Locking your phone when you’re not using it is an essential foundation of security and privacy, but even with that there are those who are able to keep an eye out to try and figure out what the PIN or password is. . If you suspect someone is trying to spy on your phone or want proof in case it happens, here’s a solution: These Android apps use the selfie camera to photograph whoever is trying to unlock your mobile.
Some Initial Considerations
Before opting for some of the applications that we proceed to list below, it is important to consider their functioning and commonalities:
- These apps are limited to monitor unlock attempts with PINs, patterns or passwords, but not with biometric systems such as fingerprints or faces. In any case, and even if you opt for biometric recognition, keep in mind that it is always necessary to have a security code, so they are always useful.
- Android considers Unsuccessful attempt to unlock if you enter four or more digits, characters or dot patternsso these apps will ignore brief errors such as when we type a few characters and then immediately change our minds and delete them.
- Since Android 12, when a the application accesses the camera or microphone, an icon appears as a warning. Although these applications try to go unnoticed in their surveillance task, they do not circumvent this function. If they successfully unlock, they will be able to see what app is being used and delete the crime photo. In any case, they would fulfill their deterrent effect.
All of these unlock attempt monitoring apps require you to set them up as a device administrator. To do this, go to ‘Setting‘ > ‘Security‘ > ‘Device management apps‘. Likewise, if you want to uninstall these apps, you will need to switch back to administrator mode to continue.
Lockwatch
Lockwatch is an interesting application to take pictures of whoever tries to unlock your phone that keeps its promises in a simple way: allow it to receive an email when someone tries to do so.
To start using Lockwatch, download and open the app. Then enable the ‘toggleSend alert email‘. By doing so, the app will ask you to set it as an administrator and you can enter your email.
Once you have configured the above, you can choose the number of unlock attempts before email is sent. After all, it’s not a bad idea to choose two or three in case you get it wrong the first time. To prevent email spam, Lockwatch will not send the email if you enter the correct password within 10 seconds.
When the app detects that someone is entering the wrong PIN, the message it sends includes the photo you take, GPS position and map of the area
The premium version of Lockwatch It lets you set up alerts if the SIM card changes or someone turns off your phone without unlocking it, takes three photos instead of one, and even includes an audio clip in the email.
third eye
The Third Eye works similar to Lockwatch but in this case shows images of who is trying to unlock your phone inside the phone itself instead of using email. It’s great for uncovering gossip, but if your phone is stolen, it’s of no use to you. It also takes the photo even if you end up entering the correct PIN after a few seconds.
Once the application is installed, you will need to activate it as an administrator and grant the appropriate permissions. Enable intrusion detection for me to take a picture in fragrant. In the application, the images and times when it was unlocked are displayed. By the way, every time you unlock the phone, the last time it was previously unlocked appears, which can be a bit annoying.
Among its options, configure the number of attempts, notifications or the possibility of saving photos in Google Drive. In the “must”, the free version has a lot of ads. If you opt for the paid versionthe only thing you will gain is precisely getting rid of advertising, since it has no additional functions.
CrookCatcher
Another good app for catching snoopers is CrookCatcher, with a striking dark interface with green accents. As usual, once you install it, it will guide you to set it up as an administrator and grant permissions to use them.
When you are finished, your the interface is simple and with several tabs. The one in ‘Start’ is used to disable the service, in ‘Photos’ you will see the images it collects, a map with the location of the device and if you touch the ‘i’ you will be able to see even the exact coordinates. In “Settings” you can adjust options such as the number of unlock attempts (between one and five), the number of photos to take and activate email and device notifications. This app takes pictures even if the correct pin code is entered.
Buy the Premium version You get access to more features like play alarm, record sounds, show messages, take more photos or keep app hidden and also remove ads. However, with the free version you will have more than enough.
In Xataka Android | My Cell Phone Got Stolen: A Complete Guide to Knowing What to Do and How to Avoid It
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