Sophisticated technology that runs our smartphones, be it Android or iOS, is often accompanied by the growth of hacking tools that often develop at the same pace as the tech that makes our phones smarter and easier to use. While smartphones have become as powerful as computers in terms of performance, there are still many ways hackers and scammers could access your smartphone. Clicking on the wrong link, opening the wrong image, and downloading the wrong attachment is enough to infect your smartphone with malware or spyware.

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Have you been wondering if there are ways to tell if your smartphone has been hacked or is running spyware? Here are a few telltale signs about the same.

1. Phone battery draining really fast

If you think your phone battery is draining a lot faster than usual, it could point to the possibility of infection. This means that fraudulent apps may be using malicious code to drain power from your smartphone. This can, however, also happen if you have a lot of apps running in the background - so make sure you check the same.

2. Hot phone

If your phone is unusually hot lately, it could mean an infection. Phones usually tend to get hot during gaming sessions and long hours of media consumption. But if your phone is just lying on the table and getting hot, it could point to spyware or some sort of hacking.

3. Unusual activity

If there's unusual activity on your Facebook or Instagram accounts, it could also point to the existence of spyware on your phone. Don't remember posting that? You probably didn't. It's time to factory reset the device and change all your passwords.

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4. Slower phone

If your smartphone suddenly feels slow, it could mean that its resources are being used extensively and that it's finding hard to keep up with the spyware or malware's needs.

5. Strange behaviour

Apps crashing too often? Apps not loading at all? You can try to update the apps and reboot your phone, but if this keeps happening, it might mean that your phone has spyware. If you spot random reboots and shutdowns, factory reset that device as soon as possible.

6. Pop-ups

Uh oh! If you see random pop-ups and alerts, especially from apps you don't recognise - do not tap on the message - it could mean that the phone is infected with adware.

7. Check apps' list

If you think that your phone has malware or spyware, you should head to the apps list to see if you don't recognise some apps. Don't remember installing that random app? It's probably spyware. Make sure you only download apps from official stores.

8. Where is the data going?

Is your mobile data finishing a lot quickly than usual? A malicious app or tool could be using the data in the background.

9. Strange messages and calls

Check your call log for calls to and from unknown numbers. If your text messages contain random messages with strange symbols and characters, it could mean the possibility of a spyware.

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10. Check your gallery

If you see images in your gallery that you don't recognise, it's a red flag and should be taken seriously.

If you think you have spyware on your phone, scan your device using various apps available on the app stores. The best way to remove spyware from your smartphone is through a factory reset, but some spyware can survive this too. Your best bet is installing an anti-spyware app, changing all your passwords, and a factory reset. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com and click here for our how-to guides.