If you do not recognize a downloaded service in the Accessibility options, you may want to remove it. Stalkerware relies on deep access to your device and its data, and it often abuses the accessibility feature in Android which, by design, has to have wide access to the operating system and its data in order for the screen reader and other accessibility features to work. Check if accessibility services have been tampered with That’s why this stalkerware network asks the person who plants the spyware to disable Google Play Protect before it works.Ĭheck your Google Play Protect settings through the Google Play app and make sure it’s enabled, and that a scan has been recently completed. But when switched off, those protections stop, and stalkerware or malware can be installed on the device outside of Google Play.

Google Play Protect is one of the best safeguards to protect against malicious Android apps, both third-party and in the app store. Make sure Google Play Protect, a security feature in Android phones, is enabled. Also, some versions of Android may have slightly different menu options. Note that this guide only removes the spyware app, it does not delete the data that was already collected and uploaded to its servers. Spyware is designed to be covert, but keep in mind that removing the spyware from your phone will likely alert the person who planted it, which could create an unsafe situation. The Coalition Against Stalkerware offers advice and guidance for victims and survivors of stalkerware. You may notice your phone acting unusually, or running warmer or slower than usual, even when you are not actively using it.īecause this fleet of stalkerware apps relies on abusing in-built Android features that are more commonly used by employers to remotely manage their employee’s work phones, checking to see if your Android device is compromised can be done quickly and easily.īefore you proceed, have a safety plan in place.

These apps are downloaded from outside of Google Play’s app store, planted on a phone without a person’s permission, and are designed to disappear from the home screen to avoid detection. With no expectation that the vulnerability will be fixed any time soon, this guide can help you remove these specific spyware apps from your Android phone - if you believe it’s safe to do so.Ĭonsumer-grade spyware apps are often sold under the guise of child tracking software but are also known as “stalkerware” for their ability to track and monitor partners or spouses without their consent.

Behind the stalkerware network spilling the private phone data of hundreds of thousands.

Clean up my phone