Have you ever talked about something completely random -say, a walk around the golden gate -and the next day do you appear on a trip to San Francisco? In addition to perceiving it as a signal to indicate the action, this is an alarming feeling that your phone He listens everything What you say is not just paranoia … at least not quite.
Although large technological companies deny this, smartphones are designed to always be careful. The voice assistant (either Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa) must constantly listen to if you say to him his keyword: “Hello, Siri”, “Ok, Google”, etc. And how is it? Exactly: save the microphone for all the time.
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Is your phone spying for you?
Before you fall and wrap the cell phone with aluminum foil, there is a simple way to check whether your phone really listens to you. Do this experiment: for several days, speak aloud near your mobile phone on a very specific and unusual topic for you. What you were looking for, commented or published. For example: “I want to accept Iguan” or “I am interested in buying Thai hammock.” Repeat the comments on this topic several times without looking for anything in Google and do not mention it in the networks. Then observe which advertisements begin to appear.
If you suddenly see the proposals of a hammock or food for reptiles on Instagram … Well, you may have a problem.
And that would not be so crazy. Although there is no convincing evidence that Google, Apple or META actively use the microphone of your phone for the spying, technology for this exist. In fact, in 2024 it was discovered that the company called COX Media Group proposed a solution called “Active Listening”, designed to monitor conversations and providing more accurate advertising. Presumably, they worked with large companies such as Amazon, Google and Microsoft. Did they use it? Officially not. Could they? Certainly. Should we worry? Probably yes.
But the most alarming is that you don’t even need to say that your phone knows what you think. Your devices can be more intuitive than you think.
So, if you don’t listen to me, how do you know so much about me?
Even if you do not believe in this, your telephone sensors collect tons of information about you: from your habits (thanks to an accelerometer and gyroscope), to the places that you visit (thanks to GPS) with which you spend time (Bluetooth), your interests (applications that you use, screen time) and even health status.
And without calculating the data you give: searching for Google, online buying, what you see in Tiktok, what you like, your chats, your photos, your list of contacts … It’s like if you carry a spy in your pocket that knows absolutely everything about you without even listening to you.
How to prevent listening to everything that you say
1. Check the permission of your applications
Many times when installing the application you give permission without hesitation: a camera, a microphone, location … Everything in order to use it quickly. But some of these applications do not need the access to the microphone, and you still provided it.
Go to the settings of your phone, find the section of confidentiality or application resolution and disconnect access to the microphone for all those applications that do not need it (which are the majority).
2. Disconnect the voice assistant
If you do not use Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa, read them completely. Thus, you will prevent the microphone all the time all the time “just in case”. Regardless of whether you use Android or iPhone, you can configure it from the setting of the device; It will take you only a few minutes.
In addition, you can delete the history of the voice team, which in many cases persists in your Google or Apple account without noticing.
3. Hold everything
It may sound boring, but it is important. Updates of the operating system and your applications not only bring new functions, but also adjust vulnerabilities that can be used by hackers to access your microphone or chamber. If you do not update, you leave the door open.
4. Do not download suspicious applications
A flashlight who requests access to a microphone? A game that always wants your location? Bad signs. Download applications only in official stores (Google Play or App Store) and always check the comments and permits before installing them.
5. Air mode or turn off the phone
Yes, it sounds radical, but if you are going to lead a really personal conversation and do not want to take risks, turn off the phone or leave it in another room. Even the aircraft mode can be useful if you do not want the microphone to be available at that time.
It is never too late to resume control
Maybe you think: “I have already delivered all my information, why worry now?” But it’s never too late to start control. Limit applications from applications, use more private search engines (such as Duckduckgo) or install browsers that block trackers (for example, bold), can significantly reduce the amount of information collected.
And if you are interested in in the future, you can choose private e -mail services, VPN, which mask your real location, and configure your phone to share an indispensable minimum.
Source: Digital Trends
