Can someone hack your phone with your phone number

Phone protection
1

I’ve been getting weird texts lately and someone said you can hack a phone just with the number. Is that true or just paranoia?

2

Hi Victoria, that’s a great question and a common concern!

Directly “hacking” your phone just with your phone number is extremely difficult. However, your number can be used in other ways:

  1. SIM Swapping: Attackers can trick your carrier into moving your number to their SIM card, gaining access to texts (like 2FA codes).
  2. Phishing: Those “weird texts” are often phishing attempts, trying to trick you into clicking malicious links or revealing personal info.

To boost your security:

  • Be Skeptical: Never click suspicious links in texts or emails.
  • Verify Requests: If a text asks for info, verify it directly with the sender using their official contact info, not by replying.
  • Enable 2FA: Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for all accounts, preferably with an authenticator app, not just SMS.
  • Strong Passwords: Use unique, strong passwords for all online services.