Are Our Phones Really Listening to Us? Separating Fact from Fiction

“Listen, it’s still curious. I talked about giant cat trees, and suddenly I started receiving ads for giant cat trees.”

“Every time I talk about something, I see ads pop up on Instagram or directly on my phone.”

So, is this a collective fantasy, or is it real digital spying? Are our phones secretly listening to us, even when we’re not talking to them? Why do we sometimes have this strange feeling that our privacy is… a little less private than we think?

In this article, we will take the time to answer these questions clearly, without falling into paranoia, but without brushing aside doubts either.

Why Do We Feel Like We’re Being Watched?

It only takes saying a few words out loud for an ad to appear on social media or elsewhere, even without having done any searches or clicked on anything. Over time, we start to wonder.

But if we have this sensation, it’s not necessarily because we’re paranoid. Several very real mechanisms can explain these troubling coincidences:

• The sheer volume of data collected: your phone, your apps, your location, your browsing history, your online purchases… everything is tracked, analyzed, and cross-referenced.
• Predictive algorithms: they often accurately guess your interests based on your behavior, even without audio listening.
• Overlapping discussions: you talk about a subject with someone, but it’s the other person who did a search just before. As a result, the algorithm assumes it might interest you too.

In short, no need for active listening for targeting to work. And that’s what’s a bit unsettling.

Is the Microphone Really Activated Without Our Knowledge?

That’s the big question. Technically, yes, an app can activate the microphone… but not without your permission. On both Android and iOS, the rules are strict: an app must request access to the microphone, and this access is supposed to be visible in the phone’s settings. Better yet, on the latest versions of the operating systems, a small icon (microphone or orange/green dot) appears on the screen when the microphone is in use.

So, is that the end of the debate? Not necessarily. Because even if everything is supposed to be regulated, there are gray areas:

• Some malicious apps may circumvent the rules, especially if the phone isn’t up to date or the user has granted too many permissions.
• Third-party advertising SDKs, integrated into certain apps, have previously been criticized for excessive use of sensors (microphone included).
• Moreover, there’s a blur between “listening to trigger a voice command” and “listening to analyze.” For example, a voice assistant may remain on standby locally without recording anything… in theory.

In summary, officially, we aren’t listened to without consent, but in practice, it’s hard to have absolute certainty. And that’s why doubt persists.

Accusations, But Never Proof

Meta, Google, Apple, Amazon… All have been asked about this subject, sometimes several times, and the answer is always the same: no, your phones aren’t listening to you to target ads. Officially, they rely solely on the data you agree to share (and there’s already a lot of it).

Facebook, for example, has already released a statement to formally deny microphone listening. The same goes for Google and Amazon: voice assistants do listen to detect a keyword (“Ok Google,” “Alexa,” “Siri”), but everything else would be ignored or processed locally.

Apple has also always defended itself against collecting audio data without consent. However, on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, a class action was launched against the Apple brand, accused of abusive listening for advertising purposes via the Siri voice assistant. Nothing has been proven yet, but this procedure revives suspicions. Furthermore, as reported by experts, listening is indeed real as long as you use a voice assistant, and third-party services can exploit certain data according to the permissions we grant (often a little too quickly) when installing apps.

In summary, no direct evidence that phones are secretly listening, but a blur that maintains discomfort. And above all, a recurring question: with all that apps already know about us, do they really need to record our conversations?

What Can We Do to Limit Risks?

Even if there’s no formal proof that our phones are secretly listening, there are very simple ways to regain some control over what we share. Here are a few useful reflexes:

1- Check the permissions granted to your apps

On Android and iOS, you can see which applications have access to your microphone, location, or contacts. If a flashlight app requests access to the microphone… it might be time to be cautious.

• On Android: Settings > Privacy > Permission Manager
• On iOS: Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone

2- Disable the microphone for apps that don’t need it

You can completely block access to the microphone for certain apps without uninstalling them. Instagram, Facebook, or Google generally don’t need the microphone to function normally (excluding live videos).

3- Avoid voice assistants if you don’t use them

If you’re not using Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant, it’s better to disable them. This limits accidental activations…

• On iPhone: Settings > Siri
• On Android: Settings > Apps > Assistant

Switch your browser to “strict” mode

Some browsers (like Firefox) offer enhanced protections against advertising tracking. You can also utilize private browsing or specialized extensions that block advertising trackers like Privacy Badger.

Read (at least a little) what you agree to

No need to read the 47 pages of terms of use, but at least take a glance at the permissions requested during installation. Some apps clearly take advantage.

In Conclusion

Do our phones really listen to us? Technically, it’s possible… but there’s no proof that it’s used to flood you with ads. However, given the data we hastily agree to share and the algorithms that know us by heart, there’s no need for a microphone for targeting to be (too) effective. So it’s wise to remain a bit cautious… and keep an eye on what we authorize.