How to check your Android phone for tapping

How to check your Android phone for tapping

With the advent of modern smartphones and the Internet, people are communicating less and less through regular phone calls. The explanation for this phenomenon is quite simple, as many people find it more convenient to send a text or voice message than to dial a phone number and wait for an answer. However, special organizations, including law enforcement agencies, can still wiretap a smartphone. If the procedure is handled by professionals, it is almost impossible to determine. But let's figure out how to check your Android phone for tapping using publicly available methods.

How the phone can be tapped

To begin with, the official name of the wiretapping procedure is a system of technical means to ensure the functions of operational and investigative activities. If abbreviated, "SORM". Similar technology is used in many countries, where a special module is already built into every PBX. An interesting fact is that without a wiretap service, cellular operators cannot obtain a license to operate. At least this is true for Russia and many CIS countries.

And what is the best way to tap cell phones? There are actually many methods, but here is only a small part of them:

  • Connecting to SS7. This method is most often used by intruders and hacker organizations. The eavesdropping is performed via the subscriber's number, to which a special SRI4SM request is sent. In response to such a message, a subscriber's international ID and the address of the mobile operator's switchboard are sent. The data obtained, the attackers enter into the billing system, thereby obtaining full access to the person's conversations.
  • Using the SORM line. As mentioned earlier, many telecom operators use such a system at the request of law enforcement agencies. It is not difficult to guess that without proper authorization, the security services can gain access to wiretapping virtually any phone. The same can be said about mobile operators, who have no problem gaining access to calls and conversations.
  • Using special programs. On the hacker software market you can buy a special application that will listen to the phone of the selected victim. It is very easy to fall into such a trap. It is enough to install a Trojan program, discreetly collecting all the information. That is why it is better not to download anything from unknown sites.

These are the ways most often used to study conversations and collect data. You may ask, is there any way to find out if a phone is tapped? The answer is yes.

Signs of wiretapping

And here are the main signs that may indicate that your smartphone is bugged:

  • Increased heat and rapid discharge of the battery. There are many applications installed on your modern device that access RAM in one way or another. All this leads to increased power consumption, and, accordingly, to the consumption of battery power. But if your phone is just lying around for a long period of time with the Internet turned off, background programs closed, and warmed up, this is a serious signal that the Trojan software is working.
  • Frequent failures and errors. In the Android operating system small errors can sometimes occur, there's nowhere to be found without them. But when it happens with a deliberate regularity, you should be wary. The phone should not spontaneously shut down, reboot or reset for no apparent reason. If this happens, then there is a possibility that the smartphone is being bugged.
  • Disturbing noises during conversations. Did you hear extraneous noise or interference while talking on the phone? This is a serious reason to think about possible bugging of the device. And if you also hear extraneous voices, it is better to try to disable tapping by using combinations or apps on your Android.

If you know any of these signs, the probability of an unauthorized wiretap is quite high.

Effective methods of protection

It is almost impossible to protect yourself from official wiretaps, as law enforcement agencies use special technology. But the following recommendations will help not to make confidential data publicly available:

  • Do not give your personal phone to strangers or unfamiliar people for long periods of time.
  • Avoid installing programs downloaded from unknown sources on your device. It is better to use the official app store services on Google Play.
  • Make calls through messengers. They are more protected from wiretapping. For example, you can use the same
  • Do not connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots.
  • Check your smartphone regularly for viruses. Special antivirus applications can help with this.

If you follow these simple guidelines, you will be able to protect your personal data and keep your privacy.

How to check the Android for tapping

It is not always possible to know with the help of general signs that your conversations are controlled by some person or organization. It is better to use special codes and combinations to check. And to disable eavesdropping, turn to narrowly targeted applications.

Combinations and codes on smartphones

To check your Android phone for tapping, you can use special USSD commands. They must be entered in the dialing field, and then click on the handset icon. Here are the basic combinations:

  • Code - *#43#. Open the phone and dial the combination in the dialing field. Press the call button and wait for the information window to appear. Pay attention to the line "The service is connected to". Nothing should be displayed under it at the moment, except the parameter "Voice communication". If there is an item "Calling on hold" - your smartphone is very likely to be bugged.

Combinations and codes to detect wiretaps on Android

  • Code - *#21#. A great command to check call forwarding. As before, type it in the dialing field and click on the handset icon. In the window that appears, you should see information indicating that call forwarding is disabled. If calls are passed to someone else, it's likely that your phone is tapped.

Codes on smartphones for phone tapping information

  • Code - *#62#. Use this combination to find out the specific phone number for which call forwarding is enabled. Open the dialing field and enter this USSD-request. Press the call button and wait for a special window to appear. In the item "Voice communication" will indicate the specific number to which calls are forwarded. If there is no number, this is a good signal - the cell phone is not tapped.

Code to search for wiretaps on an Android phone


You can use a universal command to disable all types of call forwarding. On the dial pad, type the combination ##002# and press the call button.

Disabling wiretapping via software

How do I turn off wiretapping on my Android phone? This question is asked by everyone who has detected signs of unauthorized data transmission. To cope with this task and protect your confidential data will help special programs. About everything in order.

EAGLE Security FREE

EAGLE Security
EAGLE Security
Developer: Int64 Team
Price: Free

EAGLE Security FREE allows you to protect your phone from eavesdropping in one of the known ways. The program perfectly detects Trojan software, which can transfer your data to third parties. The service also fights well against the common way of wiretapping - base station spoofing.

You don't need to use any secret sites to install the application. Everything is done through the usual Play Market. In the search box, enter the name of the program and go to the corresponding page. Press "Install"and wait for the installation to complete.

EAGLE Security FREE app to protect against wiretapping


By the way, you may come across a paid version of the application in your search. The name will have "Unlimited" next to it. There are no special advantages of this particular version, so you can do with the basic software.

When the application is successfully installed, open it. Grant the requested permissions by clicking the appropriate button in the window. There are several useful blocks on the main screen. First, pay attention to the item "Probability of eavesdropping". Here you can see the percentage of your phone that is at risk of being tapped. A little further down you can see information about active systems. These include the number of visible cells, network type, base station and other parameters.

Disabling wiretapping via EAGLE Security FREE

Go to the side menu by clicking on the three-bar icon. First we open the section "Spyware". Here you can find applications that EAGLE Security considers a threat. Read the list carefully and, if desired, remove the software you find.

Locking the camera and microphone via EAGLE Security FREE

But special attention should be paid to the section "Blocking". It is through this tab you can remove the wiretap from the phone. Try activating the modes: "Lock the camera" и "Lock the microphone". In this case, the microphone will be blocked during phone calls, but this does not work on all devices. The same applies to the camera. The use of the camera will be prohibited at the level of security policies built into the Android operating system.

Incognito

A universal program that allows you to understand if your phone or sim card is tapped. You can easily download it from Google Play (to find out how to install it on the Chinese android you can here) by typing in the appropriate search term. As for smartphone requirements, the app does not ask for root-rights or any other features. So, after completing the installation we open the utility. We are immediately greeted by an informative video with an overview of the software capabilities. Then we get to the main screen, where we click on the button "Start scanning".

A special procedure to check the smartphone's functions will start. As practice shows, it usually does not take much time, but during the entire process it is better not to minimize the application. As a result, the screen will display information indicating the presence or absence of remote phone tapping. Positive is a message with the text "Your device is clean".

Check your Android phone for tapping via Incognito

In the PRO version of the program you can set up automatic scanning by time. For example, once a day, a week or a month. If you actively use messengers, try activating the option "Messenger Monitoring". It is intended to control the transmission of messages. Mode "App Audit"As you can tell from the name, it calculates suspicious applications. But unfortunately, the presented features are only available in the paid version of the software.

Anti Spy

Anti Spy - Spy App Scanner
Anti Spy - Spy App Scanner

Anti Spy is probably one of the most interesting programs in the field of anti-spyware. It uses a special engine based on artificial intelligence that thoroughly scans the system and detects any suspicious activity. This applies not only to Trojan applications, but also to SMS trackers. That is, this program will help detect wiretapping, as well as leakage of personal information into the hands of intruders.

You may ask, but where can you download this application from? The answer is from the same Play Store. After completing the installation, open the program and do the initial setup. You can view a brief presentation by clicking on the button "Next". At the very end, agree to the terms of use by checking two boxes and selecting "I accept".

Check with Anti Spy for phone tapping

To start the test, press "Scanning". During the analysis the current status of the device may change. If potential threats in the form of suspicious applications appear, the corresponding icon will be highlighted. At the end you will be able to correct the situation by uninstalling potentially dangerous software or disabling the specified options.

Scanning for Android smartphone tapping

As for the settings, there are no interesting items in them. But it is still desirable to go there. It is strongly recommended to put a tick next to the line "Scanning for unknown sources"which automatically activates the option to check programs installed from sources other than Play Store. You can optionally add trusted sources or whitelist specific applications.

Android IMSI-Catcher Detector

Android IMSI-Catcher Detector (short for AIMSICD) is designed for direct monitoring of calls. You can install the application at the moment only from third-party sources, it is not available on Google Play. It is best to use the portal 4PDA, where only verified utilities are downloaded.

Android IMSI-Catcher Detector when wiretapping

After installation, open the application and go to the side menu by clicking on the icon of three bars. Here you can go to the section "Current threat level"and check the possibility of a wiretap. In the menu "Viewing the databaseThe "Base Station" section provides detailed information about each base station. But these values do not explain much to anyone, so we recommend activating automatic monitoring. This is done as follows:

  1. Go to any section and click on the three-dot icon.
  2. Check the boxes next to the items: "Enabling attack detection" и "Enabling Cell Tracking".
  3. Open section "Settings". The default setting here is correct, but it is better to additionally activate the option "Parameters GPS". It allows you to enable geolocation for detailed cell tracking.

Configuring Android IMSI-Catcher Detector

To save changes, simply exit the last section.


Note that if suspicious threats are detected, the application suppresses them on its own.

Listening to SIM cards of different operators

Depending on the mobile network operator used and the region where you live, the secret combinations for wiretapping may differ. The most famous mobile operators and codes to disable wiretapping are collected below.

In Ukraine (Vodafone, Kyivstar, Lifecell)

To check and disable wiretapping from a particular cellular operator in Ukraine, a combination of *777#. Enter this code in the dialing field and press the call button. In a few seconds, the screen will display information about the current balance as well as the operator menu. In it, pay attention to the items related to call forwarding. You can deactivate call tapping by one of the methods presented at the beginning.

In Russia and other CIS countries (MegaFon, VimpelCom, Beeline, MTS)

As for operators in Russia and CIS countries, the situation is a little more complicated, because the universal combination does not always work. Here is the basic procedure for the most popular mobile operators:

  • MTS. Send a text message with the text "Help MTS Search" to the short number 3322. In response, you will receive a detailed instruction with a list of commands. But in brief, you must enter the number to which the forwarding is carried out to add it to the so-called "black list".
  • Megaphone. Send a text message with the correct number to 000888.
  • Beeline. To deactivate forwarding, send a short message with the text "STOP" to the number 5166.


Recall that to check if forwarding is enabled, the combination *#21#.

Video tutorial

To summarize, you can check your Android phone for bugging in one of the publicly available ways. It is better to use special commands and applications.