Is Your iPhone Being Monitored? The Settings to Check

From your home screen, open Settings and tap your name at the very top, then scroll down to the Devices list. Every device signed in here can see your messages, photos and location through iCloud — tap anything you don’t recognise and choose Remove from Account.

Back on the Apple Account screen, open Sign-In & Security and look at Email & Phone Numbers — every address and number that can sign in to and reset your account. An entry you don’t recognise is a way back in even after you change your password, so remove anything that isn’t yours.

Still in Sign-In & Security, tap Two-Factor Authentication and check the Verify Using list — the devices and trusted numbers that receive your login codes. A trusted number you don’t recognise gets your codes whenever you sign in, so remove it.

Mobile Device Management (MDM) is the most powerful foothold of all. It’s built for companies to run work phones, so a profile like this can monitor your traffic, see your location, silently install or remove apps, and even lock or wipe the device remotely. On a personal iPhone you should never see one you didn’t set up yourself.

To check, head back to the main Settings list and open General → VPN & Device Management — a personal phone is usually empty here, or shows only your employer or school. Treat any profile you don’t recognise as a serious red flag (but read the note on evidence above before you delete it).

Now into the messaging apps. Open Settings, scroll to the bottom and tap Apps, then open FaceTime. Under You Can Be Reached By FaceTime At, an address you don’t recognise means your FaceTime calls also ring on someone else’s device — untick it.

Now back on the Apps screen, scroll down to Messages and open it, then tap Send & Receive. This lists every phone number and email that receives your iMessages. An address you don’t recognise means your private messages are also arriving on someone else’s device — untick it.

Back on the Messages page, scroll down to Text Message Forwarding and open it. Every device listed here receives a copy of the SMS texts sent to your number — including bank and login codes. Switch off anything you don’t recognise; if the screen is empty, no forwarding is set up.

Back on the Apps screen, scroll down to Phone and open it, then tap Call Forwarding. If it’s switched on and pointing to a number you don’t recognise, your calls are being routed to someone else before they ever reach you — switch it off.

Back in the main Settings list, scroll down to Screen Time and open it. Tap a locked option like Downtime — if it asks for a Screen Time passcode you never created, someone else has set one. Screen Time can hide apps, log activity and lock settings down, so a passcode you don’t control is a classic way to monitor and restrict a partner’s phone.

Find My isn’t a Settings page. Close Settings, return to your home screen and open the Find My app, then tap People. This is exactly who can see your location — anyone here you don’t recognise can follow you in real time, so tap them and choose Stop Sharing My Location.