Remote spyware?

[MissLou]

I'm not technically savvy at all but is it possible for someone to add spyware on my android without physically accessing it?

Like, if I'd been chatting to someone purely online could they install something on my phone?

Thanks

 

[smvim]

What specifically is happening with your phone that you suspect there's actually some kind of 'spyware' service on it?
Keep in mind that without physical access to a smartphone it's not likely to happen. Well, as long as you didn't follow some vaguely suspicious instructions to do something with your phone from whoever you were chatting with. There are compromises that can be done to a phone with just a 'loaded' message but those are targeted attacks on specific vulnerabilities. For something like actual 'spyware' its a matter of installing the app and configuring it, so don't install an app because they ask you to and don't set it up for them. Again what are your reasons to suspect something has been done to your phone? There are of course cheap and free spyware apps available but the pricier, good spyware apps developed by professionals will be hard to even detect they're running on your phone.

 

[mustang7757]

I'm not technically savvy at all but is it possible for someone to add spyware on my android without physically accessing it?

Like, if I'd been chatting to someone purely online could they install something on my phone?

Thanks

Hi, welcome to AC!

Can look over this guide

https://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=966023

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Also this one: [GUIDE] How To Avoid Malware - Android Forums at AndroidCentral.com

 

[MissLou]

I’m probably just being stupid. It’s really coincidence more than anything – it’s just something they said made me think “oooh, can they see me or have access to my camera?”. I’m probably reading too much into things.

I talked to them via the KIK app on my tablet and haven’t really had any strange goings-on there. There were photos exchanged – could something have been embedded in a photo? So, photo popped up on KIK, I clicked it then saved to my device). And if the photo had been uploaded into Google Photos could that then go onto infect my phone?

On my phone - I did have a couple of Gallery albums appear – a copy of a Whatsapp folder and a random Facebook folder with only one photo in it. I deleted the FB one and I think the other disappeared. To be fair, I had been playing around with the Gallery trying to move stuff to the SD card so that could have been my fault.

I have since installed Norton360 – nothing showing. I have taken it to a phone repair shop that specialise in these matters – they installed Malwarebytes and AVG – and nothing is showing.

It still plays on my mind though.

 

[B. Diddy]

No, nothing will infect your phone that way. Since you use kik, I'm guessing you're pretty active on social media, so as mentioned in the guides we shared above, people can know a lot about you if you share a lot on social media.

It is not unusual for new folders related to apps (especially social media and messaging apps) to appear in your Gallery. If you download a photo from one of those apps, they go to those folders. Even if you don't download a photo yourself, the app might cache images temporarily (to make it easier or more efficient to display in the app), which may still then show up in that folder and therefore in your Gallery.

 

[TwitchyPuppy]

Android is by Google, which in itself is already spyware!

Sorry, I had to come over from the Dark Side for a friendly jab at R2D2

 

[B. Diddy]

Aw, don't get us started on any Fruit Wars.

 

[Mooncatt]

Aw, don't get us started on any Fruit Wars.

So who would be the pot, and who would be the kettle in that debate? Lol

 

[MissLou]

No, nothing will infect your phone that way. Since you use kik, I'm guessing you're pretty active on social media, so as mentioned in the guides we shared above, people can know a lot about you if you share a lot on social media.

It is not unusual for new folders related to apps (especially social media and messaging apps) to appear in your Gallery. If you download a photo from one of those apps, they go to those folders. Even if you don't download a photo yourself, the app might cache images temporarily (to make it easier or more efficient to display in the app), which may still then show up in that folder and therefore in your Gallery.

Thanks.

My socials are locked down. Always have been and I am cautious with what I reveal. I know how easy it is to snoop on socials – mainly because I’m usually the one snooping! It was more of an “in the moment” thing rather than something they could have figured out by my socials anyway.

So, to clarify – are you saying that my device couldn’t have been infected by clicking on a photo (others have said it is possible but would need to be done by a highly highly skilled, mission impossible style hacker) or that if one device was infected another device wouldn’t become infected if the said photo was synched in my google photos app?

 

[B. Diddy]

Right, simply clicking on a photo wouldn't install malware. You'd have to accept installation of a package, which wouldn't happen that way.