How to tell if someone has unlocked your iPhone to read texts – three clues are a dead giveaway

THINK someone might be peeking at your iPhone when you’re not with it? Expose your snooper by looking for three clues.

It’s possible that someone might be picking up your iPhone and having a browse.

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Maybe you’ve left it on the side, at a desk, or you’re off in the land of nod.

No matter where the snooper strikes, there are some dead giveaways that they’ve been breaking into your iPhone.

But before we get into the clues, make sure that you’ve got a strong passcode on your iPhone – one that no one else knows.

Look out for these three signs that someone is breaking into your iPhone…

SNOOPING CLUE #1 – IPHONE STORAGE

Your iPhone storage is usually where you go when you’re panicking that you’ve got too many photos and not enough space.

But it’s also a great place for iPhone sleuths looking to out snoopers.

Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, then scroll down to the section where your apps are listed.

The filter at the top of the list should be set to Size by default. Change this to Last Used Date instead.

This will order apps by when they were most recently used.

It’s a great list to check because if an app has been opened that you know you haven’t touched recently, someone else is responsible.

Even if you have used that app recently, it might appear out of order to your own usage.

For instance, WhatsApp might show up as having being used second-to-last, but if you used it five apps ago then that’s a potential warning sign.

Of course this trick relies on your memory being spot-on – or a bit of planning.

SNOOPING CLUE #2 – FIRST PICK-UP

A second clue can be found in your iPhone’s Screen Time settings.

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But note: this only works if you’ve already turned the feature on in Settings > Screen Time.

Screen Time is meant to help you track and manage how much you’re using your iPhone.

However, it can also reveal key details about when your iPhone has been picked up.

Go to Settings > Screen Time > See All App & Website Activity.

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Then scroll down to the section that’s titled Pickups.

In that section, you’ll be able to see a note called First Pickup.

This is the first time in the day that your iPhone has been picked up and opened.

That means you’ll be able to see if someone unlocked your iPhone before you’d woken up.

LOCK YOUR SCREEN TIME SETTINGS!

It’s possible to put a lock on your Screen Time settings so they can’t be spied on without a passcode…

First, you’ll need to go into Settings > Screen Time.

Then scroll down and tap on Lock Screen Time Settings.

This will let you set up a passcode for Screen Time.

You can take this off at any time if you change your mind.

Picture Credit: The Sun

And you can even scroll back through previous days to see if it’s happened before.

Just make sure that it’s not you personally opening your iPhone half-asleep in the night and then forgetting about it.

SNOOPING CLUE #3 – APP-TIVITY!

The third clue can also be found inside your Screen Time settings.

You’ll want to go to Settings > Screen Time > See All App & Website Activity again.

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This time, look at the section called Most Used for today.

Then find the app that might’ve been spied on, and tap it. For instance, maybe it’s WhatsApp or Gmail.

You’ll then be able to see the exact hour slots that the app in question was used on that day.

And you can even see how much time has been spent on the app.

SET YOUR SCREEN DISTANCE

While you’re in Screen Time, there’s a handy health feature that’s worth turning on…

Buried in your Screen Time settings is a clever feature called Screen Distance.

It’s designed to help protect your eyes by warning you if you’re holding your iPhone too close to your face.

“Screen Time encourages younger users to engage in healthy viewing habits that can lower their risk of myopia, and it can help reduce eye strain for users of all ages,” Apple explained.

Apple added: “Viewing something like a device or book too closely for an extended period of time can increase eye strain and the risk of myopia.”

To turn Screen Distance on, just go to Settings > Screen Time.

Then tap on Screen Distance and toggle the feature on.

If your iPhone detects that you’re holding your iPhone too closely for too long, it’ll warn you with a pop-up.

You’ll need to move your iPhone away from your eyes to clear the pop-up.

Picture Credit: The Sun

So if you know you weren’t using that app at a specific time, you need to question who might have been.

Check for patterns over several days to see if you can work out who might have had access to your iPhone at those times.

If you use all three of these sleuthing methods, you could very quickly get a good idea of who might be snooping on you – and when.

The Sun recently revealed five quick changes to help make your iPhone “snooper-proof”.

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And if you’re trying to hide your chats from snoopers, here’s The Sun’s guide to sending texts secretly over WhatsApp and iMessage.