How to remove a hacker from your phone, step by step

To remove a hacker from your phone, take back the accounts first, then clean the device: update it, delete apps and profiles you did not install, change your Apple Account or Google Account password, sign out every device you do not recognize, and turn on two-factor authentication. A factory reset is the last step, not the first, and if your number stopped working, call your carrier before anything else.

The steps below come from Apple's and Google's own help pages and the FTC, checked on November 12, 2026. If you are not yet sure anything is wrong, start with how to tell if your phone is hacked.

Before you start: two cases that change the order

Your phone has no service at all. If it suddenly lost calls, texts and data, or your carrier says your SIM was activated on another device, the FTC's SIM swap alert says to contact your carrier immediately to take back control of your number. Do that first, from another phone if you need to, because whoever has your number can receive your login codes. This is also what most "remove a hacker from my phone number" searches are really about.

You think someone close to you is watching. The FTC's stalkerware guide warns that removing monitoring software can alert the person who installed it. It suggests talking to the National Domestic Violence Hotline first, at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), thehotline.org, or by texting START to 88788, and documenting what is happening before you change the phone.

Step 1: Stop signing in on the phone you suspect

The FTC's malware guide starts here: stop logging in to online accounts on the device until it is cleaned. If you can, do the password changes in steps 5 and 6 from a different device you trust.

Step 2: Update the phone

Updates close the holes attackers use. Apple's software update guide calls updating one of the most important things you can do.

iPhone: go to Settings > General > Software Update and install anything waiting. Turn on Automatic Updates while you are there.
Android: open the update notification if you have one. Otherwise, on a Pixel go to Settings > System > Software updates. Google's update page notes that schedules vary by manufacturer and carrier, so the menu can differ on other phones.

Step 3: Delete apps you did not install

iPhone. Swipe left past your last Home Screen page to App Library, then tap the search field to see every app in a list. For any app you do not recognize, touch and hold its icon and tap Delete App. Apple's review and delete apps guide suggests looking up unknown apps in the App Store first.

Android. In the Google Play Store, tap your profile icon, then Manage apps & devices, then Manage. Select the app and tap Uninstall, as described in Google's delete apps page. Then check that Scan apps with Play Protect is on under profile icon, Play Protect, Settings. Google says Play Protect can warn about, disable or remove harmful apps.

Step 4: Remove unknown profiles on iPhone

Go to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. If a profile is there that you did not put there, select it, tap Delete Profile, follow the instructions and restart. Apple's profile guide says deleting a profile removes all of its settings and data, and that if the phone belongs to a school or business you should check with the administrator first.

Step 5: Lock down your Apple Account

Apple's page on a compromised Apple Account gives this order:

Change your Apple Account password to a strong one you do not use anywhere else. If someone already changed it, reset it. If you cannot reset it or sign in, Apple's account recovery starts at iforgot.apple.com, with a waiting period.
Remove devices you do not recognize. At account.apple.com, select Devices and remove anything that is not yours.
Fix any personal or security details on account.apple.com that you did not set.
Check your phone numbers and email addresses. Make sure you control every one tied to the account, and ask your carrier whether SMS forwarding has been set up on your number.

On an iPhone with iOS 16 or later, Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check brings much of this into one place. Apple's Safety Check guide explains Emergency Reset, which stops sharing with all people and apps at once, and Manage Sharing & Access, which lets you review people, apps, devices and phone numbers one by one.

Step 6: Lock down your Google Account

Google's hacked account page and its devices page cover this:

Change your Google Account password, and change it on any app or site where you used the same one.
Review recent security events. In your Google Account, tap Security & sign-in, then Review security events. For anything that was not you, select No, it wasn't me and follow the steps.
Sign out devices you do not recognize. Under Your devices, tap Manage all devices, tap the device and choose Sign out. Google suggests signing out of every session that shares the same device name if you are not sure.
Fix your recovery phone and email if someone changed them.

Step 7: Clean up your email

Your email account resets every other password, so it has to be clean too. Google says to remove any Gmail filters, labels or forwarding rules you did not set up. Our guide on what to do if your email is hacked walks through Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo.

Step 8: Turn on two-factor authentication

Apple says to set up two-factor authentication for your Apple Account, and suggests security keys for extra protection against targeted attacks. Google's account security page recommends 2-Step Verification and calls security keys the most secure second step. The FTC's SIM swap alert adds that authentication apps or security keys are a better choice than text message codes. Our post on whether two-factor authentication is safe compares the options.

Step 9: Protect your phone number with your carrier

The FTC suggests two things to ask your carrier for: a PIN or password on your cellular account, and a port freeze, which helps stop your number from being transferred without your permission. The names differ from carrier to carrier, so ask for them by description.

Step 10: Factory reset, as a last resort

If the steps above did not fix it, or you believe someone tampered with the phone itself, reset it. Read these first:

Do not restore from a backup. Apple's factory reset guide and the FTC both warn that restoring a backup can bring the malicious software back. Download your apps fresh from the official store instead.
On iPhone, run Safety Check first. Apple says the problem may come from sharing settings or app access you did not realize were on. A reset needs internet, your passcode and your Apple Account password.
On Android, wait after a password change. Google's factory reset page says that if you recently reset your Google Account password, wait 24 hours before a factory reset. It also says to know your Google Account username and password, charge to at least 70%, and stay connected, since the reset can take up to an hour.

Keep the next leak small

Many takeovers start with an email address leaked from some site. With Secria Mail you can give each site its own email alias. If phishing starts arriving at one alias, you know which site leaked it, and deleting the alias stops it. Sign-up is a name, the address you want and a password, with no phone number. Create a free account if that helps.

Frequently asked questions

Will a factory reset remove a hacker?

Apple says a reset removes all apps, including ones installed without your knowledge. A reset cleans the device. Changing your passwords and signing out unknown devices in steps 5 and 6 is what takes back your accounts. Do not restore from a backup afterward.

How do I remove a hacker from my phone number?

That is usually a SIM swap. The FTC says to contact your carrier immediately, then change your account passwords and check your bank and card accounts. If the attacker got sensitive information, the FTC points to IdentityTheft.gov.

Is there a code to remove a hacker from my phone?

None of the Apple, Google or FTC guides we checked mention one. Use the steps above.

Should I get a new phone?

None of the official guides we checked suggest it. They fix this with updates, account changes and, at worst, a factory reset of the phone you have.

How do I keep hackers out of my phone afterward?

The FTC's phone security guide recommends automatic updates, a passcode or biometric lock, and regular backups. Add two-factor authentication on your Apple or Google account and a PIN with your carrier.

Work through the steps in order, from a device you trust, and the person who had access loses it at the account level, which is where it counts.