Is spyware hiding on your phone? The telltale signs to find out (and how to remove it fast)

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ZDNET key takeaways

• Spyware can secretly track, record, and steal data from your phone.
• Watch for strange behavior, data spikes, or unknown apps as signs.
• Use antivirus tools, update often, and avoid untrusted app sources.

Spyware is a threat to your personal security and privacy that you may not know is on your smartphone.

But what is spyware? It's a form of malware, often packaged as a legitimate mobile application, that may steal your information, track your location, record your conversations, monitor your social media activity, screenshot your actions, and more. It may land on your handset through phishing, as a fake mobile application, or via a once-trustworthy app updated over the air to become an information stealer.

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