Contact us today!
866-348-2602

Total Tech Care Blog

Total Tech Care has been serving Florida since 2001, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

Don’t Worry, Your Samsung Phone “Winking” at You is Just a Cool Feature

Don’t Worry, Your Samsung Phone “Winking” at You is Just a Cool Feature

If you’re a Samsung smartphone user, have you ever seen a little eyeball symbol appear at the top of the screen? You might notice that it will show up for a minute, and then disappear again. Since this kind of activity usually makes users question what’s going on with their device, let’s get down to the bottom of this weird occurrence.

To assuage your fears that you’re being watched by some sort of malware or spyware, know that this eyeball icon doesn’t mean you’ve been hacked. Instead, it’s a feature called Smart Stay created by Samsung. When the eye appears, the feature is activated.

What is Smart Stay?
Smart Stay uses your front facing camera to tell whether or not you’re looking at the device. While this sounds a bit creepy, the camera can use your face to keep the screen from turning off while you’re looking at it--like, say, when you’re reading an article on the Internet that’s particularly long. This actually overrides any screen timeout settings, so it’s a great way to finish off whatever you are reading without having to press a button every now and again to keep it lit up.

To change the settings of Smart Stay, you just go through to Menu > Settings > My Device > Smart screen. All you have to do is uncheck the Smart Stay box to turn it off. Depending on how helpful you find this feature, you might actually prefer to keep it on.

How You Know You Have Something to Worry About
While Samsung’s Smart Stay isn’t something to worry about, there are other symptoms of hacking attacks on your mobile device that you want to keep in mind should the need arise. Depending on the type of problem, the symptoms will vary, but keep the following in mind if you suspect something out of the ordinary.

    n
  1. Unfamiliar charges on your carrier’s statement.
  2. Data access patterns that you don’t recognize.
  3. Your battery drains quicker than normal.
  4. You find apps that are downloaded from a third-party app store.
  5. Strange notifications start appearing, especially related to finding and downloading new apps and games.
  6. Your device has been rooted (aka jailbroken).
  7. Your antivirus has been disabled.
  8. You actually see the hacker’s remote actions of opening apps and navigating your phone.

If you ever have reason to suspect that your phone has been hijacked, make sure that the first thing you do is turn off the device’s Internet connection and power it down as soon as possible. Once you’ve done this, consult your trusted IT professionals at Total Tech Care. We can remove the threat before it causes any more damage to your device.

A little healthy skepticism never hurt anyone, so be sure to approach issues with your device with a grain of salt. To learn more about how your business can identify troubles with technology, reach out to us at 866-348-2602.

 

Comments

No comments made yet. Be the first to submit a comment
Already Registered? Login Here
Guest
Thursday, 24 April 2025
If you'd like to register, please fill in the username, password and name fields.

Blog Archive

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

  • First Name *
  • Last Name *

      Free Consultation

      Sign up today for a
      FREE Network Consultation

      How secure is your IT infrastructure?
      Let us evaluate it for free!

      Sign up Now!

      Free Consultation
       

      Tag Cloud

      Security Tip of the Week Technology Best Practices Business Computing Cloud Privacy Hackers Productivity Hosted Solutions Software Efficiency Network Security Business Google Microsoft Internet Email Malware Backup Workplace Tips Innovation User Tips Data Computer Mobile Devices Hardware IT Services Disaster Recovery Android VoIP communications IT Support Business Continuity Smartphones Communication Miscellaneous Smartphone Mobile Device Browser Small Business Network Productivity Collaboration Cybersecurity Quick Tips Users Business Management Windows Managed IT Services Upgrade Phishing Outsourced IT Data Backup Ransomware Windows 10 Data Recovery Office Server Save Money Cloud Computing Passwords Windows 10 Virtualization Saving Money Holiday Tech Term Social Media Gadgets Chrome Managed Service Automation Managed IT Services Microsoft Office Artificial Intelligence Computers Facebook Operating System Cybercrime Wi-Fi BYOD Mobile Device Management Networking IT Support Internet of Things Hacking Health Remote Spam Information Office 365 Telephone Systems Covid-19 Information Technology Managed Service Provider Alert Bandwidth Router BDR Recovery Employer-Employee Relationship Social Engineering Mobility Password Money Remote Monitoring Mobile Computing Encryption Data Breach Applications Application App History Law Enforcement Big Data Human Resources Remote Computing Data Storage Patch Management Blockchain Apps Mobile Office Paperless Office Office Tips Training Government VPN How To Private Cloud Managed IT Bring Your Own Device Data Management Flexibility Work/Life Balance Mouse Marketing HaaS Vulnerability WiFi Windows 7 Word IT solutions Entertainment Website Budget Servers Google Drive Infrastructure Voice over Internet Protocol Wireless Data Security Avoiding Downtime Gmail Settings Two-factor Authentication Apple Cleaning Social Conferencing User Error Scam Staff Software as a Service Telephone System End of Support Meetings Machine Learning Education Physical Security Connectivity Remote Work USB Vendor Safety Vendor Management HIPAA Sports Risk Management Managed Services Hacker Display Redundancy Keyboard The Internet of Things Lithium-ion battery Employee/Employer Relationship RMM Data Protection Firewall Save Time Virtual Reality Unified Threat Management Content Management Business Technology Computing Infrastructure Computer Accessories Access Control Network Congestion Procurement Going Green eWaste Workplace Strategy Net Neutrality Virtual Assistant Business Intelligence Authentication Help Desk Worker Printing Battery Audit IT Management Printer Shadow IT Bluetooth Legal Wearable Technology Update Retail Hard Drives Botnet Managed Services Provider IT Plan Internet Exlporer Instant Messaging Robot Excel Google Docs Database Unsupported Software PDF Identity Theft Biometrics Virtual Desktop Remote Workers IT Consultant Charger Processor Proactive IT Compliance Humor DDoS OneNote Computer Care Best Practice Augmented Reality Hard Drive Current Events YouTube Fraud SharePoint Telephony Black Market Samsung Remote Worker Customer Service Computing Cryptocurrency Value Environment Document Management Solid State Drive Wireless Technology Electronic Medical Records Fax Server How to Spam Blocking Downtime Comparison CES SaaS Hiring/Firing Digital Signage Data storage Virus Automobile Saving Time User Tip of the week PowerPoint Wire webinar Windows Media Player Evernote Emergency Procedure IaaS Employer Employee Relationship dark theme Travel Maintenance Shopping Professional Services Google Search Public Cloud Monitor Printers Assessment Millennials AI Bloatware IT Infrastructure Managing Stress Windows Server 2008 Bing Smart Office Wireless Charging FinTech Streaming Media Social Network Tablets Tools Reputation Virtual Private Network Cameras Television Tech Support Workforce Entrepreneur Content Investment Employees Employee/Employer Relationships Techology Laptop Cables Windows 365 Shortcut ISP Customers ROI Project Management Nanotechnology Public Computer Telecommuting Video Conferencing Cost Management Audiobook Sales Social Networking Bitcoin Regulations Shortcuts Touchpad Cortana Transportation Digital Signature Rootkit Point of Sale Personal Cryptomining Computer Fan Politics Warranty Advertising Printer Server Supply Chain Management Monitoring Batteries HVAC Workers Google Apps Running Cable Benefits FENG Analysis Notifications Windows 8.1 Digitize Memory Windows Server 2008 R2 Administrator Devices IBM Smart Technology Customer relationships Flash Enterprise Content Management Relocation Accountants Email Best Practices IT Assessment Manufacturing MSP Microchip Software Tips Thought Leadership Supercomputer Credit Cards Computer Tips Managed IT Service Science Sync Video Games Security Cameras Password Management Emails Password Manager Virtual CIO Multi-Factor Security OneDrive Worker Commute Biometric Security Experience Search Engine Twitter Peripheral Distributed Denial of Service Two Factor Authentication Digital Security Cameras Customer Relationship Management Using Data Scalability NIST Netflix Business Mangement Root Cause Analysis Smart Tech Trending Copiers Analyitcs Business Owner 5G Consultant Programming HBO Analytics Addiction Knowledge NarrowBand Amazon Music Quick Tip Ergonomics Skype Search Smartwatch Recycling Best Available Wiring Data loss iPhone Practices Development OLED Virtual Machine WIndows 7 Outlook Cache Leadership Amazon Web Services Antivirus Troubleshooting PCI DSS Criminal 2FA Fiber Optics Windows 8 Start Menu Employee Safe Mode GDPR Screen Mirroring Files Hosted Computing Loyalty IT service Messaging Cabling Hypervisor Frequently Asked Questions Wireless Internet Chromecast Online Shopping Books Policy Dark mode Trend Micro Tablet Mobile File Sharing Windows 10s Camera Cast Colocation Inventory Uninterrupted Power Supply Specifications Domains SMS Default App

      Top Blog

      The reasoning for this is simple: you want to make sure that operations are proceeding as intended, even if you’re not there. If you completely check out from the workplace every time you leave, you could return from your vacation to a complete and total disaster that may have been prevented with y...
      QR-Code