This post is provided by our partner MacPaw, a software development company that creates maintenance, security, and app distribution solutions for macOS and iOS. Learn more and get an exclusive Freelancers Union-member discount on MacPaw products here.

There are too many suspicions that our smartphones are secretly listening to us. The most skeptical among us will scoff “Duh!” but we don’t like to indulge in conspiracy theories. 

While there is technology on our iPhones that might record or process what we’re saying, our phones are not specifically designed to eavesdrop on us. But is it possible at all? Experts at Moonlock, a cybersecurity division of MacPaw, say, yes! They also have some practical advice on how to spot a spying app and stop it from listening to you on your iPhone.

Assistants are listening to you

First of all, almost all modern smartphones come with built-in virtual assistants. Depending on the model and operational system of the phone, these assistants can listen for an activation phrase that sort of wakes them up. “Hello, Siri” prompts the assistant on your iPhone, so it starts listening to your voice commands to execute them, be it sending a message or setting a reminder.

There are rumors that Siri sends Apple everything it hears users say, but it’s not entirely true. In 2019, after a privacy scandal around Siri, Apple stopped the evaluation of user voice recordings by humans. It means that all voice commands are executed by Siri locally on the device, and they are only processed after the trigger phrase “Hey, Siri.”

However, Moonlock experts say there’s something to keep in mind. When Siri is triggered, there’s still a possibility that it records and sends user audio to Apple servers. In order to act upon your voice command, Siri can send the audio to Apple for correct interpretation and then perform the action on your iPhone. 

If you feel that this makes you uncomfortable, you can always disable Siri in your iPhone settings. Here are 4 steps to do it:

1. Open Settings
2. Select Siri & Search
3. Tap Listen for
4. Choose Off

Can applications listen to us, too?

Yes, if you grant them permission to use the microphone. Instagram, Skype, TikTok, or other apps with the functionality to record videos or to call usually ask for such access. But they don’t actively listen to you, contrary to popular belief. 

The root of this belief is in multiple reports of users about social media apps misusing access to microphones for ad targeting. You know, when you never googled the thing but rather talked with friends about it, and now it’s plastered all over your Instagram feed. In 2019, Facebook denied these claims, stressing that their apps don’t use microphones unless you are performing an action that requires audio input. 

Still, you might feel the urge to disable the mic whatsoever to avoid any eavesdropping shenanigans. Unfortunately, there’s no button on iPhones for that. But you can go through the list of applications that use your microphone and disable this option for them at once.

1. Open Settings
2. Select Privacy & Security
3. Tap Microphone
4. Have a look through the list of apps
5. Toggle off any suspicious application that shouldn’t use the mic in your opinion

This is how you know someone’s actually listening

With myths busted and basic instructions given, Moonlock experts recommend to stay alert. In the world of malware and phone jailbreaking, there are multiple ways for cybercriminals to listen to your conversations without consent. Keep an eye out for the following red flags – they might help you detect a bug before any damage is done to your personal information.

First, the orange indicator. A new way that Apple warns iPhone users that their mic is being used. Look for it at the very top of your display. There also might be a similar green dot – it indicates that your camera is on at the moment. It’s okay to see both of them when you are actually using the microphone and the camera. But when you are not, and the dots are beaming – this is when you should start investigating.

Next, mobile data runs out faster than usual. When hackers record your conversations, they need to send audio files over the network. This is why a heavier-than-usual use of your mobile traffic and data might be a red flag to watch out for.

Finally, strange audio files appear. Before cybercriminals send the audio, the recording must be saved on your iPhone first. So, if you don’t remember recording anything but find a file with a random name, it is better to get to the bottom of this.