Is There a Code to Check if Your Phone Is Monitored?

Brandon Way - November 8, 2024

We live in an age where it’s hard to keep track of all the threats to your privacy, including the increasingly common fear of having your phone monitored. Advancements in technology have been a double-edged sword for a while. Today, it’s increasingly easy for someone to access your calls, texts, and even location data without your knowledge. However, is it possible to detect if it’s happening? Fortunately, the answer is yes. 

It is possible to see information about your phone’s settings, such as call forwarding or call waiting (which means your calls are being sent out), but they’re far from foolproof. If a more sophisticated method of monitoring is used, it’ll often go undetected by these simple checks. 

With that in mind, in this article, we’ll go deep into how you can use a code to check if your phone is monitored, why someone might be tracking you in the first place, and how you can protect yourself and your data. If you’ve been paranoid about being tracked lately, keep reading:

Can USSD Show Who’s Calling You?

USSD codes, or Unstructured Supplementary Service Data codes, if we’re being technical, are short strings of numbers and symbols that you can use to access certain features on your phone. While a lot of people do believe that as long as you use the right USSD codes, you can see if your phone is being monitored, this isn’t often the case. 

Granted, some codes can indeed help you see information about your phone’s settings, but they won’t be able to pick up any complicated methods of call tracking that someone is likely using on you. Nevertheless, they are a necessary first step to go through when figuring out if you’re being tracked.

One common USSD code is *#21#. Dialing this code will show you if your calls are being forwarded. If you see a number other than your own voicemail, it means call forwarding is activated, indicating that your calls are being tracked. 

To check for call forwarding when you don’t answer, dial *#61# and repeat the same steps. For forwarding when your phone is unreachable, use *#62#. To check for forwarding when your line is busy, dial *#67#. If you notice any type of call forwarding setup that you didn’t want or don’t remember organizing, it’s a sign your phone calls are being monitored.

Once again, you need to remember that even if these codes don’t show any signs of monitoring, it doesn’t guarantee your phone is completely secure. Sophisticated spyware and monitoring apps can operate silently in the background and will easily bypass these simple checks. Relying solely on USSD codes isn’t the best way to protect your privacy.

Why You Can’t Rely Solely on USSD Codes

USSD codes will give you a basic snapshot of your call forwarding settings, but they’re not the solution for detecting phone monitoring. Modern ways to surveil are very different from the old ways of tracking people and go beyond simple call diversion (i.e. call forwarding). More often, spyware will directly intercept calls, messages, and data without altering call forwarding settings, which means USSD codes will not detect them in the slightest.

USSD codes provide rather limited info to begin with. They’ll only show you if your calls are being forwarded to a specific number. They cannot detect if your phone is being tapped, if your location is being tracked, or if your data is being intercepted. However, they’re also not the only option you have to check if you’re being tracked.

Using a Reverse Phone Lookup Tool

USSD codes might be an easy first step, but you’ll likely need more than that to make sure you’re not being tracked. This is where a reverse phone lookup tool can be a helpful option. CheckPeople’s reverse phone lookup tool lets you use a phone number to search and receive information about the person or entity it’s linked to.

Instead of finding someone else’s phone number, you’ll be searching your own number here. The main reason for using a reverse phone lookup this way is so you can see possible red flags, such as multiple listings under the same number, related addresses, or public records. 

Though it won’t definitively prove if your phone is being monitored, you’ll be able to see any suspicious activity or unknown callers that are acting against your privacy without your knowledge. This information cannot be seen through a USSD code.

The reverse phone lookup will also be useful when you’re just verifying the identity of someone who contacts you. We don’t mean your friends and family by that, but those random numbers that might be promoting something or soliciting (seemingly) harmless information about you. 

Using the tool, you can cross-reference the information with any other information you have and make a more informed decision about whether to trust the caller.

As with other methods, this tool has its caveats as well. A reverse phone lookup tool can provide more information linked to your phone number than a USSD code, but it’s not a foolproof solution either. We recommend combining it with other security tools and measures to keep yourself as safe as possible from phone monitoring or spyware threats.

Protecting Your Privacy

Checking for monitoring through codes and reverse phone lookups is a good start, but there’s always more that can be done to protect your privacy. One thing that we always recommend is being cautious about downloading apps. Just because it cleared the checks to be listed on an app store doesn’t mean it’s entirely safe to download. 

You might have experienced apps asking for an absurd amount of permissions, some of which may allow access to sensitive data that they don’t even need. Does a music app really need access to your camera? Before granting any permissions, make sure you’re reviewing the app’s privacy policy yourself and deciding whether the requested access is actually necessary for the app.

Strong passwords are another must. Your pet’s name simply won’t do for a password; it creates a single point of failure for all of your accounts. Always aim for complex passwords that combine uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. If it’s a password that could be guessed with some basic information about you, try again with something more complex. 

If you struggle with remembering all your passwords, a password manager might help as well. It’ll also generate and store strong passwords for you so you’re not constantly coming up with new ones. Alongside good passwords, make sure everything digital has its operating system and apps updated. Software updates usually have security patches that address vulnerabilities that malicious actors are trying to exploit.

Why You Might Be Getting Tracked

Beyond the reasons already mentioned, there are a lot of other motives for phone monitoring, too, which aren’t always malicious. One such reason is marketing and advertising. Companies are increasingly interested in gathering your behavioral data to tailor their marketing campaigns, and by tracking your phone usage and browsing habits, they can create targeted ads that are more likely to resonate with you. 

While this might seem harmless on the surface, it can still raise concerns about your privacy since your personal information is often collected and analyzed without your explicit consent. Generally, we recommend not attending any phone calls from certain area codes to err on the side of caution.

Sometimes, even law enforcement agencies will monitor phones as part of criminal investigations. This is typically done with legal authorization, so it’s not the wild west in this case. That said, concerns about the potential for overreach and abuse of such powers are ever-present. If you believe this might be the case for you, you must be aware of the legal framework surrounding government surveillance in your jurisdiction and understand your rights.

Reclaiming Your Digital Privacy

Protecting your privacy is no easy task nowadays. If it’s been compromised, it’s not too easy to even figure out whether that’s actually the case or if you’re just paranoid. As long as you’re cautious about the apps you install, the permissions you grant, and the information you share online, you’ll generally be fine.

For general security, use strong passwords and always get regular software updates. Your digital footprint is a valuable asset, so do whatever you can to protect it. Once you understand the risks discussed in this article and the ways to protect yourself from them, you’ll have more control than ever over your digital privacy.