How To Block Hackers On Your Phone

The sensitive data you store on your phone makes it a prime number target for hackers. While y'all're more likely to hear almost celebrities and public figures getting targeted for cybercrimes, the truth is that phone hacking can happen to anyone.

With hackers inventing new and sophisticated attacks every day, it's crucial to invest in a defense system for your phone. I shortlisted the 10 best ways to protect your mobile or smartphone from hackers and other cyberthreats. For maximum protection, I strongly recommend you install a acme VPN (cull ExpressVPN for the best security and reliability) and download an antivirus app (Norton 360 Deluxe is all-time by far).

Protect your phone with ExpressVPN

Protect your phone with Norton 360

1. Apply a VPN and Antivirus

Android and iOS provide a decent level of congenital-in security, only you tin can only get maximum protection confronting hackers past pairing a VPN with an antivirus.

While a VPN and antivirus both offer extensive security on their own, having both installed on your phone volition provide the all-time results. A VPN protects you past concealing your IP address and encrypting all traffic sent to and from your device. But if you download a file infected with a virus or malware, an antivirus volition notice and stop malicious software from harming your phone (although it doesn't provide whatever sort of encryption).

You'll notice the best VPNs for 2022 are all equipped with advanced security and privacy features, including military-class encryption, a kill switch, and leak protection. Meridian VPNs will too have a strict privacy policy that ensures your personal data is never monitored, collected, or shared with 3rd parties.

My team and I have extensively tested over l VPNs, and ExpressVPN easily ranks every bit the #1 VPN for Android and iOS. You tin can connect to any of its loftier-speed network of 3000+ servers in 94+ countries to encrypt your phone's internet traffic against hackers.

During tests, ExpressVPN's servers even worked with streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer. Even more than impressively, ExpressVPN is one of the only VPNs that worked during on-the-ground tests in Communist china. Yous can rest assured that your individual data is e'er safe as well — I ran multiple leak tests on its servers and ExpressVPN passed every i. In addition, the company has previously commissioned independent audits to bear witness its security and privacy claims.

Every plan includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you tin test out every feature on your Android or iPhone. If you're non satisfied, you can get a full refund. I tested it myself by asking for a refund over 24/vii live chat. Unlike other VPN services, the customer back up representative didn't pressure me to stay or inquire any follow-up questions. My refund was processed in minutes and the money returned to my account in only v days.

Protect your phone with ExpressVPN

Norton is a perfect complement to ExpressVPN's encryption capabilities, providing impressive defense against cyberthreats on Android and iOS. Its features include an anti-malware scanner, personalized privacy report, web protection to block phishing links, and WiFi Security to notify yous when you're connecting to an unsecured network.

Y'all tin can choose betwixt either Norton 360 for Mobile (advanced) and Norton Mobile Security (basic). I recommend Norton 360 for Mobile — this app non only defends your Android or iOS against malware and online threats, but information technology also includes a free VPN and Nighttime Web Monitoring characteristic. This tool alerts you whenever your personal information is leaked onto the Night Web, and then you tin defend yourself confronting identity theft and hackers.

You lot're protected by a sixty-mean solar day money-back guarantee when you sign up for Norton on its official website. I tested the coin-back guarantee to make certain it works, and I'chiliad happy to say that it was canonical within five minutes! The coin returned to my account just 5 days later.

Protect your phone with Norton 360 for Mobile

2. Keep Your Os and Apps Updated (and Remove Old Apps)

This may seem similar a no-brainer but it bears repeating: continue your telephone'southward Os and apps up-to-date. In addition to new features, Android and iOS regularly release essential security fixes with arrangement updates that assistance protect yous against a variety of exploits.

You lot can go a step further by enabling auto-updates to ensure yous never miss a patch release. If your device is outdated, I can empathize non wanting to download a new software update, equally this can sometimes impact your phone's performance. However, I'd take a performance hit over a hacked phone anyday.

3. Only Download Apps From Trusted Sources

Mobile apps can access a lot of personal information, then it'south of import that you just install trustworthy ones on your device.

The easiest way to do this is to kickoff at the source. Make sure you lot simply download apps that are available on the Google Play Shop, Apple App Store, or some other trustworthy platform. Any app institute on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store must meet certain security criteria before being approved and are also scanned to ensure they don't contain malware.

If you're ever unsure near an app you lot've downloaded, you can use a trusted antivirus similar Norton 360 to scan your device for malware and other threats. Norton offers both existent-time and manual scans to check for security risks, and then you'll be able to catch a wayward app before it compromises your privacy.

Protect your phone with Norton 360 for Mobile

4. Use a Circuitous Passcode (And Avoid Biometric Security)

Contrary to what phone manufacturers would have you believe, biometrics like fingerprint and facial scanners are a flawed way to secure your telephone. You're meliorate off relying on an erstwhile-fashioned PIN or password, as hackers have developed many ways to bypass biometrics (including uncomplicated tricks like the infamous 2019 exploit that immune users to bypass fingerprint scanners on a diversity of Samsung Galaxy phones using only a third-party screen protector).

Unfortunately, non all passwords are created equal. Although information technology's better to have a Pin/password than none, you tin can significantly increase your security past using a complex password. Aim for at least 16-twenty characters with a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. This goes not only for your phone'south countersign, merely any and all accounts yous have.

Here are a few other tips for boosting password security:

Alter your password every 6-12 months, also as any time y'all hear about a data breach for a service yous use.
Disable "Smart Lock" or whatsoever other feature that keeps your device unlocked in certain areas or when a Bluetooth device is connected.
Don't answer security questions honestly. Instead, recall of information technology similar an additional countersign and use letters and numbers in your reply.
Enable "Lockdown Mode" on your Android device, which disables biometric and smart-unlock methods (PIN and password will notwithstanding work).

In addition to the tips above, you should strongly consider getting a password manager. These services let you lot store all of your business relationship passwords in a digital vault, which not only provides much tighter security but besides eliminates the need to memorize dozens of passwords! Norton offers a costless password manager in all of its plans, with mobile apps for both iOS and Android. You can try Norton take a chance-complimentary for threescore days with its coin-back guarantee.

5. Learn How to Lock or Wipe Your Phone Remotely

Apple's Find My iPhone and Android's Find My Device are location-tracking features designed to aid y'all find your phone in the event it's lost or stolen. However, these tools go beyond simple device tracking, as they can as well be gear up to lock your device and delete all data to prevent thieves from accessing your information.

vi. Be Careful When Granting App Permissions

Even if you but go your app apps from trusted storefronts like Google Play or the App Shop, this doesn't mean every app tin can exist trusted with your data.

You tin can take additional measures to protect yourself past limiting an app's access. Many apps will asking access to information like your location, photos, contacts, and more. While granting such permissions may seem harmless, it could become a privacy issue down the line if the app were to always be hacked or otherwise compromised.

If you lot run across an app with suspicious permission requests, deny the requests and submit a ticket to the app shop to lodge a formal complaint. It would also exist a good idea to browse your phone with Norton 360 to ensure the app didn't install any malware.

7. Don't Jailbreak Your Telephone

Jailbreaking or rooting your phone can exist tempting, peculiarly if yous own an Apple tree iOS-based device. Bypassing your telephone's operating system lets y'all install all sorts of apps that aren't approved by Apple tree and fifty-fifty change wireless providers. Unfortunately, jailbreaking comes with serious security risks that tin can leave you exposed to hackers and other threats.

For one thing, accessing Google or Apple's official security updates may become more difficult since installing them could remove the jailbreak. Yous'll also need to exist 100% certain you lot tin can trust the apps you utilize, as they will have full access to your device once installed.

While there are certainly benefits to jailbreaking your phone, it's simply not a good idea if you care at all about your online security and privacy.

Protect your telephone with Norton 360 for Mobile

eight. Beware of Spam and Phishing Emails

Although your e-mail service'south spam folder will take hold of many of these threats, information technology won't foreclose all of them from ending up in your inbox. Here are a few ways yous can protect yourself against spam and phishing emails:

If an electronic mail looks suspicious, don't open up it — although the act of opening an email isn't all that dangerous, it can nevertheless provide information about you lot to the spammer such as your IP accost, ISP, approximate geographic location, and more than.
Never click on a link from a suspicious email — if yous accidentally open a malicious electronic mail, the best thing yous can practise is delete it immediately and avoid clicking whatsoever links or attachments. These links could incorporate viruses or other malicious files.
Mark any suspicious email as spam or junk — this helps railroad train your email service's detection software to better place such emails in the future.

If you ever click a link or open up an attachment you retrieve might be malicious, immediately scan your device with antivirus software. Norton Mobile Security for iOS and Android will scan all apps on your device and remove any viruses, spyware, or other threats it encounters. Best of all, yous can try Norton with the sixty-24-hour interval money-back guarantee.

nine. Fix Up Ii-Cistron Authentication (2FA)

Two-gene authentication or 2FA is ane of the simplest and most constructive security tools you have at your disposal. As its proper name implies, 2FA is an extra security layer for online accounts that forces y'all to provide an additional piece of information afterwards entering your username and password.

Any form of 2FA protection is better than nothing, but not all methods are created equal. For the best security, y'all'll want to utilize a software token-based method such as Google Authenticator, which generates a time-based, one-time passcode. Do your best to avert SMS text-message or vox-based 2FA, as these methods are less secure and can exist hands tricked by hackers.

Once you've set up 2FA with your online accounts, you lot should strongly consider pairing it with a trusted VPN. ExpressVPN encrypts your traffic, preventing hackers from seeing when you log in to your private accounts. You can try ExpressVPN for Android or iOS completely risk-free as it's backed by 30-day money-back guarantee. If you're not satisfied, y'all can ask for a refund from the customer support squad over 24/7 live chat.

Protect your telephone with ExpressVPN

10. Continue Your Telephone With You At All Times

Although hackers tin access your phone remotely, the easiest manner for someone to become into your phone is through physical admission. Thankfully, it'due south as well piece of cake to prevent someone from grabbing your telephone by ensuring you lot keep it on your person whenever yous're outside your dwelling house.

Hackers only demand a few minutes to suspension into your phone so leaving it unattended in a public setting is never a skillful idea. Of course, accidents do happen simply prevention is key. As long as yous've followed the other tips on this list, your data should exist well protected fifty-fifty in the consequence a hacker gets a hold of your telephone.

How can I tell if someone is hacking my phone?

It's not ever like shooting fish in a barrel to tell if your phone has been hacked, simply there are a few signs to look for:

Apps frequently open by themselves
You notice something yous don't recognize on your telephone such as an app yous didn't download or a purchase you didn't make.
Your telephone'south operation of a sudden slows down and battery life is reduced (malware can significantly bleed your phone's ability).
Pop-ups announced on your screen (typically bespeak spyware or malware on your device).

To foreclose your phone from being hacked, you lot should enable both a VPN and antivirus on your device. A VPN volition encrypt your traffic while the antivirus detects and prevents malware infections with a real-time protection scanner. Out of all the options available, ExpressVPN and Norton Mobile Security are the best dual-protection options on the market.

How do I remove a hacker from my phone?

If you doubtable your phone has been hacked, change your passwords, remove whatever suspicious apps, and immediately run a virus scan. You can besides follow these 10 tips to prevent some other phone hacking in the future.

Norton Mobile Security's malware scanner can quickly diagnose and quarantine any threats that may exist present on your device. Depending on the severity of the hack, y'all may also need to restore your device to factory settings to purge the threat.

You lot can try Norton on your phone risk-costless using its 60-twenty-four hours money-dorsum guarantee. This fashion, you tin still remove any malware that may be nowadays on your device already and prevent time to come attacks for 60 days before committing to a long-term plan.

What are the best apps to protect my phone from being hacked?

After testing and research, the best way is to download a VPN and an antivirus app. A VPN encrypts your cyberspace traffic to defend it against hackers, advertisers, and anyone else who might be watching your online activities. This is peculiarly useful if you lot regularly connect to public WiFi networks at schoolhouse, work, cafes, libraries, or airports. I highly recommend ExpressVPN as it'southward the best VPN app in 2022 for Android and iOS devices.

An antivirus app tin flag and cake malware infections on your phone. Norton Mobile Security has an Android and iOS app packed with a sophisticated range of anti-malware tools, including a existent-time scanner and encrypted cloud backup.

Protect your phone with Norton 360 for Mobile

While iOS and Android'southward congenital-in security systems offering some protection, it'due south simply not enough to fully prevent attacks from today'southward sophisticated privacy threats. I strongly suggest you lot take a proactive approach that combines a VPN and antivirus for a complete security package. Telephone hacking is not a niche threat that only people with a large online presence demand to worry nearly — if you own a smartphone, you're at risk.

ExpressVPN is the best VPN choice to encrypt your mobile traffic and information technology has a 30-mean solar day money-back guarantee, so yous tin can download it with confidence. If you're not satisfied, yous tin easily get a full refund.

Norton is the leading antivirus app for Android and iOS devices and will protect your phone against all types of cyberthreats, including phishing links, identity theft, viruses, malware, and more. You tin can test its features risk-costless with the whopping 60-twenty-four hours money-dorsum guarantee.