Last Updated on May 19, 2023 by
If your iPhone is behaving strangely, there is a high chance that it has been hacked . You may have noticed excessive battery or data usage, slow performance, and even random apps popping up on your home screen.
Even though Apple builds strong security into devices, hackers are using increasingly creative and complex ways to access your iPhone , iCloud and Apple ID accounts.
The best way to troubleshoot and protect yourself is to use a top security app like Norton 360 to restore your hacked iPhone . App scanning easily flags any iOS security risks and also prevents future attacks by blocking malicious links, shady malware-laden apps and unsecured WiFi networks. Norton 360 even offers a 60-day money-back guarantee so you can download it and run a scan risk-free.
Quick Guide: How to Restore a Hacked iPhone (2023)
- Download a mobile security app for iOS . Norton 360 features WiFi security, free VPN and web protection to protect your iPhone from hackers .
- Launch the application and run a scan . The scan will check all files on your iPhone for evidence of hacking and other security risks.
- Check the scan report . Once the scan is complete, the app will detail all the issues and show you how to fix them. I recommend keeping the app running in the background to prevent future attacks.
Step by Step Guide: What to Do If Your iPhone Gets Hacked
Run a scan using security software
Download and run a scan with high quality security software such as Norton 360 . This will confirm that you’ve been hacked, as well as assess any issues present on your iPhone and show you how to quickly fix them.
Warn your contacts about fraudulent messages
After confirming the hack, you must immediately inform your contacts about the situation. Warn them not to click on links in any of your messages , as this is likely to be part of a phishing scam.
Change your passwords
If your iPhone has been hacked, it’s possible your passwords and login information have been compromised. This includes your iCloud and Apple ID accounts. After running the security scan, reset and create new, unique passwords for your online accounts. If you’re worried about forgetting your new passwords, a service like Norton 360 has a password manager available for iOS – you’ll only have to remember 1 master password and Norton 360 stores the rest for you.
Delete suspicious apps
Apps are a very common way for hackers to gain access to your iPhone . If you have recently downloaded an app that comes from a third-party source (not the Apple App Store), you should delete it from your iPhone. When reviewing the apps on your iPhone, also exclude apps that you don’t remember downloading. They might have been secretly added when you were connected to an unsecured WiFi network or clicked on a phishing link.
Reset your iPhone
Most malware deployed by hackers can be removed by resetting your iPhone to factory settings. This will remove all downloaded apps as well as your messages, contacts, photos and files. As such, before resetting your iPhone, it’s a good idea to back up this data. Norton 360 offers contact backup tools for mobile devices plus 50GB of cloud storage for your personal photos and files.
The Best iPhone Apps for Hacking Prevention (Tested in 2023)
Main features:
- Blocks phishing links, malicious websites, shady apps and viruses
- Includes free unlimited VPN and password manager
- Compatible with iOS 13.0+ for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch
- Protects up to 5 devices at once
- 60-day money-back guarantee
Norton 360 offers the best protection for your iPhone , protecting your device and personal accounts from hackers and malware. I am impressed with the number of features that Norton includes in its iOS app, available in Portuguese – Web protection, WiFi security, full device scan, contacts backup and fraudulent call blocking. Also, by subscribing to Norton 360, you can also use Secure VPN and password manager at no extra cost. This makes Norton 360 one of the most comprehensive antivirus software packages available for iPhones.
After installing Norton 360 on my iPhone XS, the app immediately performed a full device scan. I was alerted that my operating system needed to be updated, which left me vulnerable to hackers. I was directed to my iPhone settings through the Norton 360 app. Being able to manage potential vulnerabilities and fix issues from the app is very convenient and means I don’t have to dig around on my iPhone. I also used Norton 360’s Dark Web Monitoring to see if any of my data had been compromised – I already knew about the breaches it reported, but I was amazed to hear that it found data from over a decade ago.
