How to Detect Keylogger on an Android Phone

It’s dangerous having a keylogger on your phone or any device you own, so it’s important to know the warning signs before you reveal too much or give away any critical and secret information. Your phone should be a safe place which you feel confident messaging, googling and searching for things every day. You shouldn’t live in fear that someone has hacked into your phone with a keylogger and wants to steal your data.

We’ve put together this guide to help you be aware of the signs that a keylogger holds on your phone, and how to detect keylogger on an Android phone. The digital world is a dangerous place, but if you know what you’re doing and how you can help yourself, then you should be fine. Be aware though, if you have your suspicions about a possible keylogger on your Android phone, take the necessary action. This is also explained later in this guide.

What is a Keylogger?

A keylogger is a form of spyware that monitors every click and touch, every download and conversation that happens on your phone or device. The software tracks and logs every key that is touched on your keyboard (or phone) but does it in a way, so you don’t notice it’s even there.

It is mostly done with malicious intent to allow external hackers to steal your data and information. This can be details such as your passwords, credit card numbers and your account information. If you use your phone for online banking, this can be a very serious matter.

However, legitimate keyloggers exist for parents to monitor their children and for law enforcement to analyze incidents. Most of the time, they’re used by cybercriminals to get codes and other personal details so that they can either steal your money, identity or extort money from people you know.

Ways to Protect Yourself from a Keylogger

There are various ways you can protect yourself from any keylogger hackers, whether you’ve had issues with it before or this is your first time hearing about keyloggers altogether. It’s essential you take the necessary measures to protect your information and data, especially if it’s crucial or data that no one else should know.

We’ve listed a few easy ways you can protect yourself from a keylogger as it will be very beneficial. It is a lot easier to prevent getting keylogger software on your android phone than it is to remove it; this is due to the nature of a keylogger and how it works.

Installing a Password Manager is a great thing to do if you’re worried about a keylogger getting ahold of your vital information and secret passwords. If you want to keep all your data safe, then you’re going to need complex passwords, and there is no way you will be able to remember them all. That’s where the password manager comes in. Have all your passwords logged there and just copy/paste them when you need to; keyloggers detect keystrokes and logs but aren’t advanced enough to see the letters on your screen.

Don’t download dodgy apps is the perfect way to stay protected from most keyloggers. You typically won’t find keyloggers installed on games or apps in the Play Store on Google, but if you go off and find downloads yourself, then you could be risking the security and safety of your device.

Keep your system updated, and your own phone will soon realize if something is wrong. Smartphones are very technical and advanced. They will mostly realize when something isn’t quite right with your system. Having it updated will protect you from those pesky keyloggers.

How Do I Detect it on an Android Phone?

Keyloggers are extremely difficult to detect, especially when it comes to phones. They can also be found on laptops and computers, but they’re a lot more easily spotted. There are specific signs you may come across, and these should make you wary of a potential keylogger software on your device.

Your phone may have a slower performance than usual especially when you are web browsing and using your keyboard. Sometimes the keystrokes may not even show up on your phone screen as what you’re actually typing. Another critical detection is that you may receive error messages on your screen when certain things are loading. If this is happening or has happened, then you may have a keylogger and need to remove it.

As technology grows, the battery life of phones seems to decrease too. Yet, if you find your battery on your phone is falling more rapidly than usual, then it may be another sign that a keylogger software is filling your phone. The temperature of your phone may also start to rise, even when you’re not using or watching it. These unusual temperatures may be something to keep an eye on.

Quick Ways to Remove it

It’s not easy to remove a keylogger from your device and therefore you should take every measure to ensure it doesn’t happen in the first place. But, accidents happen, and you should remove the keylogger as soon as you suspect anything is wrong. That way, you may even prevent the hacker from ever getting any of your personal data and information.

Remove any insecure apps, whether you downloaded them, or they just appear on your phone one day. Sometimes by just removing the app with the keylogger software, you can remove the whole program altogether. If you do this, we would say as an extra precaution, change all your passwords afterward just in case the keylogger did store any of your data and information.

Search for keylogger files in your phone, it could be as simple as a file in your settings that have appeared because you clicked on a virus or an unreliable link. Merely remove the record, and you should be safe to carry on using your phone as usual. It’s a time-consuming method, but it will definitely be worth it to have a keylogger free phone.

Download an anti-keylogger as it will help to combat keyloggers by addressing the vulnerabilities in the security. The software focuses on the activities of the keylogger and flags this to you as the user. It also helps to protect your data and information from the keylogger hacker.