Hidden apps can be extremely deceptive and very hard to find unless you know exactly what you are looking for. They can be added to phones by third parties without the user even being aware that their phone has been hacked or accessed by an outsider. Android and iPhones are both capable of having hidden apps placed into their hard drives that can monitor various activities including location, camera activity, sent and received messages as well as financial transactions that are performed either through the phone service or WiFi connection.

Hidden Camera App

Hidden camera apps are available for both iPhones and Android devices. It allows the user to access the phone and turn the camera on without the user knowing their phone has been compromised. Once hackers gain access to the phone’s camera, they also have the ability to control several other features associated with the device, as well as the camera. This includes:

  • Turning off the photo preview screen
  • Disabling the flash
  • Disabling the shutter sound or click associated with taking the picture
  • Hide pictures that are taken
  • Alter other settings on the phone that have to do with the camera or video recorder

Protecting your phone from unwanted intruders can be tricky if they have the programs and capabilities of getting into your phone. There are several things you can do, however, to protect yourself. First, always be aware of your phone’s settings and what apps you know you have on your phone. Secondly, disregard requests that ask for permission to make changes to your phone or any of its features. When this happens, it is an indicator that a program or app may be running that you do not download. Always make sure your Google information is secure. Change your passwords often and never let anyone know what they are.

Hidden Camera Detector App

While this app does not deal primarily with hidden apps on a cell phone, it can uncover hidden cameras no matter where you are. Once the app is installed on the phone, a person can scan a room using a small beam of light that will automatically illuminate any lens hidden within a room, no matter how small or obscure it is. This is beneficial in dressing rooms, bathrooms or other areas where privacy is expected but not always guaranteed.

Hidden Apps on iPhone

Parents in particular use hidden apps as a way of monitoring their minor children’s cell phone usage. By installing certain apps they can track a child’s location, the number of texts and phone calls both made and received, as well as to who the phone calls and texts are sent. In most cases, the only information necessary is the Apple ID for the phone in question and an internet connection. Apps are installed and can be hidden behind folders or other blocks so that the user has no clue they have been placed on the phone.

All data and telephone usage is sent to and stored in the account that was set up by the person who installed the apps. There are several different iPhone apps that can be used to “spy” on people. Spouses can install them on a husband or wife’s phone and track almost every move they make, many in real time. A hidden app will remain in place until the installer removes it or the user discovers it and attempts to disable it.

If the app is malicious or involves some form of malware, the only way to remove it may be to swipe the cell phone’s hard drive and reset it back to the original factory settings. Apps that involve malware and spyware are notorious for corrupting files and damaging operating systems to the point where they are beyond repair.

Hidden Apps on Android

Much like an iPhone, Android phones are also susceptible to malicious, hidden apps. Android phones run off of the Windows operating system, so any malicious program or app that can disrupt it on a computer can also attack a smartphone. Individuals rely on their phones for many things, including the storage of the majority of their personal data. This includes contact information, financial data, work information and social media account information. While social media may seem trivial, it connects a person to a variety of other individuals who may also be hacked if the user has sent messages back and forth that contain personal information.

Hidden Tethering App

Tethering apps allow cell phones to attach to almost any Wi-Fi network. Hidden tethering apps can be installed on a person’s phone so that the hacker can retrieve information from the targeted cell phone as long as it is connected to a viable Wi-Fi network. This means that even if the phone moves from place to place, it can tether itself to any network and remain connected.

Who Uses Hidden Apps?

Spouses. Hidden apps are appearing in divorce cases at the rate of almost 80 percent. Husbands and wives are both using hidden apps to track their spouse’s movements in an attempt at proving adultery or other illegal activity. While much of the information cannot be used in court, it can be used as leverage when it comes to child custody or providing proof of a person having violated an existing prenuptial agreement.

Parents will install hidden apps to monitor their children for safety reasons. Parents often give their children cell phones for the sole purpose of being able to contact them in case of an emergency. Parental control apps can be installed that prevent children from doing things on their phones that they are not supposed to, but many times, kids find their way around the controls and are able to text or make phone calls without their parents knowing. Installing hidden tracking and control apps can prevent the child from gaining access to the internet or making phone calls to unknown telephone numbers.

Employers use hidden apps for several reasons. When an employer issues an employee a cell phone, company car, tablet, or laptop computer, there are often stipulations as to how it can be used. In most cases, the employee must agree to only use the device for company business. Personal use is prohibited and can result in termination of the employee violates this particular part of the agreement. The company’s IT department may install a variety of hidden apps that will allow the company to monitor how the device is used and what type of information is being sent and received.

Individuals who are trying to steal information or another person’s identity will commonly use hidden apps to gain access to the individuals’ phone, laptop or tablet. Hackers can install hidden apps by finding a way to access a secure internet connection or by somehow retrieving a person’s Apple ID or Google information. Once they have access to the phone through the server, they can work on breaking any passcodes that may block them from the information they need. The person being hacked will have literally no clue that their information is being stolen until it is too late.

Hidden apps raise several questions when it comes to both legal and moral issues. While accessing a person’s personal information may not completely be illegal, it can be morally wrong. Invading a person’s privacy to gain information on them as a person is one thing, but to take the information and use it for your own gain is the deal breaker. Once that begins to occur, the line between morality and illegal activity becomes quite clear. In cases where a parent is attempting to protect a child, the situation is somewhat different and the invasion of privacy becomes less of an issue. Protecting a child and providing them with the resources they need in an emergency situation becomes the priority.