Apple is not necessarily inherently more vulnerable to security weaknesses, device tracking, or hacking, but they have had some issues over the years.
Relating to iPads in 2022, hackers exploited a security vulnerability that led iPad and Mac users to potentially have their devices ‘fully controlled’ by hackers.
With your family iPad, that would be the last thing you want.
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It wasn’t great press for Apple – particularly in a landscape where consumers are growing more and more concerned about their privacy online.
Personal data, and what these anonymous third-parties want with it, is more of a focus than ever, and major security vulnerability are (unfortunately) just the tip of the iceberg.
We need to understand the threat, know how to opt out of data harvesting and ensure that our devices are protected by more than just the ‘bare minimum’ they come installed with.
But the latest question is whether your family iPad is being tracked and how you might know if it is. Read on to find out more.
Indications Someone is Tracking Your Family iPad
You should be able to tell if your iPad is being monitored – there definitely will be signs; you might not know about them.
One common sign is an unusual battery drain. Yes, Apple has a bad reputation for somehow sucking the life out of your battery after an unknown amount of time because they want you to buy a new model (conspiracy theory), but this will seem more sudden and dramatic.
If your tablet’s battery life dies out faster than usual, it can mean some background activity, like running unnoticed tracking software. Apple batteries are bad enough, let alone if two people are using the device simultaneously. Overheating could be another indication; if your iPad gets too hot often, even without heavy usage, it could be processing more data than necessary, perhaps due to tracking apps.
Unexpected pop-ups, such as random ads or those that appear even when you’re not browsing, sometimes may show the presence of spyware.
Also, weird behavior like erratic working order – like opening its applications and showing unexpected messages – could mean someone is tracking or hacking your family iPad.
How to Check for Tracking Software
So, now what?
Apple actually gives you a step-by-step guide to see if your iPad is being tracked by telling you to check which devices are signed into your account.
Go to your settings and see if you find a device name you don’t recognize.
Still, not all hackers will be signed into your device to hack it. They’re ghost hackers who won’t have an account, they’ll most likely download software to your device.
Begin by checking whether any tracking software has been installed on it or not. You can do this by going through all apps installed (obviously) and looking for anything you don’t recognize. This one might sound simple, but if you have endless apps on your iPad, it’s so easy for random ones to go unnoticed.
Sometimes, they’ll appear with similar widgets as standard apps, so it’s almost impossible to notice with a glance.
Another significant step would be checking app permissions. Go to your settings, then see which rights have been granted to different applications. If an application possesses more privileges than are required for performing its functions well, then maybe it’s worth suspecting.
Monitoring data usage matters. Being data-intensive, these kinds of programs will use tons of background data. By looking at your usage statistics carefully, you might detect some abnormal peaks attributed to tracking.
Measures to Take to Protect Your iPad From Being Tracked
Do you think your iPad is being tracked? If not, you’re probably worried that it will be.
Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to online safety. Start by updating software regularly – software vulnerabilities are common, and updates seek to patch these vulnerabilities and make applications and devices safer.
Accounts should have strong passwords unique to each other. Enabling two-factor authentication would also be an added advantage. Be cautious about what apps you download. Only get them from trusted sources like the Apple App Store.
Last but not least, try using VPNs, which can help secure internet connections by encrypting them and preventing unauthorized access to personal information. We’d say VPNs are definitely worth the money in 2024.
When Should We Get Help from an Expert?
Getting some help could be the most appropriate thing to do if you still don’t know what you’re doing. Experts in data removal can look through your data and device using a data removal tool to see what information you have online that could be leading to your iPad being tracked. More often than not, we put ourselves in these situations with the information we put online.
You could also ask Apple; if you have AppleCare, they can do something about it. Still, sometimes it’s not the device that’s the problem; it’s you. A new device doesn’t necessarily mean safety – the apps, logins, and information you store on the device and online will make you vulnerable.
So, do you think your iPad is being hacked? There are no statistics to say how likely an iPad hack is, but they definitely won’t be uncommon. Check your devices with the tips above and see what you think.
