Is my phone listening to me?

Is it true that my phone is listening to me?

The short answer is yes, your phone is listening to you, but it’s not as sneaky as it sounds. Your phone’s virtual assistants — like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant — use your microphone to listen for commands. They’re always "on standby," waiting for phrases like "Hey Siri" or "Okay Google" to wake them up so you can ask questions, make calls, or control your device. However, things are not that simple.

Take Siri, for example. Apple first introduced the virtual assistant in 2011, and since then, it has made life easier for millions. But in 2014, Apple launched the "Hey Siri" feature, which allowed hands-free activation. The problem? Siri sometimes mishears other phrases as its "wake word," causing your phone to accidentally record snippets of your conversations.

Apple didn’t stop there. It let employees review a small portion of Siri recordings to improve the service. This practice backfired big time when users discovered that their voice recordings were being analyzed without their consent. Claimants even accused Apple of sharing voice data with advertisers. Although Apple denied it, the tech giant agreed to a $95 million settlement in early 2025 to avoid dragging the fight into court.

However, Apple isn’t the only one under fire. Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant have faced similar complaints. Their systems also rely on “always listening” features, which can sometimes be triggered by accident. Human reviewers have even listened to conversations caught by these devices to improve AI accuracy.

So is it true that your phone is listening to you? Technically, yes — but not in the way you might think. Still, it’s a good reminder to check your settings and take control of your privacy.

But why is my phone listening to me?

Virtual assistants like Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa rely on your microphone to respond when you need help. For example, when you say, "Hey Siri, find me a good pizza place," or ask Google, "What’s the weather today?", your phone processes that information to give you answers — and then uses it for personalized ads.

It’s a lot like using a search engine. When you type "car dealerships near me" into Google, you’ll start noticing car ads following you everywhere online. Voice assistants work in a similar way — they gather the information they hear and use it to predict what you might want. That’s why, after talking about a weekend trip, you might suddenly see ads for cheap flights or hotels.

How to test if your phone is spying on you

It’s easy to test if your phone is spying on you — simply select an unrelated topic and talk about it a few times within earshot of your phone. Follow these steps:

1. 1.Select an unusual topic. Choose something completely unrelated to your normal interests. For example, if you’ve never thought about visiting Alaska, use that as your topic.
2. 2.Think of a few good keywords. Make a list of potential phrases connected to your topic. For Alaska, you might say things like, “flights to Alaska,” “Alaska hiking tours,” or “hotels in Alaska.” Keep your phone far away — or better yet, turn it off — while you brainstorm. Avoid searching for anything related to the topic online.
3. 3.Discuss the topic near your phone. Say the keywords out loud while your phone is nearby. You can repeat phrases or have a conversation about the topic for several minutes. Do this for a couple of days in a row.

Now comes the interesting part: Watch your ads. If you start seeing ads for travel packages or tours to Alaska, it might feel like proof that your phone is listening to you.

However, keep in mind that there’s no solid evidence that phones use microphones to spy on conversations for ads. Ad algorithms usually rely on your search history, app activity, and online behavior instead. That being said, this test is fun to try — and might just make you think twice about data privacy.

NordVPN experiment: Is your phone really listening to you?

A few workers in our office decided to test this technique and picked topics that none of them had ever shown any interest in. Laura chose to talk about traveling to Alaska, Jason talked about buying a new Volvo, and Peter mentioned getting a pet lizard.

For three days straight, they met during breaks and chatted about their topics near their phones, which they placed on the table in front of them. Each person repeated their phrases for a few minutes, making sure not to search for anything related to their topic online.

Then, they kept an eye on the ads popping up on their phones. Over those three days, they monitored whether the frequency or content of the ads changed to match the topics they'd been discussing.

What we discovered

The test results were mixed. Peter never received any reptile ads. He does, however, own a dog and is constantly bombarded with ads for local pet stores, vets, and dog trainers. But no ads ever involved other pets — they all featured dogs.

Similarly, Laura didn’t receive any ads about trips to Alaska. However, she got a few cheap flight ads, but those could be attributed to the upcoming holiday season.

Jason was the only one to start receiving ads related to his chosen topic of Volvo cars. He had never owned a car, searched for one online, or shown any interest in buying one. Yet, after just three days of the experiment, his phone started flooding him with Volvo ads.

What does this experiment prove?

Search engines collect a frightening amount of data about individuals based on their browsing activity and habits. They gather details like age, location, sex, hobbies, workplace, and interests. With this data, they build detailed profiles and use them to target people with specific ads.

Jason is in his thirties, lives in a city, and works at a cybersecurity company. He follows the latest tech news and occasionally watches Formula One — could that be enough to trigger a flood of Volvo ads? Maybe. Or maybe it was just a coincidence. We don’t have enough evidence to say for sure that his phone was listening.

The test results could also depend on the device and its settings. Someone who carefully manages their app permissions might see fewer ads than someone who leaves their settings wide open.

But is it legal for my phone to listen to me?

It is legal for your phone to listen to you if you’ve agreed to the terms and conditions of your virtual assistant. For example, if you’ve enabled permissions in the settings for Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant, companies can legally use your interactions for marketing or service improvements.

Listening in only becomes illegal if an app does so without your consent. That’s why it’s important to review the permissions you grant and understand how your phone tracks you. If a photo editor you just downloaded asks for microphone access, consider it fishy — it might be trying to record your voice and misuse the data for malicious purposes like cyber espionage.

How to make my phone stop listening to me

Turn off your phone's microphone to make it stop listening. A virtual assistant is just another feature on your smartphone, speaker, watch, or another device, so if you don’t feel safe using it — disable it. Follow the steps below to learn how to turn off the microphone on different devices.

How to turn off microphone access on an iPhone

Follow these steps to disable Siri on iOS:

1. 1.Go to “Settings” and tap “Siri.”
2. 2.Tap “Talk to Siri.”
3. 3.Tap “Off” and make sure that the toggle for “Press side button for Siri” is off.

How to turn off microphone access on Android

Follow these steps to disable Google Assistant on Android:

1. 1.Open the Google app.
2. 2.Tap your profile image in the top-right corner.
3. 3.Tap “Settings.”
4. 4.Tap “Google assistant.”
5. 5.Tap “General.”
6. 6.Toggle off “Google assistant.”
7. 7.Tap “Turn off.”

Other ways to turn off your phone’s microphone

If you want to limit microphone activity on your device, you need to take a few additional steps. One option is to manage audio permissions for individual apps. In your phone’s settings, you can revoke microphone access for most apps that use it. Keep in mind, though, that revoking microphone access may reduce some features within those apps.

You can also try physical solutions to block your microphone. For example, covering the mic with small stickers or tape or buying specialized phone cases can limit its ability to pick up sound. However, keep in mind that covering your phone’s microphone may affect call quality, making it harder for others to hear you during conversations.

Six tips to protect your privacy on a smartphone

Your smartphone holds a wealth of personal information, from your contacts and messages to your location and browsing habits. Without proper precautions, this data can fall into the wrong hands, putting your privacy at risk. To help protect your information, follow these six essential tips.

1. Only download virtual assistant apps from official stores

Stick to trustworthy apps like Google Assistant and Siri to avoid exposing your personal information. Downloading a virtual assistant from an unverified source is risky. You may end up installing malware or handing over sensitive data, like your voice recordings, to cybercriminals. Always download apps from official sources like Google Play or Apple App Store.

2. Review app permissions

Get into the habit of regularly checking your phone’s settings to review the permissions you’ve granted to apps. If an app can access your microphone, camera, or location without a valid reason, that’s a red flag. For example, if your iPhone’s camera turns on randomly, investigate further.

Also, watch out for unfamiliar apps on your phone. If you’ve fallen victim to a phishing scam, clicked on suspicious links, or accidentally downloaded malware, spyware could be hiding in plain sight. It often disguises itself within apps and secretly monitors your activity in the background. To stay secure, routinely delete rogue or suspicious apps.

3. Delete your Google Voice history

Unlike Siri, Google Assistant keeps a record of your voice requests. If your phone is lost or stolen, someone could retrieve your search results and recordings for malicious purposes. Deleting your Google Voice history regularly can reduce this risk.

Remember, Google and other search engines collect voice recordings, search terms, and browsing activities to improve their services — but also to sell your data to advertisers. If you’re wondering “What does Google know about me?” the simple answer is — a lot. Managing or deleting your data is one way to regain more control over your privacy.

4. Delete your Alexa history

While Alexa makes life easier, it also raises some serious privacy concerns. Amazon collects and stores recordings made through Alexa and may use them for marketing purposes or share them with third-party organizations. Even worse, Amazon employees have reportedly listened to customer recordings, violating privacy on a deeper level.

To keep your data safe, regularly delete your Alexa history and explore privacy settings to understand how Alexa uses your data. Staying informed is key to protecting your personal information.

5. Use a virtual private network (VPN)

A VPN is an excellent tool if you want to improve your privacy and protect your online activity from snoopers. VPNs mask your IP address and encrypt your internet traffic, making it harder for hackers or advertisers to track what you do online. Keep in mind, though, that a VPN won’t stop voice monitoring if you’ve already authorized services like virtual assistants.

If you're not using a VPN, your internet service provider (ISP) can also see your IP address and monitor your online activity. This information can reveal personal details, such as your location, and could fall into the wrong hands if mishandled or shared. Using a VPN safeguards your connection by creating a secure, encrypted layer around your web activity.

Some VPNs, like NordVPN, offer additional protection. For example, NordVPN’s Threat Protection feature, available on smartphones, blocks trackers and malicious domains. The more advanced Threat Protection Pro™ feature, available on desktop, also includes a malware scanner that alerts you to harmful files before you download them.

6. Update your software regularly

Updates are tedious, but ignoring them weakens your defenses and puts your data at risk. To improve Android security, enable two-factor authentication, turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when not in use, and manage app permissions carefully. iPhone users can improve privacy by changing passcodes, activating the "Erase data" feature, and updating their software.