12 Numbers To Dial To See If Your Phone is Tapped

Mobile networks are essential in today’s world of communication and offer broad coverage and easy connectivity.

Every day, a large volume of information is shared over the network through mobile phones, which may include sensitive information.

“An average of around 24,000 malicious mobile apps are blocked daily on the internet.”

Techjury

People’s private information may be compromised if their phone is tapped, causing them to be unintentionally monitored.

You can apply different methods to see if your phone is tapped. And USSD codes/numbers, robust encryption, and security measures are implemented to detect and protect against phone tapping.

What is a Tapped Phone?

A phone is said to be tapped if the calls, messages, or any communication of a mobile phone is intercepted unlawfully and monitored without the parties’ knowledge and concern.

This can be done with various methods such as wiretapping -a traditional way- which requires a direct physical connection to the phone line or by using sophisticated tools that take advantage of loopholes in the software or network of phones.

Typically, phone tapping aims to obtain data or spy on the user without that user’s concern.

How is a Phone Tapped?

Hacking and tapping a phone can be done in several ways, such as intercepting traffic through Wifi, monitoring phones with different tracking software, hacking a device’s credentials through phishing a scam or using phone tapping apps.

A phishing scam is done by sending phishing emails or attachments by manipulating human factors and convincing him or her to click on malicious links. However, some techniques are mentioned below: 

•  IMSI Catcher

The Process of setting up a proxy base station is used to intercept calls and texts, which is known as an IMSI Catcher or Stingray Device. 

These gadgets deceive surrounding mobile devices into connecting to them by imitating real cellular towers.

They can then potentially collect sensitive information by intercepting communications.

IMSI Catchers use usually requires knowledge of technology and access to specialized tools. It is unauthorized and illegal to use such devices.

However, Depending on the situation, Law enforcement organizations and governmental organizations may be legally permitted to utilize such IMSI Catchers for monitoring.

• Wireshark

Wireshark is a commonly used network protocol analyzer that enables users to intercept network data or packets passing over the network interface and examine their contents in real-time. 

Hackers can use this software to capture the packets broadcast through the cellular network or the wifi the phone is linked to and intercept and analyze the network traffic produced by a mobile phone.

Content of data may include voice data from phone conversations or other internet-based communications data.

How to Check If Your Phone Is Tapped?

You may be wondering how to check or what to dial to see if your phone is tapped.

Well, you can inspect if your phone is being tapped using various techniques and codes. Some useful techniques are explained here:

Numbers To Dial To See If Your Phone Is Tapped

USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) codes are input into the phone’s dialer to enable or access a specific feature or data.

It offers good detail on the status of the phone and any potential security loopholes. We can also check for phone taps with several USSD codes

Codes for Android

*#06# – IMEI Check Code

IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity, which is a code assigned to each mobile device uniquely.

If your smartphone is compromised or stolen, the IMEI acts as a device identification and is necessary for submitting a police report.

You can retrieve or view your device’s IMEI by dialing *#06#. 

*#61# – Unanswered or Missed Call Forwarding Check Code

If your call is missed after a very short period of ringing, you should check whether your call is intercepted or forwarded without your concern, and to verify it, dial *#61# in the phone’s dialer.

This code will give you information about the forwarding status of Voice, Data. Fax, SMS, Packets, etc.

*#62#  – Switched Off or Disconnected Device’s Call Forwarding Check Code

Dial *#62# in the phone’s dialer. This code will show you where your call is forwarding or who receives your text messages or calls when you lose connectivity or your device is turned off. 

*#67# – Declined or Busy Device’s Call Forwarding Check Code

If you decline an incoming call or if you are busy on another call, Hacker may intercept your incoming call and forward it to another number (chosen by the hacker).

To verify, dial *#67# in the phone’s dialer. It will reveal the phone number to which your incoming call is forwarded.

*#004# – All Call Forwarding Details Check Code

If you dial *#004#, It will give you comprehensive detail about all forwarded calls and display who received your call in case:

• The call is missed.
• The call is Declined.
• The device is switched off.

This code gives cumulative result of *#61#, *#62#, *#67#.

*#21# – Code to Check If Your Phone Is Tapped

Hackers use strong techniques to forward your calls and SMS regardless of whether you are available or not.

This type of attack is difficult to identify as it redirects the call without even a ring. This code tells the forwarding status of voice calls, SMS, and Fax.

Dial *#21# to verify if your phone is tapped by this technique.

*#*#4636#*#* or *#*#197328640#*#* – Unidentified Connections and Tracking Check Code

Hackers can get access to your device location and monitor your activities through unknown connections.

Dial these Utility Net Monitored Codes *#*#4636#*#* or *#*#197328640#*#* to check your activities and identify suspicious activities.

*#*#34971539#*# – Phone Camera’s Firmware Information Check Code

This code *#*#34971539#*# gives you details about the phone camera’s firmware; along with this, it reveals information about whether your camera is tempered to spy on you.

Codes for iPhone

*#61# – Unanswered or Missed Call Forwarding Check Code

If you are using iPhone, you can identify the call forwarding status of missed or unanswered calls by dialing *#61#.

*#21# – Code to Check If Your Phone Is Tapped

In iPhone, this code *#21# is used to display the status of all calls forwarding setting details which includes whether the forwarding status of voice calls, SMS, and Fax is enabled or not. 

*3001#12345#* – Unidentified Connections and Tracking Check Code

If you are using an iPhone, you should monitor your activities because, using spyware, hackers may observe your activities and make unidentified connections.

On iPhone *3001#12345#* is known as the Field Test Mode code. It gives the device cellular network connection details.

We can easily identify unknown connections and monitoring software using this code. If you find out that your iPhone is tapped, you must be looking for a way to remove the hacker from your iPhone.

Well, we have already covered that in a detailed guide. It will show you the seven ways to remove the hacker from your phone.

Signs To Check If Your Phone Is Tapped

There are some common signs which indicate that the phone is being tapped. They might also come on by other causes.  However, here is an explanation of some common signs:

Unusual phone behavior, such as abrupt shutdown or restarts, unresponsive apps, or sudden changes in settings, could be a symptom of phone tapping.

Such anomalies may come on by surveillance software or malicious software by injecting malware such as viruses and worms etc.

An illogical drain in the battery is one of the indications of phone tapping.

The battery life of your phone may be depleted more quickly than usual if background processes are active such as those involved in phone tapping activities.

Strange background noises, static, or echoes are other possible symptoms. These sounds can be a sign that someone is listening in on or watching the interaction.

Unusual data usage that cannot be used by your normal activities may indicate that your phone has a vulnerability or bug.

Spyware or monitoring software may transfer data in the background, which increases data usage.

If your phone takes particularly long to shut down or restart, there’s a chance that background surveillance software is to blame.

The reason for these lag times is that tapping software needs more time to terminate or deactivate.

These are the five common signs; if you are still finding that your phone is hacked or not, you can read our in-depth guide. That will explain more signs in detail.

Use Call Interception Detectors

Special tools are designed to detect suspicious activities and unauthorized interception of mobile phone communication; one of them is the Call Interception Detector.

This tool detects unusual radio frequency and signal interruptions and generates alerts and warnings.

Similarly, many tools are used for different security purposes.

Users can also take assistance from the following tools along with call interception detectors to detect suspicious activities:

• Phone Tap Detector
• GSM Interception Detector
• Voice Interception Detector
• Wireless Signal Analyzer

Consult With Professionals 

It is advised to seek professional assistance if you believe your phone has been tapped or if none of the aforementioned techniques works for you. You can get expert guidance.

Cybersecurity experts and digital forensic specialists will provide you with reliable consultation to recognize and mitigate phone tapping through cutting-edge tools and technologies.  

How To Untap/Unhack Your Phone? 

If you have detected that your phone is tapped, there are different techniques and codes which help you to revoke and disable different suspicious permissions.

Some frequently and quickly used USSD codes/numbers are the following:

Android

• Dial ##61# to disable call forwarding for unanswered or missed calls.
• Dial ##62# to disable call forwarding for your device if it loses connectivity or is switched off.
• Dial ##67# to disable call forwarding for declined and busy calls.
• Dial ##004# or  ##002# to remove all conditional forwarding settings.

iPhone

• Dial ##61# to disable call forwarding for unanswered or missed calls.
• Dial ##002# or ##21# to remove all conditional forwarding settings.

Factory Reset Android Phone

• Dial *#*#7780#*#* to factory reset your phone if you are selling your phone. It will clear all of your data, including Google accounts, apps, pictures, etc.
• Dial *2767*3855# to wipe out all of your data. It will help to remove malware like viruses and spyware. Must take a backup of all your files before dialing this code.

Factory Reset iPhone

• Go to “Settings” and open “General“
• Select “Transfer or Reset iPhone“
• Tap on “Erase All Content and Settings” and select “Continue“
• Enter the “passcode,” and your iPhone will be reset to its factory settings.

Security Measures To Prevent Phone Tapping

Here are some security measures you should consider to secure your mobile device from tapping and hacking:

Conclusion

To sum up, every person must know about different attacks on mobile devices which can breach their data. Being aware of security measures and different USSD codes can help you to protect your privacy and security.

However, sometimes USSD codes don’t work accurately. It is advisable to seek professional assistance or contact the device’s developer for proper security assessment.

FAQs