An Ex Could Secretly Track You Through Your Phone

The Phone May Look Normal

An abusive partner or ex-partner can use stalkerware to secretly monitor a phone without the owner realizing it, according to updated guidance from the Federal Trade Commission. Some of the software is designed to hide behind ordinary-looking names such as “System Service.”

The FTC says stalkerware may allow another person to track location, read text messages and emails, see photos, monitor online activity or even use a device’s microphone.

That can make a phone that appears normal function like a private surveillance tool.

The Clue May Be What Someone Else Knows

Because stalkerware is built to avoid detection, the warning signs are not always obvious. The FTC recommends paying attention to unusual battery drain, increased data use, overheating or a phone that unexpectedly turns itself off and on.

Another sign may come from the other person. If an abusive partner repeatedly knows an exact location, details from private conversations or who someone has been texting without being told, the FTC says secret monitoring may be one explanation.

The Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women has also warned that technology can be used as part of stalking and coercive control, including location tracking, account monitoring and other forms of digital surveillance.

Removing the App Can Carry Its Own Risk

The FTC cautions that immediately deleting suspected stalkerware can alert the person who installed it. In an abusive relationship, that discovery could increase danger.

Instead, the agency recommends thinking about safety before changing the monitored device. Someone who believes a phone is being watched may want to use a different device to contact an advocate or law enforcement.

The FTC also recommends preserving evidence before resetting or replacing the phone if documentation may later be important.

Control Can Extend Into Digital Life

Technology-facilitated abuse can make it difficult for a person to know which conversations or movements are private. That uncertainty is part of why the FTC treats stalkerware as more than a technical problem.

Protective steps include keeping physical control of a device, using a strong passcode, updating software, changing account passwords and turning on two-factor authentication. A full factory reset or a new phone may be necessary in some situations, but the agency recommends considering safety first.

The central warning is not that every hot battery or odd app means someone is spying. It is that unexplained phone behavior combined with an abusive person knowing private information can be worth taking seriously.

References: Stalkerware: What To Know | Understanding Victims and Survivors of Stalking

The Truth In Facts team was assisted by generative AI technology in creating this content