My dad is really paranoid that his phone has been hacked. He keeps mentioning that it's running slow and getting hot. I think it's because he leaves it in the sun or never closes his opened apps, but he won't listen. I'm looking for effective ways to either help him feel reassured that it's not hacked, or to simplify things on his phone so he feels more comfortable using it. Any suggestions?
4 Answers
If it’s an Android, dive into the settings and check the app list. Look for any suspicious apps, especially those with unclear names or that claim to clean things up. Remove any that seem sketchy. Also, using an antivirus like Bitdefender might ease his worries, but be aware, they often push subscriptions hard.
Heat and slow performance can suggest he's running too many things in the background, or he might just have an old battery. You could check his battery stats to see what’s hogging resources. Have you considered just helping him clean up his phone?
I think it’s mostly about him saving too many photos and videos on WhatsApp. The storage is filling up quickly!
You might want to try using some logic with him. Explain that hackers usually hack for financial gain, and his phone overheating doesn't really help them make money. But if that doesn't work, maybe suggest doing a factory reset to help him feel more secure about it.
I've suggested a factory reset but he still believes there’s someone hacking into it. He has banking apps with different passwords, so I don’t get why he’s so worried.
Got the same issue! Even after resets things come back, and it's frustrating!
Honestly, I think it might be more of a psychological issue than a tech one. Older folks sometimes get anxious about technology. Maybe some reassurance will help more than any app or setting.
I totally get that, but I was hoping to find a practical app or setting to help with his concerns.
That actually didn’t help much for me. The app marked everything as ‘under risk’ trying to upsell their service.