Stalkerware & Hidden Phone Spyware — Detection and Safe Removal
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If you suspect there’s spyware on your phone — or that someone is monitoring your messages, calls or location — you’re right to take it seriously, and you’re not overreacting. This page explains how to check for hidden spyware and “stalkerware” on Android and iPhone, how to do it safely, and how we can help remove it discreetly. The Original PC Doctor helps people across Australia, with care and no judgement.
If someone you know may have installed it, your safety comes first
“Stalkerware” is monitoring software secretly installed by a partner, ex-partner or family member. If that may be your situation, please read this before you remove anything:
- Use a different, safe device (a friend’s phone, a work or library computer) to seek help — not the phone you think is being watched.
- Removing the spyware can alert the person who installed it and may escalate the situation. Get advice on a safety plan first.
- In Australia you can call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 (free, confidential, 24/7) and the eSafety Commissioner at esafety.gov.au for guidance built for exactly this.
- If you are in immediate danger, call 000.
Want it checked discreetly?
We can inspect your phone for spyware and remove it safely — and advise on timing if you’re concerned about alerting someone.
Signs of spyware or stalkerware
- Battery draining fast or the phone warm when you’re not using it.
- Unfamiliar apps, or an app with a vague name you don’t remember installing.
- The other person seeming to know things they shouldn’t — your location, who you messaged, where you’ve been.
- Higher-than-usual data use, or settings (like “unknown sources” or a device-admin app) you didn’t change.
- Your phone was out of your control, or someone else set it up or “fixed” it for you.
How to check safely
Android: review Settings → Apps for anything unfamiliar, and Settings → Security → Device admin apps and Settings → Accessibility — stalkerware often hides in those to read your screen. iPhone: check Settings → General → VPN & Device Management for unknown profiles, and review which apps have location, microphone and camera access. Remember the safety note above before removing anything if someone may be monitoring you.
How we remove it
The Original PC Doctor can check your phone thoroughly — apps, profiles, permissions, accessibility access and account security — identify any monitoring software, and remove it (a careful clean, or a backup-and-reset where needed), then help you secure your Google or Apple account so it can’t be re-installed. If your situation is sensitive, we can talk through the safest timing first. We help across Australia, onsite or remotely. For general (non-stalkerware) phone clean-ups, see remove a hacker or spyware from your phone.
Support and reporting
- 1800RESPECT — 1800 737 732 (free, confidential, 24/7) for domestic, family and sexual violence support.
- eSafety Commissioner — esafety.gov.au, with specific guidance on stalkerware and account security.
- IDCARE — 1800 595 160, free identity & cyber support.
- Lifeline — 13 11 14 if you need to talk to someone. In an emergency, call 000.
Frequently asked questions
Can someone really spy on my phone?
It’s less common than scary headlines suggest, but it does happen — usually when someone has had physical access to your unlocked phone, or knows your Apple ID / Google password. The good news is it’s almost always removable.
Will removing spyware alert the person who installed it?
It can. If you think a partner, ex-partner or family member installed it, please seek advice first (1800RESPECT 1800 737 732, or esafety.gov.au) so it can be handled as part of a safety plan.
Is a factory reset enough?
A factory reset removes almost all phone spyware, but you must also change your Apple ID or Google password (from a safe device) afterwards, or it can be re-installed. We handle both and check your account security.
You deserve a private, secure phone. Call 1300 723 628 or book a discreet check — and if it’s a safety situation, 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) is there 24/7.
