Yes, your phone could be listening to you without your knowledge. Most modern phones have virtual assistant functionality that has listening capabilities to carry out your commands. Your phone can also be listening to serve you advertisements that are related to a conversation you just had.
Jump to…
Why is my phone listening to me?
How to know if your phone is listening to you
Should you cover your phone camera and microphone?
Is listening to me without my knowledge legal?
How to stop my phone from listening to me (iOS and Android)
Useful tips to protect your privacy on a smartphone
FAQ: About stopping your phone from listening to you
Why your phone might be listening—and why it matters
When you activate a virtual assistant like Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa, it needs to listen for your voice to work properly. This “always-on” listening is similar to how search engines collect data to tailor search results and make interactions more intuitive. But just like a search engine, these features come with a catch—they also use your data to serve you more relevant ads.
If a phone could capture casual conversations, the data it gathers becomes even more valuable for creating highly targeted advertisements. This kind of data collection raises serious privacy concerns, especially when apps request broad access to your microphone, often for reasons that aren’t clearly justified.
Permissions matter
Apps frequently seek access to your microphone, location, and even messages, sometimes for seemingly minimal features. Being mindful of these permissions is important; otherwise, you might be sharing more data than intended.
Turning off microphone access for apps can help prevent unwanted listening. For added privacy and security, consider using ExpressVPN. With our Threat Manager feature, ExpressVPN stops apps and websites from sending data to known trackers and malicious servers, enhancing your protection against data sharing and tracking.
How to tell If your phone is listening
While it may sound like something out of a spy thriller, many people wonder if their phones are secretly eavesdropping on conversations. Here are some steps you can take to find out if your phone might be listening:
1. Create a test conversation topic
Pick a topic that you’ve never shown interest in—something completely unrelated to your everyday activities or searches. This helps eliminate the possibility of targeted ads based on your prior browsing history. For instance, if you’re not a pet owner, “cat grooming tips” could be a good topic.
2. Talk about it within earshot of your phone
Over the next few days, bring up this topic out loud while your phone is nearby. Use relevant phrases naturally, as though you’re having a genuine conversation with a friend. The key is to be consistent without searching for anything online.
3. Monitor the ads you see
After discussing your chosen topic, observe any changes in the ads you encounter on social media, search engines, or other websites. If you notice targeted ads related to your test topic, it could be a sign that your phone might be “listening” or tracking data more closely than you realized.
Should you cover your phone camera and microphone?
It’s possible that someone has hacked your phone camera. That said, it is much more likely that an app on your device has permission to access it without you realizing it. The question is whether the app maker uses this permission and the data it receives in an ethical manner. Of course, whenever possible, don’t give apps such permissions.
Either way, there is no downside to covering your phone camera lens, except the inconvenience of removing the cover whenever you want to take a picture or video. For your privacy’s sake, go for it. As for microphones, you can cover them with tape, too, but it’s even more of a hassle if you use your phone for calls.
Is listening to me without my knowledge legal?
It is legal for your phone to listen to you if you have given your consent to your apps or services which use your voice in carrying out their functions. For example, if you’re a user of the Amazon Echo, Alexa has your permission to listen to you and respond to your requests. It only becomes illegal if an app or service listens to you without your permission.
That’s why it’s important to notice the permissions you provide to an app and understand how it handles your recordings. You should notice little things such as when an app asks to access your microphone. Ask yourself if it really needs that permission.
How to stop my phone from listening to me (iOS and Android)
1. Disable your phone’s voice assistant
Most phones have a built-in voice assistant which lets you control your phone with just your voice. If you’re wary of your phone listening to you, it’s wise to disable the voice assistant feature.
Turn off Siri (only on iOS)
The default voice assistant in iOS is Siri. To turn off Siri, follow the steps below:
- On iOS, go to Settings.
- Tap Siri & Search.
- Toggle off Listen for “Hey Siri” and Press Side Button for Siri.
- When you see a prompt, tap Turn Off Siri.
Turn off Google Assistant (on iOS and Android)
Google Assistant is Google’s voice assistant, which is available on both Android and iOS devices.
Android
Google Assistant is bundled with the pre-installed Google app on most Android phones. Follow these steps to turn off Google Assistant on Android:
- Open the Google app.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Tap Settings > Google Assistant.
- Tap General.
- Toggle Google Assistant off.
- Tap TURN OFF.
iOS
Google Assistant on iOS is a standalone app available on Apple’s App Store. If you’re using Google Assistant on iOS, follow these steps to turn it off.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Google Assistant.
- Toggle Microphone off.
- Alternatively, you can remove the Google Assistant app from your iOS device.
2. Turn off the microphone on your phone
You can turn off microphone access for the apps on your iOS or Android phone.
Android
- Go to the Settings app.
- Tap Security and privacy > Privacy > Permission manager.
- Tap Microphone.
- Look through the apps and choose which ones you want to stop giving microphone access to.
- Tap the app, then tap Don’t allow.
iOS
- Go to the Settings app.
- Tap Privacy > Microphone.
- Look through the apps and choose which ones you want to stop giving microphone access to.
- Toggle the switch off.
Useful tips to protect your privacy on a smartphone
1. Use only trustworthy virtual assistant apps
Granted, virtual assistant apps can do many cool things for us, like checking the weather and making phone calls. They can be vulnerable to hackers looking to exploit voice commands.
When considering using a virtual assistant app, find out whether your phone is already installed with one. For example, Samsung has its own virtual assistant called Bixby which comes pre-installed on almost every new Samsung device. If you want to use a third-party virtual assistant app, make sure to download it through your phone’s app store.
2. Review app permissions
A study that looked at the frequency at which iOS apps sought various permissions showed that 55% of iOS apps requested camera access—second only to requests for access to users’ photo libraries. Often, the requests help users take and upload profile pictures but are not otherwise needed, and yet users don’t remove the permission afterward. At the very least, it’s wise to get a sense of what permissions you’re giving to an app you’re downloading.
3. Update your apps and phone regularly
Attackers are constantly finding vulnerabilities in apps or devices to exploit. Voice assistants have various underlooked vulnerabilities. Attackers can take control of devices by impersonating the voice of a device owner or triggering voice commands using methods like sending radio waves. As such vulnerabilities can put your data and device at risk, it’s wise to regularly perform updates on your software and phones, which mitigate these vulnerabilities.
Use a VPN to strengthen your privacy
While managing app permissions and turning off microphone access help protect against unwanted listening, a VPN adds another essential layer of privacy. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic, preventing data from being intercepted or tracked by advertisers, ISPs, and other third parties. This makes it harder for companies to build detailed profiles based on your online activity or conversations.
ExpressVPN’s Threat Manager goes further by blocking apps and websites from sending data to known trackers and malicious servers. This helps prevent hidden data-sharing practices, giving you more control over what information is exposed.
By combining a VPN with smart app management, you can stay private and secure wherever you use your phone.
FAQ: About stopping your phone from listening to you
Which big tech companies are listening to my conversations?
All Big Five tech companies—namely Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft—have all listened to their users’ conversations. For example, Facebook was found to be listening to its users’ audio conversations on Messenger. Amazon also listened to users’ conversations with Alexa, Amazon Echo’s voice assistant. Google listened to the audio clips recorded via Google Assistant.
Does the government listen to your phone calls?
The U.S. government probably doesn’t actively listen to your phone calls, but they can use computers to turn phone calls into transcripts which are checked for keywords and phrases for potential threats. They have extensive phone and signal intelligence capabilities, anyway.
How can your phone camera be hacked?
Attackers can hack your phone camera using a technique called camfecting. They will lure the victim into downloading an app which contains a Trojan. It allows the attackers to remotely access and take control of your camera, making photos and videos without the victim’s knowledge.
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Comments
Nothing you can do about the eaves dropping with the mic except cover it?
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How does your VPN help this situation?
Thanks.
This is more of an informational article that’s not related to VPNs. A VPN is not helpful in scenarios where someone has already hacked into your phone or where you’ve given a company permission to use your phone camera.
However, you can keep your internet connection secure with a VPN to prevent someone from seeing what you’re doing online and potentially stealing your information.
so, is there a way to check to see if a mobile phone is indeed hacked? step by step instructions would be awesome!! and also some direction as to how to remove the hack or mf hacker/s…. ? Please!! help!!!
or any advice or suggestions would be wicked helpful and greatly appreciated. warmest regards, TheClitCommander
Is there a way I can find out if my iPhone 12 Pro Max camera has been hacked ? I can’t seem to find out how they know my whereabouts and hear me. I don’t know much about all this cyber stuff. And the police won’t help . Is there a way I can deactivate the spyware or camera?
My iphone 8 has been taking random pictures when I leave them in my pocket. Should I be worried? if so, what should I do about it?
Your very last sentence and words sum it up for all the brainwashed youth of today.
“……..if you use your phone for calls” !!!
OMG, using a mobile phone to make a telephone call — Goodness Gracious, how ingenious!!! What a marvellous idea………………..
I sluld like to hear a blog post entry about Browser Hijacking, seems relevant to a multi-platform VPN expertise..
I have one of those sliders you don’t need to remove, paranoia gone.
Keep telling yourself that bunky…and while youre at it, may I interest you in some prime Florida real estate real cheap?
zuckerburg – not his real name btw – has basically admitted that they listen and track you, and even if he said they dont, you stupid enough to believe him?!?!? Remember, faceplant was funded by the cia/mossad – do a little research.
I believe that is what my ex wife and employer have done to me. Is there anyway y’all can run a test to find out?
Check all telco message banks & locations