How to know if WhatsApp is spied on

Ogni tanto hai paura che qualcuno possa entrare senza permesso nel tuo Whatsapp e spiare tutte le conversazioni che effettui con i tuoi amici? Sei un po’ paranoico, lasciatelo dire, ma in fondo fai bene a preoccuparti di argomenti come la sicurezza informatica. Per quanto sicuro possa essere, Whatsapp è frutto del lavoro dell’uomo e, come tale, non è perfetto. Questo significa che può presentare dei punti deboli o delle vere e proprie falle di sicurezza che potrebbero permettere ad eventuali malintenzionati di intercettare le comunicazioni di altre persone. Come capire se Whatsapp è spiato

If you want to deepen the subject and want to dispel any reasonable doubt about the privacy of your communications, take five minutes of free time and let me give you a hand. I'll give you some "tips" on come capire se Whatsapp è spiato and I will suggest some common sense practices that you can implement to make your chats less attractive to the eyes of the bad guys. I assure you that it is nothing particularly difficult, indeed, purely technical there is very little to understand.

Direi, dunque, di non perderci ulteriormente in chiacchiere e di vedere subito quali sono i passaggi da compiere per scoprire se le comunicazioni effettuate su Whatsapp sono al sicuro o c’è il rischio che qualcuno le stia spiando. Buona lettura e buona fortuna… mi auguro vivamente che tu non faccia scoperte preoccupanti per la tua privacy!

Control the accesses of WhatsApp Web / Desktop

As I also explained to you in my tutorial on how to use WhatsApp on PC, services like Whatsapp Web and applications like the official client of Whatsapp per Windows e macOS permettono di usare Whatsapp sul computer “ripetendo” la app che è installata sullo smartphone. Questo significa che è possibile accedere alle proprie chat solo se il telefono è connesso a Internet e se il client ufficiale di Whatsapp or Whatsapp Web sono stati associati allo smartphone mediante la scansione di un QR code. Si tratta di una soluzione estremamente comoda, funziona bene, ma presenta un piccolo-grande rischio per la privacy: works even if smartphones and computers are not connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Questo significa che, potenzialmente, un malintenzionato potrebbe ottenere l’accesso alle tue comunicazioni semplicemente convincendoti a prestargli il tuo smartphone per qualche secondo, eseguendo l’accesso a Whatsapp Web o al client ufficiale di Whatsapp usando un suo computer (o un suo tablet) e mantenendo attiva la spunta sull’opzione Stay connected. Spuntando tale opzione, lo smartphone ricorda l’associazione effettuata con il computer e consente gli accessi successivi a Whatsapp Web e/o al client di Whatsapp per PC senza richiedere una nuova scansione del QR code e senza richiedere che il computer sia fisicamente vicino ad esso.

Verify unauthorized access to WhatsApp Web

Per fortuna esiste un modo molto semplice per verificare gli accessi non autorizzati a Whatsapp Web o al client ufficiale di Whatsapp per PC ed, eventualmente, interromperli. Accedendo alle impostazioni di Whatsapp sul tuo smartphone, infatti, puoi visualizzare la lista completa degli accessi fatti da Whatsapp Web e Whatsapp per PC e decidere di interromperli istantaneamente. Interrompendoli, tutti i computer collegati allo smartphone perderanno l’autorizzazione ad accedere a Whatsapp Web e a Whatsapp per Windows/macOS e verrà richiesta loro una nuova scansione del QR code (operazione che il malintenzionato di turno non potrà compiere perché non più in possesso del tuo smartphone).

Entrando più nel dettaglio, per verificare la lista degli accessi a Whatsapp Web e Whatsapp per PC sul tuo smartphone, devi avviare Whatsapp, press on the button (...) located at the top right (if you use Android) or on the card Settings (if you use iPhone) and go up Whatsapp Web/Desktop.

A questo punto, dai un’occhiata a tutte le sessioni di Whatsapp Web e Whatsapp Desktop attive e, se ne rilevi qualcuna sospetta, interrompila. Per interrompere una sessione di Whatsapp Web/Desktop su Android, pigia su di essa e rispondi Disconnect the warning that appears on the screen. To do this on the iPhone, swipe from right to left on the session to be interrupted and press the button Disconnect that appears laterally.

Vuoi interrompere tutte le sessioni di Whatsapp Web e Whatsapp Desktop contemporaneamente? Nessun problema. Pigia sulla voce Disconnect from all computers, confirm (by replying Disconnect to the notice that appears on the screen) and you're done.

Check for spy applications

Se nelle sessioni di Whatsapp Web non hai trovato nulla di strano ma sospetti comunque che qualcuno possa star spiando le tue comunicazioni, prova a verificare la presenza di applications-spy on your smartphone. The spy applications, as their name suggests, are applications that act secretly on the smartphone and allow you to record all the operations that are performed on the latter: the texts typed, the apps started, the phone numbers called and so on . Some of them are really very difficult to identify as they act, in fact, in secret, but there are some clues that can betray their presence. Now I'll explain what they are and how to find them on Android and iOS.

Android

How to know if WhatsApp is spied on

If you use an Android terminal, the first step I recommend you take is to enter the menu settings (the gear icon located on the home screen or in the drawer with the connections to all the apps installed on the smartphone) and check for the presence of applications with administration permissions, that is, with permissions that allow them to control all the activities performed on the device. Then select the items Safety is Device administrators and check if among the apps listed on the screen that opens there are applications that you do not know and that could hide espionage intentions. If there are app names you don't know and you want to make sure of their nature, do a simple Google search.

If among the applications with administration permissions you find one that has espionage purposes, deactivate it immediately by removing the check mark from its icon and uninstall it. To uninstall it, go to the menu Settings> App Android, select it from the list of apps installed on your device and press the button Uninstall.

From the same screen you can also check if there are "suspicious" applications that do not have administrator permissions but which are still installed on your smartphone: if you find some, proceed with their removal by following the instructions I have just given you (or by going to read my tutorial on how to uninstall Android app).

If you have subjected your smartphone to the procedure root, I suggest you also open the application SuperSU / SuperUsers and check the list that have root permissions. Among them there could also be hidden some apps with espionage purposes that someone installed on your device while it was unattended.

Also in this case, if you notice some "suspicious" name, act promptly by revoking the root permissions of the app that you consider potentially dangerous and uninstalling it from the device. To monitor the recent activity of apps that need root permissions, select the tab with the log by SuperSU / SuperUser.

Other clues that could reveal the presence of a spy app on the phone are the excessive battery consumption it's a abnormal overheating by the latter.

Spy app on the phone

Let's be clear, these are two very generic "symptoms": they could also be caused by apps that have nothing to do with phone monitoring activities, but it is still better to investigate when they occur. To do this, I recommend using the app Wakelock Detector which constantly monitors the status of the smartphone and lets you know which applications keep the processor "awake" causing the device to overheat and leading to abnormal battery consumption. To find out more about how it works, read my tutorial on how to save Android battery.

If despite all these precautions you continue to fear being spied on. You just have to save all the data and make a nice "formattone". Doing this will delete all apps and all data from your phone. You will restore Android to the factory state and, if present, you will also delete the spy apps on the device. If you need it, in my tutorial on how to reset Android find all the information you need on how to format an Android terminal.

iOS

How to know if WhatsApp is spied on

iOS, the iPhone operating system, makes the installation of spy apps quite difficult (unless the phone has been subjected to the jailbreak, in that case the system is more "open" and allows a much simpler installation of the spy apps) but this does not mean that it is not immune.

Come capire se Whatsapp è spiato. Per verificare la presenza di app sospette sul tuo “melafonino”, apri il menu delle settings (the gear icon located on the home screen) and go up General> iPhone free space. After a few seconds of waiting, a list of all the apps installed on the device will appear. If you notice some "suspicious", select it and press the button Delete app to remove it.

If you use an iOS version prior to 11, you can access the same menu by going to Settings> General> Space on device and iCloud and pressing on the voice Manage space related to the field Device space .

Another way to find potential spy apps on the iPhone is to check the list of custom profiles installed in the system. Custom profiles are for advanced applications. Such as those that provide for the use of VPN, to have greater freedom of action within iOS. Then go to the menu Settings> General> Profile and device management. Check if there are "suspicious" profiles set on the iPhone. If you can't find the custom profiles menu, it means that no apps installed on your phone currently use them.

To conclude, especially if you have an iPhone subjected to jailbreak, I recommend you open the browser (Safari). Try connecting to the following addresses: localhost: 8888 is localhost: 4444. These are two addresses used by some apps for remote monitoring of mobile phones. Through which the apps in question reveal their presence and allow you to adjust their settings.

Another "secret technique" that allows to reveal the presence of some spy apps is to open the dialer and dial the number *12345. If after entering one of these codes. You are in front of a login screen or a real control panel. It means that a spy app is installed on your iPhone. To remove it, open Cydia, search for packages related to the latter and remove them. If you need a hand, you can read my tutorial on how to use Cydia in which I illustrated some basic concepts related to the operation of this alternative store for iPhone (and iPad) jailbroken.

If after doing all these tests your iPhone is "clean" but you still suspect that someone is spying on your activities. You just have to make a nice backup of the data and then a nice reset of the device. You find it explained how to reset iPhone in my tutorial dedicated to the topic.

Avoid public Wi-Fi networks

Come ho avuto modo di spiegarti in numerose circostanze. Ormai Whatsapp utilizza un sistema di end-to-end encryption che rende messaggi, foto e video visibili solo da parte dei legittimi mittenti e destinatari. Per spiegarla in parole semplici, ogni messaggio ha un proprio lucchetto e una propria chiave unici. Che possono essere usati solo da chi invia e riceve i messaggi. Tutti gli altri, compresi i server di Whatsapp, vedono i messaggi in forma cifrata, quindi incomprensibile. Insomma: anche provando a "Snort" a wireless network in cui viene utilizzato Whatsapp, eventuali malintenzionati non otterrebbero altro che informazioni illeggibili.

Fatto salvo quanto appena detto, però, non bisogna correre rischi inutili. D’altronde la scoperta di nuove falle di sicurezza è all’ordine del giorno e anche il sistema di Whatsapp, un giorno o l’altro, potrebbe risultare compromesso. Il mio consiglio è dunque quello di fare attenzione alle reti Wi-Fi alle quali ti connetti e di avoid public Wi-Fi networks. As is well known, they are the favorite hunting ground of the "spies". When you are not at home or in the office, forget about open access points and prefer your operator's 3G / 4G network. You will consume some data traffic, but you will gain in safety.

Se vuoi, maggiori info sul sistema di crittografia usato da Whatsapp, consulta il official site of the application.

Other useful tips

A questo punto, dovresti essere riuscito a capire se il tuo Whatsapp è spiato. Detto questo, non dimenticare mai di mettere in pratica tutti quei little common sense tricks. That allow you to sleep relatively peacefully and to reduce the possibility of being spied on. What are these things I am talking about? Here they are listed quickly.

• Do not leave the phone unattended - I know, it is trivial, but it is precisely in these platitudes that we often get lost. On the other hand, it takes two minutes to install a spy app or to make unauthorized access to WhatsApp Web / Desktop with a phone.
• Set a secure PIN - another apparently trivial, but fundamental device. If you set a secure PIN on your smartphone (PIN, not a sequence, which is much easier to guess with a glance from a distance). You will not be able to allow any attackers to unlock the device to install spy apps or access WhatsApp Web / Desktop. To set a secure PIN on Android, go to the menu  Settings> Security> Screen Lock> PIN; to do it on iOS go to  Settings> Touch ID and code> Change code (or Add code).
• Check your access to WhatsApp Web / Desktop often - just as explained above.
• Don't be afraid if someone says they know your WhatsApp access times. - There are apps that allow you to find out the dates and times of access to WhatsApp by a user. By simply typing the mobile number. They take advantage of public data available on WhatsApp servers. Therefore they cannot be properly defined as spy apps and do not allow in any way to capture communications. They are a bit "disturbing", yes, but not dangerous if we want to simplify the discussion as much as possible (then they don't always work properly)!
• Do not use WhatsApp for ultra-confidential communications - WhatsApp is a closed source application. Its source code cannot be thoroughly examined. And therefore it is not known whether there is any security flaw capable of exposing users' communications to privacy risks. In light of the above, it is better to turn to equally safe but open source solutions, such as Signal for Android is iOS which uses the same end-to-end encryption system as WhatsApp but is open source and therefore there is greater control over it by the community. Even Edward Snowden, the main architect of the datagate who has led to the publication of many confidential documents of the US government, uses it!