ShapsTech and Gadgets

HOW TO KNOW IF SOMEONE IS TRACKING YOUR WHATSAPP OR SMS SECRETELY.

To know if someone is tracking your WhatsApp and SMS chats, you need to look for unauthorized linked devices, check for hidden spy applications, and scan for malicious call or SMS forwarding settings on your phone.

Because both WhatsApp and SMS operate differently, a tracker will use different entry points to access them.

Here is exactly how to check your phone for tracking and how to stop it immediately.

1. Check for WhatsApp Tracking
WhatsApp chats are end-to-end encrypted, meaning hackers cannot easily intercept them mid-air. Instead, intruders track your WhatsApp by physically linking your account to another device or computer.

* Review Linked Devices: Open WhatsApp and navigate to Settings (iPhone) or tap the three dots in the top right corner (Android). Select Linked Devices. If you see any unrecognized web browsers, computers, or phones listed, someone is reading your chats in real-time.

* Look for Read Receipts: If you open a new conversation and notice that messages are already marked as read (blue checkmarks) before you have actually looked at them, someone else is likely reading them simultaneously from a linked device.

* Sudden Settings Changes: Check your profile picture, display name, or "About" section. Unauthorized changes indicate someone has compromised your account.

2. Check for SMS Tracking
Unlike WhatsApp, SMS text messages are not encrypted and can be intercepted via malicious background apps or mobile carrier features.

* Check Secret Call/SMS Forwarding:

Intruders can set up your phone number to silently forward your incoming calls and text messages to their own device.

* Open your phone's dialpad, type * #21 #, and press call.

* This universal MMI code will display a screen showing the status of your Voice, Data, and SMS forwarding. If it says "Forwarded" to a number you do not recognize, your messages are being intercepted.

* Look for Unexplained Outgoing Texts: Open your default SMS messaging app and look through your sent history. Spying software often sends hidden, automated outbound text messages to a tracker's server to sync your data.

* Review Carrier Shared Accounts: If your phone line is part of a shared family plan, the primary account holder can sometimes access text message logs, timestamps, or location data through the carrier's online portal.

3. Check for Device-Level Spyware (Affects Both)
If someone has installed a commercial "spy app" or "stalkerware" on your device, they can see everything on your screen, including WhatsApp and SMS.

Look out for these hardware red flags:

* Rapid Battery Drain: The phone loses battery percentage significantly faster than normal, even when you are not using it.
* Extreme Overheating: The phone feels physically hot to the touch because spy software is constantly running heavy processes in the background.
* Unexplained Active Permissions: Check your phone's privacy settings to see which apps are actively using your microphone, camera, or accessibility services.
* Mystery Applications: Go to your phone's main Settings > Apps > Manage Apps. Scroll through the entire list to look for unfamiliar apps, specifically those masquerading with generic names like "System Sync," "Battery Saver," or "Service".

Bad news is here with us.

Hata fare ikitumwa KRA itakukata ushuru🚮

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) is now directly integrating M-Pesa transaction data with iTax Kenya to auto-populate tax returns, aiming to curb tax evasion by comparing mobile money activity with declared income, particularly for small businesses and Nil-return filers.

Recent developments include mandating eTIMS compliance for all invoices, mandatory phone number authentication in iTax, and proposals to monitor mobile device IMEI numbers for tax compliance.

So pocket money, school fees, funeral money na hata fare ukitumiwa utakatwa ushuru

Safaricom has merged two apps,mpesa app and safaricom app into one app.

The move sits at the centre of Safaricom’s FinTech 2.0 strategy, which aims to push the company beyond telecoms into a broader technology platform by 2030.

By merging the M-PESA and mySafaricom apps with overlapping features, Safaricom is looking to reduce app switching and pull users into a single environment where behaviour and spending can be tracked more closely.