Stalkerware: how to check your phone for spyware and stay safe (UK)

Posted on by Safety App UK team

Stalkerware is software that lets someone secretly see your messages, location, photos or calls. If you think it is on your phone, get advice from a safer device before you remove anything, because the person may notice. Then check which devices and people can access your accounts, look for apps and profiles you didn’t add, and save evidence. In danger now? Call 999.

Updated 19 October 2026 · Sources: Apple Support, Google Help, Refuge, NCSC, legislation.gov.uk

In danger now? Call 999

If you can’t speak, see how to make a silent 999 call. If you think your phone is being watched, call for advice from a friend’s phone or a public computer, and read this guide on a device the other person can’t access.

Stalkerware: the four things to know

62%+

Rise in referrals to Refuge’s tech-facilitated abuse team in 2025 compared with 2024.

24%

Increase in those referrals involving survivors under 30, Refuge reported in January 2026.

iOS 16+

iPhones on iOS 16 or later have Safety Check, which shows who and what can access your information.

24/7

The National Domestic Abuse Helpline run by Refuge, 0808 2000 247, is free and open day and night.

Figures from Refuge news releases of 25 November 2025 and 30 January 2026 (referrals to its Technology-Facilitated Abuse and Economic Empowerment team; Refuge gives no totals). Safety Check details from Apple Support. Checked 19 October 2026.

What is stalkerware?

Stalkerware, also called spyware, is an app or tool someone installs on another person’s phone without their knowledge to watch what they do. It can share your location, messages, call logs, photos and browsing with the person who installed it. It is often used by a partner or ex-partner as part of domestic abuse or stalking, and it usually needs someone to have had your phone or your passwords.

What are the signs of stalkerware on your phone?

The strongest sign is the other person’s behaviour: they know where you are without being told, quote private messages or know who you’ve been talking to. Phone clues are weaker on their own: a battery that drains fast, sudden data use, overheating, or settings, apps or profiles you don’t remember adding. Someone having had your phone unsupervised raises the risk.

Warning signs to take seriously

They know too much

They turn up where you are, repeat things from private chats, or know which websites you’ve visited.

They had your phone

They know your passcode, set the phone up for you, or had it on their own for a while.

The phone acts oddly

Fast battery drain, unexpected data use, overheating or restarting by itself. On their own these often have ordinary causes.

Things you didn’t add

An unknown app, a device management profile, an extra device on your account, or location sharing you never switched on.

Warning signs based on Refuge Tech Safety and the US Federal Trade Commission’s stalkerware guidance, checked 19 October 2026. No single sign proves spyware.

How do you check your phone for spyware?

Start with your accounts, not just the phone: many people are watched through a shared Apple or Google account rather than a hidden app. Check which devices are signed in, who can see your location, and whether any app, profile or device administrator was added without you. Do it when you are safe, and save evidence before changing anything.

1. Get advice from a safer device

Use a friend’s phone or a library computer to call a helpline such as Refuge on 0808 2000 247. They can help you plan before you touch the phone.

2. Check who can see your accounts

iPhone: Settings → Privacy & Security → Safety Check (iOS 16+). Google: myaccount.google.com → Security → Your devices. Look for devices and people you don’t recognise.

3. Look for profiles and unknown apps

iPhone: Settings → General → VPN & Device Management. Android: check your app list, that apps from unknown sources aren’t allowed and that no unwanted device administrators are listed.

4. Keep scanning switched on

On Android, open the Play Store, tap your profile, then Play Protect and check “Scan apps with Play Protect” is on. Keep your phone’s software and apps up to date.

5. Save evidence, then secure

Screenshot what you find first. When it is safe, change passwords from a safer device. Resetting or replacing the phone is the most thorough fix, but it wipes evidence; reinstall apps from the store, not a backup.

Steps based on Apple Support, Google Help, Refuge Tech Safety and FTC guidance, checked 19 October 2026. Menu names vary between phone makers and software versions. Location sharing you agreed to is explained in our guide to sharing your live location; hidden Bluetooth trackers are covered in unknown tracker alerts and AirTags.

Should you remove stalkerware straight away?

Not before you have a plan. Refuge warns that some security steps can alert an abuser, and that removing their access may make some abusers escalate. Removing the app or resetting the phone can also destroy evidence the police could use. Talk to a helpline or the police first, save screenshots, and choose a safe moment to cut off access.

Is it illegal to put spyware on someone’s phone in the UK?

Secretly monitoring someone can be a crime. In England and Wales, the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 lists “monitoring the use by a person of the internet, email or any other form of electronic communication” as an example of stalking, and it can form part of controlling or coercive behaviour. Getting into someone’s phone without permission can also break the Computer Misuse Act 1990. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own stalking laws.

What you notice and what to do next

▲ red = act now, ▬ amber = check carefully, ▼ green = lower risk. To report, see 999 or 101 and what to do if someone is stalking you, which explains how to keep a log.

Myths vs facts

Myth: delete it the moment you find it

Removing it can alert the person and wipe evidence. Save screenshots and make a safety plan first.

Myth: a hot battery proves you’re watched

Battery and data changes are clues, not proof. What the other person seems to know is a stronger sign.

Fact: shared accounts can leak as much as an app

Someone who knows your Apple or Google password may see your location, photos and messages without installing anything.

Fact: you can get help without touching the phone

Call a helpline from another device. Refuge and the police can help you decide what to do and when.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Someone who knows your passcode or Apple Account password may see your data through sharing settings, another device signed in to your account, or a device management profile. Safety Check (iOS 16 or later) lets you review and stop this sharing, and its Quick Exit button closes Settings straight away.

They might. If they suddenly lose access to your location or messages, they may realise why. Refuge advises saving evidence and thinking about your safety before changing settings, and getting support to plan the right moment.

It can help. Refuge suggests using an anti-virus app, and Google Play Protect regularly checks Android phones for harmful apps. No scan is guaranteed, so also check your accounts, apps and profiles as shown above.

In England, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline run by Refuge (0808 2000 247, 24/7) and its Tech Safety website. The National Stalking Helpline is on 0808 802 0300. Call 999 in an emergency or 101 to report. For Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, see domestic abuse helplines by nation.

Related guides: AirTags and unknown tracker alerts, what is coercive control? and Life360 explained (location sharing you agree to).

Sources

General safety information, not legal advice. In an emergency, always call 999.

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