Is my phone listening to me?

How the heck did they know I am looking for new curtains!!!

Is my phone listening? What to believe...

Your phone isn’t literally “listening” to you all the time — but it feels like it because of how good tracking algorithms have become.

Here’s what’s really going on:

1. The Perception (62% believe it happens):

A 2019 survey by Norton found that 62% of people believe their phone is secretly listening, especially after seeing eerily relevant ads right after a conversation.

2. The Reality:

Tech companies like Meta (Facebook, Instagram) and Google officially deny using your microphone to serve ads without explicit permission.

But…

• Your search history, location, browser activity, app usage, and even your friends’ activity can give advertisers shockingly accurate clues.

• Combine that with lookalike audiences, behavioral modeling, and AI-driven ad targeting… and voilà, you feel like your phone is psychic.

3. When it does listen:

Apps with microphone permissions (like voice assistants or TikTok) can technically record audio, but Apple and Android require explicit permission for that.

Unless you said “Hey Siri” or “OK Google,” they’re not supposed to be listening.

TL;DR:

No, your phone probably isn’t eavesdropping on your pillow talk.

But it knows what you’re up to — maybe even better than your best friend.