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Tags iOS Security

How to Detect FlexiSpy on iPhone

Worried your iPhone is running FlexiSpy spyware? The surveillance software tracks your location, reads your messages, and steals personal content, so it’s important to remove it right away. In this guide, we’ll show you how to detect FlexiSpy on your iPhone and delete it. To quickly find spyware on your iPhone, you can use Clario Anti Spy. It will uncover hidden apps that spy on you and remove them to protect your privacy.

Table of contents

What is FlexiSpy?

FlexiSpy is a type of surveillance software that is used to spy on almost any computer or smartphone. It has the ability to track a person’s location, monitor installed applications, read messages in any app, access cameras to take photos and videos, and lots more.

 

In total, FlexiSpy offers more than 70 features for spying on unsuspecting users, and prices start at less than $50 a month. Its creators claim FlexSpy is for parental control and employee monitoring, but in reality, it’s spyware that anyone can purchase to invade the privacy of whomever they choose.

Can FlexiSpy be detected on iPhone?

FlexiSpy’s developers have gone to great lengths to ensure the software is difficult to detect. Its built-in hidden mode means you won’t see FlexiSpy on your iPhone’s home screen or in the App Library. However, FlexiSpy cannot hide itself from specialized tools that uncover hidden spyware, like Clario Anti Spy.

 

Using third-party antispy solutions, you can quickly find out if FlexiSpy is watching you and remove spyware from iPhone before it can send more information back to the stalker who put it there.

How to check if FlexiSpy is on your iPhone

If you’re worried you may be a victim of FlexiSpy monitoring, you’re probably wondering how to know if someone is spying on your phone. Despite the work its creators have done to prevent the application from being easily detected, there are some steps you can take to find FlexiSpy on your iPhone, including:

  1. Check for installed programs
  2. Use a spyware scan
  3. Inspect for a jailbreak

1. Check for installed programs

Most spyware applications, including FlexiSpy, use tricks to hide themselves on your device. They will have innocent names and icons so that they don’t look suspicious when you stumble across them in your App Library, or they won’t appear at all. However, it’s not too difficult to identify hidden apps on iPhones.

 

All you need to do is go through all the folders in your App Library on your iPhone and look for any installed software you don’t recognize. Even if it seems innocent, anything you didn’t install yourself is potentially dangerous, and it’s best to remove it as quickly as possible.

 

At this point, you might be wondering, are all apps on the App Store safe? Well, all the software you see in the App Store is tested and approved by Apple to ensure that it complies with the company’s strict rules for developers. However, while this keeps apps like FlexiSpy out of the App Store, there are approved apps that like to collect more data than they really need, so it’s a good idea to check their privacy policies.

2. Use a spyware scan

As hidden apps are easy to miss, carrying out a spyware scan is the most effective way to check if FlexiSpy is on your iPhone. A specialized utility like Clario Anti Spy can identify threats and help you remove them wherever they're hiding. Here’s how to use it to scan your device for FlexiSpy:

  1. Download and install Clario Anti Spy and set up your account.
  2. Click Run deep scan.
  3. Wait for Clario Anti Spy to scan your iPhone for spyware.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions on eliminating the detected threats.
a screenshot that shows how Clario Anti Spy runs a deep spyware scan on an iPhone to detect FlexiSpy.

Although it’s possible to use a code to check if your iPhone is being monitored, this is often unreliable, and more sophisticated spyware can hide itself from these checks. Performing a spyware scan turns over every stone to ensure any malicious software on your iPhone is found and eliminated.

3. Inspect for a jailbreak

In addition to finding spyware on your iPhone, Clario Anti Spy can also tell you if your device has been jailbroken. This is a telltale sign that someone has tampered with it. One of the biggest reasons for jailbreaking an iPhone is to install unauthorized applications from untrusted sources, such as malware.

 

If you find that someone has jailbroken your device, it’s definitely a cause for concern. Remember, tools like FlexiSpy only work on jailbroken iPhones.

How to get FlexiSpy off your iPhone

If you’ve detected FlexiSpy or any other spyware on your iPhone, you must remove it immediately. It will not only affect the performance of your device, but it will be sending your personal data back to whoever is stalking you. Here are the four most important steps to take:

  1. Use antispyware to remove FlexiSpy
  2. Update your iPhone
  3. Perform a system restore from an iPhone backup
  4. Make a factory reset

1. Use antispyware to remove FlexiSpy

One of the simplest and most effective ways to remove FlexiSpy from your iPhone is to use antispyware like Clario Anti Spy. By performing a complete device scan as outlined above, Clario Anti Spy can detect any hidden spyware that shouldn’t be there and help you remove it permanently.

2. Update your iPhone

By updating your iPhone with the latest iOS release, you automatically remove any jailbreak, which disables FlexiSpy and similar surveillance software that relies on the ability to circumvent Apple’s security protections.

 

Here’s how to update your device:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone, then tap General.
  2. Tap Software Update.
  3. If an update is available, you’ll see it here. Tap Download and Install to continue.
The Settings app on iPhone showing how to get to the Software Update screen. To update your device if you find FlexiSpy on your iPhone, first check for updates, then tap Download and Install.
In Settings, tap General > Software Update.

3. Perform a system restore from an iPhone backup

If you’re already running the latest iOS release and an update isn’t available, you can perform a system reset and restore an iPhone backup. This also removes any jailbreak and clears unauthorized apps from your device while saving your data.

 

To system reset and restore an iPhone backup, simply follow these steps:

  1. Open the Settings app, then tap General.
  2. Select Transfer or Reset iPhone, then choose Erase All Content and Settings.
  3. Follow the steps on the screen and enter your iCloud password when prompted.
  4. Once the process is complete, your iPhone will restart, and you’ll see the setup screen. Follow the steps until you get to the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen, then choose where to restore your backup.
The Settings app on iPhone showing the General button. To reset your device if you detect FlexiSpy on iPhone, first tap General, then select Transfer or Reset iPhone. Select Erase All Content and Settings to perform a factory reset.
In Settings, tap General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.

4. Make a factory reset

If you would prefer not to carry over any data from a previous iPhone backup and you want to start with a fresh iOS install, all you have to do is erase your device as we outlined above, with a slight difference:

  1. Open the Settings app, then select General.
  2. Select Transfer or Reset iPhone, then tap Erase All Content and Settings.
  3. Follow the steps on the screen and enter your iCloud password when prompted.
  4. When your iPhone restarts, you will be greeted by the setup process. Follow the steps on the screen until you see the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen. Choose the option that says Don’t Transfer Apps & Data to start with a fresh copy of iOS.
The Settings app on iPhone showing the General button. To reset your device if you detect FlexiSpy on iPhone, first tap General, then select Transfer or Reset iPhone. Select Erase All Content and Settings to perform a factory reset, then choose Don't Transfer Apps & Data during setup to install a fresh copy of iOS.
In Settings, tap General > Transfer or Reset, then follow the steps.  During setup, select Don’t Transfer Apps & Data.

Conclusion

Spyware like FlexiSpy is a serious threat to iPhone users. With that being the case, it’s important to regularly check for spyware using tools like Clario Anti Spy, and remove any threats as soon as they are detected. It is the best way to prevent stalkers from listening to your calls, reading your SMS messages, and stealing personal information.

FAQ

1. Can FlexiSpy be installed remotely?

It’s not possible to install FlexiSpy remotely on an iPhone. An attacker needs access to your device to jailbreak it and install the FlexiSpy software.

2. How do I find hidden spy apps on my iPhone?

First, go through all the folders in your App Library and remove any apps you don’t recognize. It’s also a good idea to perform a spyware scan with Clario Anti Spy to find hidden software.

3. Is FlexiSpy visible?

FlexiSpy may be visible, but the software allows attackers to install it without leaving an obvious trace. In this instance, you can only find it with an antispyware tool.

4. Can someone spy on my iPhone without me knowing?

Yes, once someone has installed spyware on your iPhone, they can listen to your calls, see your photos and other personal content, watch you through your camera, and more without you knowing.

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