How to check an Android phone for spyware

To check an Android phone for stalkerware, turn on Developer options, take a full bug report, and move the .zip file to your computer. You then check it against public indicator lists from Amnesty International's Security Lab, the Mobile Verification Toolkit (MVT) and Echap. The guide is free, the check is from £2.50, and the file is checked in your browser and never uploaded. It finds known spyware only: a match is not proof, and finding nothing does not mean you are free of tracking.

We check your phone against thousands of known spyware signs, updated daily.

See the checks (from £2.50)

Quick exit: the button at the bottom right of the screen, or the Esc key, takes you straight to the BBC weather page.

How do I check my Android phone for stalkerware?

Menu names vary slightly between makers (Samsung, Google, Xiaomi and others). If you cannot find one, search for it in Settings.

  1. Open Settings → About phone.
  2. Tap Build number 7 times. You may need to enter your PIN. A message says Developer options are on.
  3. Go back to Settings and open Developer options.
  4. Tap Take bug report and choose Full report (or Interactive report) when asked.
  5. Wait. A notification appears when the report is ready. Move the .zip file to the computer or device where you are reading this page in a way that stays on your own equipment: a USB cable (set it to File transfer) or Quick Share / Nearby Share to a computer you trust. Please do not email it to yourself or upload it to Google Drive or any other cloud service. If anyone else can sign in to that account, they could see the file.
  6. Open the check page, choose a check (from £2.50), and when your payment is confirmed drop the .zip into the box. It is checked in your browser and is not uploaded.
  7. Delete the report when you are done. It holds detailed information about your phone. Delete the .zip from the phone (the Files app, usually in Downloads or the bug reports folder), from the computer (the Downloads folder, then empty the bin or Recycle Bin), and from any email or cloud copy.
  8. When you have finished, you can switch Developer options off again in the same menu.

Before you remove anything

  • If you find something, do not delete it straight away. The person who installed it may be alerted, and removing it could make a dangerous situation worse.
  • Removing spyware can also delete evidence you may want later, for the police or a solicitor.
  • Talk to a trained adviser first. The helplines are free and confidential. In an emergency call 999.

Related

This check looks for publicly known spyware only. It is not a professional forensic examination, and it cannot tell you a phone is safe.