Hello! Since you’re here, you’re likely wondering if your iPhone has spyware or if someone is tracking you without your knowledge. This guide walks you through practical, step‑by‑step checks to help you:

  • Spot signs of spyware or stalkerware
  • Use built‑in iOS tools to detect issues
  • Remove suspicious apps and reset your iPhone securely
  • Protect yourself going forward

If you feel you are in immediate danger or are in a domestic abuse / stalking situation, consider seeking help from a trusted person or local authorities before changing anything on your phone. Sudden changes can alert an abuser who is monitoring your device.

# 1. Common Signs Your iPhone May Have Spyware

Spyware on iOS isn’t as common as on Android, but it does exist—from commercial “stalkerware” to advanced tools like NSO Group’s Pegasus.

Watch for clusters of these signs, not just one on its own:

  1. Battery drains unusually fast

    • Your phone gets hot even when not in use.
    • Battery usage suddenly worse after a specific time or event (e.g., after someone borrowed your phone).

  2. Data usage is higher than normal

    • Your mobile data usage spikes without you streaming or downloading more than usual.
    • Spyware often needs to send data out, which can show up in your data usage stats.

  3. Performance issues

    • Apps lag or freeze more than usual.
    • The phone feels slow on basic tasks, even after a restart.

  4. Strange behavior

    • Unknown apps appear on your home screen.
    • Settings you didn’t change are suddenly different (e.g., unknown profiles installed, new VPN, extra certificates).
    • Your camera or microphone indicator dot appears unexpectedly.

  5. Unusual account activity

    • Login alerts from locations or devices you don’t recognize on:
      • Apple ID
      • Email
      • Social media
      • Banking or payment apps

  6. Partner, ex, or colleague knows too much

    • Someone repeatedly knows:
      • Where you are
      • Who you talk to
      • Details of private messages
    • This is a major red flag for stalkerware or compromised accounts.

# 2. First Quick Checks You Can Do in iOS Settings

These checks use only built‑in iPhone tools—no extra “security apps” needed.

# 2.1 Check Battery Usage for Suspicious Apps

  1. Open Settings → Battery.
  2. Look under Battery Usage by App:
    • Are there apps you don’t recognize?
    • Is there an app using a lot of battery in the background that shouldn’t?

Search any unknown app names online (e.g. in a private browser like DuckDuckGo) along with “spyware” or “stalkerware” to see if others have flagged them.

# 2.2 Check Mobile Data Usage

  1. Open Settings → Mobile Data (or Cellular).
  2. Scroll to Mobile Data usage by app:
    • Look for unknown apps using data.
    • Look for normal apps suddenly using far more data than usual.

Reset statistics after you check so you can monitor fresh usage:

  • At the bottom, tap Reset Statistics (note: this clears the counters, not your actual data plan).

# 2.3 Look for Unknown Apps or “Calculator”‑Style Clones

Carefully review all your home screens and folders:

  • Look for apps you don’t remember installing.
  • Be suspicious of:
    • Generic names like “System Services”, “Security”, “Update”, “Device” by unknown developers
    • “Calculator” apps that need a password (can hide secret content or monitoring features)

To check an app:

  1. Touch and hold the app icon → App Info is not available in iOS, but you can:
  2. Open the App → go to its Settings or About page.
  3. In the App Store, search its name:
    • Confirm it’s from a legitimate developer.
    • Read recent user reviews and ratings.

If you truly don’t recognize or need it, consider deleting (see removal section below).

# 3. Deep Check: Profiles, Device Management & Certificates

Many iPhone surveillance setups use configuration profiles or device management to control your phone or route your traffic.

# 3.1 Check for Configuration Profiles

  1. Open Settings → General.
  2. Look for VPN & Device Management or Profiles & Device Management:
    • If you don’t see this menu, it usually means no profiles are installed (which is good).
    • If you do see it, tap it and inspect:
      • Any Configuration Profiles you don’t recognize
      • Any Mobile Device Management (MDM) profiles

If your phone is personally owned (not issued by a job or school):

  • You should be very cautious about any MDM or “device management” entry you didn’t knowingly set up.

To remove a suspicious profile:

  1. Go to Settings → General → VPN & Device Management.
  2. Tap the suspicious profile.
  3. Tap Remove Management or Remove Profile (you may need your passcode).

Note: If this is a work or school device, removing profiles may break required access. Contact your IT department if you’re unsure.

# 3.2 Check VPN and DNS Settings

  1. VPN

    • Go to Settings → VPN & Device Management → VPN
    • Or Settings → General → VPN & Device Management
    • Look for unknown VPNs. If enabled and you didn’t set it up, it might be intercepting your traffic.

  2. DNS & Wi‑Fi Profiles

    • Settings → Wi‑Fi → tap the i next to your main network
    • Scroll to Configure DNS:
      • If it is set to Manual with strange DNS servers, someone might be redirecting your traffic.
    • You can set DNS back to Automatic if you’re unsure.

# 4. Check Microphone, Camera & Location Access

Spyware needs permissions to your mic, camera, and location.

# 4.1 See Which Apps Use Sensitive Permissions

Go to:

  • Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services
    • Scroll the list for unknown apps or those with Always access.
  • Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone
  • Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera

For anything suspicious:

  • Set permission to Never or Ask Next Time.
  • If you don’t need the app, delete it.

# 4.2 Watch for Live Indicators

When the camera or microphone is used:

  • A green dot (camera) or orange dot (microphone) appears at the top of your iPhone screen on modern iOS versions.

If you see these when you’re not using an app that should need them:

  • Swipe down from the top right (Control Center) to see which app is currently using them.
  • Immediately close and uninstall anything suspicious.

# 5. Check for Apple ID and iCloud Account Compromise

Sometimes the problem isn’t direct spyware—it’s account access.

# 5.1 See Where Your Apple ID Is Signed In

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Tap your name at the top (Apple ID).
  3. Scroll down to see the list of devices logged into your Apple ID.

If you see devices you don’t recognize:

  • Tap the device → Remove from Account (or Remove from Account on iCloud.com).
  • Immediately change your Apple ID password (see below).

# 5.2 Change Your Apple ID Password & Enable 2FA

  1. Go to Settings → tap your name → Password & Security.
  2. Tap Change Password and choose a strong, unique password.
  3. Make sure Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is On.

Learn more from Apple’s official guide:

# 6. How to Remove Suspicious Spyware or Stalkerware

If you find something odd—or you still strongly suspect spyware—use a layered approach to cleaning your iPhone.

# 6.1 Start by Deleting Suspicious Apps

  1. Press and hold an app icon.
  2. Tap Remove App → Delete App.
  3. Confirm.

After deleting, restart your iPhone:

  • Press and hold power + volume (Face ID models) or power button (Touch ID) → Slide to power off → turn back on.

# 6.2 Remove Unknown Profiles, VPNs, and Certificates

As in sections above, remove:

  • Suspicious Configuration Profiles
  • Unknown MDM / Device Management
  • Strange VPN configurations

Then restart the device again.

# 6.3 Update iOS to the Latest Version

Apple regularly patches security holes used by advanced spyware like Pegasus.

  1. Go to Settings → General → Software Update.
  2. Install the latest iOS version.

See Apple’s security updates page:

# 6.4 Consider a Full Erase and Clean Restore

If you want maximum certainty:

  1. Back up safely first:

    • Use an encrypted computer backup via Finder (macOS) or iTunes (Windows), or iCloud.
    • But note: if an app itself is malicious, it could come back from a backup.

  2. Erase all content and settings:

    • Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings.
    • Follow the prompts.

  3. Set up as a new iPhone (strongest option):

    • When asked how to restore, choose Set Up as New iPhone.
    • Manually reinstall your trusted apps from the App Store.
    • Avoid installing apps from old backup if you strongly suspect spyware.

  4. Then:

    • Change all important passwords (Apple ID, email, banking, social media) from the cleaned device.
    • Make sure 2FA is enabled wherever possible.

# 7. Extra Protection if You’re at High Risk (Activists, Journalists, Domestic Abuse, High-Profile Targets)

Some people face targeted threats from advanced spyware or abusive partners.

# 7.1 Use Apple’s Lockdown Mode (for High-Risk Targets)

Apple introduced Lockdown Mode to protect against very sophisticated spyware.

  • Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Lockdown Mode.
  • Read the description; it restricts many features but greatly reduces attack surface.
  • Only enable this if you suspect state-level spyware or are in a documented high-risk group (e.g., journalists, activists).

More details:

# 7.2 Use Safety Check (Especially for Abuse Situations)

If someone you know may have access to your accounts or location:

  • Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Safety Check.
  • Use:
    • Emergency Reset to instantly cut off sharing and reset account access.
    • Or Manage Sharing & Access to review who can see what.

Apple explains Safety Check here:

# 8. Things That Don’t Necessarily Mean Spyware

Before panicking, remember some issues can be normal:

  • Older iPhone + new iOS version → slower performance
  • Lots of apps refreshing in background → faster battery drain
  • Many photos, videos, or iCloud sync → higher data usage
  • Random app crashes → regular software bugs, not necessarily spying

If you only have one mild sign and no suspicious behavior from people around you, spyware is less likely. Look for patterns and multiple symptoms.

# 9. When to Seek Professional or Legal Help

You should consider getting outside help if:

  • You’re in a domestic violence, stalking, or harassment situation.
  • Someone repeatedly shows knowledge of your private movements or messages.
  • You’ve followed the steps above, erased the phone, and the problem keeps coming back.

Possible places to turn:

  • Local law enforcement (especially for stalking and abuse).
  • A local cybersecurity or digital forensics expert.
  • Domestic violence support organizations in your country (many have digital safety resources).

Some resources (for general information):

# 10. How to Stay Safer on Your iPhone Going Forward

  • Keep iOS up to date at all times.
  • Only install apps from the official App Store.
  • Avoid “jailbreaking” your iPhone—this disables many built‑in protections.
  • Use strong, unique passwords and a password manager.
  • Turn on 2FA for Apple ID, email, banking, and social media.
  • Don’t share your unlock code or Face ID / Touch ID with anyone.
  • Be careful with links and attachments in iMessage, SMS, email, and social apps.
  • Regularly review your:
    • Privacy permissions
    • Apple ID devices
    • Installed profiles and VPNs

# 11. Quick Checklist: “Do I Have Spyware on My iPhone?”

Use this as a fast self‑audit:

  • Battery or data suddenly spiked without explanation
  • Unknown apps on my phone
  • Strange profiles / MDM in Settings → General → VPN & Device Management
  • Unknown VPN or weird DNS settings
  • Apps I don’t trust using mic / camera / location
  • My Apple ID or other accounts show strange login activity
  • Someone in my life somehow knows my private info or movements
  • I’ve deleted suspicious apps and/or done a reset, but the issues keep returning

If you checked multiple boxes—especially related to someone knowing too much about you—then it’s worth taking the cleanup steps and considering outside help.

If you’d like, tell me:

  • What model iPhone you have
  • Which iOS version you’re on
  • Any specific symptoms you’re seeing

I can walk you through a more tailored, step‑by‑step check for your exact situation.