Gift of ipad possibly has mobile monitoring

[iMore Question]

My estranged father gave my family an ipad for Christmas. We showed up unexpected and he gave it to us out of the box, etc. He is obssessed with jailbreaking devices, so I'm sure there are endless apps that he could have hidden on it. I accepted the gift, and thought nothing of it other than it was a gift. My sister contacted me via facebookwhile i was on the ipad this past saturday and we had a conversation about him. Yesterday, i started receiving texts from him about that specific conversation I had had with her. He denies having mobile monitoring on it, and I cannot find it. I am 35 years old with 5 children, and I feel like the sanctity of our home has been violated. Is there a way to find this spyware to prove to him that I know what a creep he is? Then, how do I get it removed and feel safe in my own home again?

 

[Just_Me_D]

It is possible, but you know your dad, and we do not. Still, he wouldn't need any spyware installed on your iPad to monitor your iMessage conversations. All he has to do is sign in to the iMessage app on his device using the same Apple ID that is configured with the iMessage app on your iPad. He will see ALL iMessage-related conversations. What you can do is create a separate Apple ID altogether and use it instead of the one I assume he configured for you. If restrictions have been set to prevent altering of your accounts then you may be unable to change it. In that case, you might want to consider using a 3rd-party texting app.

 

[iEd]

My estranged father gave my family an ipad for Christmas. We showed up unexpected and he gave it to us out of the box, etc. He is obssessed with jailbreaking devices, so I'm sure there are endless apps that he could have hidden on it. I accepted the gift, and thought nothing of it other than it was a gift. My sister contacted me via facebookwhile i was on the ipad this past saturday and we had a conversation about him. Yesterday, i started receiving texts from him about that specific conversation I had had with her. He denies having mobile monitoring on it, and I cannot find it. I am 35 years old with 5 children, and I feel like the sanctity of our home has been violated. Is there a way to find this spyware to prove to him that I know what a creep he is? Then, how do I get it removed and feel safe in my own home again?

Did you have have the conversation with your sis on Facebook? Or IMessage.

 

[anon(4698833)]

Want to know the easiest way to solve this issue?

1.) Backup your iPad and then restore it in iTunes (make sure you have your Apple ID and passwords ready before you do this)
2.) Change your passwords to Facebook (and any other social media website you use)
3.) Make sure that none of your iMessage contacts are connected to an ID that he would use (email or phone #, etc).

...this should eliminate any access he could potentially have, AND it would remove the jailbreak from the device.

 

[DavidandMelinda Williamson]

The conversation I had with my sister was a private conversation on Facebook that was not posted to a wall, etc. He quoted things from this written conversation even down to my sister's last word of advice to "drink some green tea." I was very creeped out.

 

[iEd]

In your FB settings check security then active sessions and recognized devices and see if there is any suspect activity such as any logins that are not yours.

 

[DavidandMelinda Williamson]

I don't see any unrecognized devices. I have seen where there is a Mobile Monitor app that can be used to spy on someone's employees or delinquent children (and not 35-year-old children). That is what I'm assuming he has on the device he gave me. I've read that it runs in stealth mode and is not easily detectible. I just want to prove that he's done it. I know that it's highly illegal to monitor someone without their permission and it would be the final nail in the coffin for our relationship.

 

[phlamethrowre]

Maybe your sister is a double agent. That is the most likely explanation.

 

[iEd]

I see. He could have used this.

http://www.mobile-spy.com

 

[mikeo007]

Want to know the easiest way to solve this issue?

1.) Backup your iPad and then restore it in iTunes (make sure you have your Apple ID and passwords ready before you do this)
2.) Change your passwords to Facebook (and any other social media website you use)
3.) Make sure that none of your iMessage contacts are connected to an ID that he would use (email or phone #, etc).

...this should eliminate any access he could potentially have, AND it would remove the jailbreak from the device.

Just do this, problem solved.

 

[anon(4698833)]

The conversation I had with my sister was a private conversation on Facebook that was not posted to a wall, etc. He quoted things from this written conversation even down to my sister's last word of advice to "drink some green tea." I was very creeped out.

You probably have your Facebook account signed in on one of his devices or computer at his house...sign out of the account, change the password, and then sign back into the account and it should remove his access to your Facebook messages.

If you do this and he's still accessing the stuff, you have someone feeding him information.

 

[Fausty82]

Before you wipe it and try to start over, make sure you can log out of the iCloud account... otherwise, you won’t be able to use it... your "estranged father" will have to give you the password, if there’s an iCloud account registered (and there probably is)... otherwise, you will have a gift of a very expensive paper weight.

 

[sting7k]

My estranged father gave my family an ipad for Christmas. We showed up unexpected and he gave it to us out of the box, etc. He is obssessed with jailbreaking devices, so I'm sure there are endless apps that he could have hidden on it. I accepted the gift, and thought nothing of it other than it was a gift. My sister contacted me via facebookwhile i was on the ipad this past saturday and we had a conversation about him. Yesterday, i started receiving texts from him about that specific conversation I had had with her. He denies having mobile monitoring on it, and I cannot find it. I am 35 years old with 5 children, and I feel like the sanctity of our home has been violated. Is there a way to find this spyware to prove to him that I know what a creep he is? Then, how do I get it removed and feel safe in my own home again?

Restore the iPad as new with iTunes. Change passwords on things you have logged into on the iPad already.