How To Catch Someone Snooping On Your Android Phone

Our phones are more than just tools, these days, they are extensions of ourselves, and as such being snooped on through your phone is a gross breach of security and privacy. Being snooped on is never nice, but there are many things you can do to either catch someone in the act of snooping, or at the very least tell that you are definitely being snooped on in the first place.

In this My How To Online tutorial, we’ll walk you through the various methods you can employ to catch someone snooping on your Android phone. For any other information, or if you have further questions, please direct your attention to our FAQ section at the end of this article instead.

Note: These tips may work for iPhone users too, however please be aware that this article has been written expressly with Android users and devices in mind.

How to catch someone snooping on your Android phone

Scan for spyware on your Android phone

One of the very best ways to catch someone snooping on your Android phone is to first scan your phone with anti-virus and/or anti-spyware software. Good programs to use include those from McAfee, Malwarebytes, and Norton. Run a spyware scan using one of these apps, and they will be able to detect if anyone has been snooping on your Android phone remotely. If the app detects spyware or malware, it will allow you to see what the -ware is, to quarantine it, and to eventually delete it from your phone altogether.

Install ‘Lookout’ from the Google Play Store

‘Lookout’ is an anti-snoop app which can prove extremely useful for catching someone snooping on your Android phone. Every time someone tries and fails to guess your lock screen passcode or password, Lookout uses your phone’s front-facing camera to take a picture of the snooper. You can access your Lookout snaps remotely, allowing you to see who has been snooping on you, and when.

Explore recent notifications to see if there are any you don’t recognise

On your Android phone, navigate to Settings > Apps and Notifications > Notifications > Notification history. Once there, scroll through your recent notifications history to determine whether or not you recognise all of the notifications your phone has received. If there are a number you don’t recognise, there’s a good chance someone else has been snooping on your phone either physically or remotely.

Check for the signs that your phone is being remotely spied on

Signs that someone is using spyware to remotely snoop on you and your Android phone include: 

  • Sudden malfunctioning and/or glitching of your device
  • Unexpected battery drainage in an unusually short amount of time
  • Your screen starts flashing blue or red
  • An unexpected peak in the usage levels of your cellular data

Check for suspicious apps

On your Android phone, navigate to Settings > Battery > Battery Usage. Once here, a list of recently-used apps will appear next to the percentage of your battery they have been using. Scroll through this list and check for apps you don’t recognise or didn’t install. Finding any of these suggests that someone’s been snooping on you.


And there you have it! All of the best ways you can check if someone is snooping on you, and catch them in the act. To learn what to do when you catch someone snooping, or why they might be doing it in the first place, please check out our FAQs below. 

FAQs

How can someone snoop on my Android phone?

When we talk about ‘snooping’ on your phone, we’re talking about a whole host of different things another person could do to breach your privacy, security, and access your information through your Android smartphone. 

This person could be someone in your life – a partner, friend, or family member – who occasionally has access to your phone when you’re not around (for example, if you’ve left the room or left your phone at home). However, it is far more likely that the snooper be someone who has either stolen your phone, or is hacking into it from afar.

It can be hard to spot when someone is snooping on your Android phone, as there are so many different ways they can do it. Snooping can include unlocking and going through your phone physically, installing spy software on your phone and then accessing it from afar, or using a trojan program to access your phone’s SMS messages, phone calls, front- and back-facing cameras, and apps.

How do you stop someone snooping on your Android phone?

There are lots of things you can do to ensure that no-one snoops on your Android phone, and to establish a tight, strict level of security on your smartphone which will make it next to impossible for hackers or snoopers to get through. 

We discuss many of these techniques above in the main article, however here are a few things you can do right now to stop people from snooping on your Android phone:

  • Set up a passcode on your phone – something which only you would be able to guess
  • Double-down on passcode security by also setting fingerprint or Facial Recognition passcodes
  • Install some top-quality free (or better yet, premium) anti-virus software on your Android phone, such as McAfee, Malwarebytes, or Norton Security
  • Install the app ‘Lookout’ from the Google Play Store, which will take a picture using your phone’s front-facing camera of anyone who incorrectly guesses your passcode. These images can be accessed remotely

What to do if you catch someone snooping on your Android phone?

If you catch someone snooping on your Android phone, then there are many different recourses to action you can take. You should always first consider the potential motives behind the snooping. For example, one of the most common forms of phone snooping is, unfortunately, between partners who have become suspicious of each other.

If you catch your partner snooping on your phone, then it is wise to hold a mature, calm conversation with them in which you ask them why they’re doing what they’re doing, and in which you tell them how their behavior makes you feel. Hopefully, through conversation alone you can resolve the issue. 

If the person you catch snooping on your phone is not someone you know, then you should contact your local police department and report the crime. This is a breach of your privacy and is a criminal offense. If you have managed to capture a picture of the perp, using an app like Lookout, for example, even better – you can give this to the police as evidence.

Why would someone snoop on your Android phone?

There are, to be honest, far too many potential reasons why a person might snoop on your Android phone to list them all here. Suffice it to say, information and data (especially nowadays) is a lucrative currency. Snoopers and hackers may breach your privacy and security to access information about you and your phone usage simply to sell onto marketing and ad companies. They may be looking for more sensitive information (such as credit card details) which they can directly use themselves to scam you out of money. 

Other individuals who snoop on your Android phone – especially those you know and who are close to you – may be doing so because they are suspicious of your behavior, or do not trust you to use your phone in ways which won’t upset or hurt them. They may be concerned for you, and are snooping on your phone to make sure that you are being safe and considerate when using it. 
If you catch someone snooping on your phone, first consider why they might be doing it, and approach the situation calmly and compassionately, before you resort to any drastic or retaliatory measures.