps, revoke device-admin apps, update the OS, or back up and factory reset using official settings. Replace the phone only if you still cannot trust it after a reset.
You should see: The phone is restored to a trustworthy state or replaced.
Not sure this is the right page? Check here
0 of 5 checked
Extra tips
What to look for: Unexpected verification texts, unknown apps with device-admin rights, rapid battery drain, or account alerts you did not initiate
Before you change anything: Use a second trusted device to change email and banking passwords if possible. Do not share one-time codes with anyone who calls you. Avoid “hacker removal” apps or callers demanding payment.
Need a little more help?
Tell us what’s happening. Your saved expert chat will open beside this article.
Free to use. Don’t include passwords or personal details.