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How do I check if my phone is linked to another phone on Android?

11 January 2026 Privacy & Safety

A candid iPhone snapshot in a small coffee shop: a slim White man in his late 50s with olive skin, straight neat side-parted hair, wearing a streetwear hoodie and sneakers, holding an Android phone close to the camera while looking amused (small grin, eyes slightly crinkled) but also awkward (uncertain posture, hesitant smile). The phone screen shows an Android settings page with connected devices icons (no readable text). Background includes a messy table with a charging cable, earbuds, and a second phone partially visible, suggesting device linking. Awkward framing, slight motion blur, mildly overexposed window light, uneven indoor lighting, natural noise/grain, aggressively mediocre composition. No captions, no watermarks, no logos, no brand names.

What “linked to another phone” can mean on Android

On Android, “linked” can describe a few different things:

  • Your Google account is signed in on another phone (so it can sync contacts, photos, messages backups, etc.).
  • Your phone is paired to another device via Bluetooth / Nearby Share / “Connected devices.”
  • Your phone is connected to a PC or another phone for mirroring (Link to Windows / Phone Link, OEM tools).
  • Calls/SMS are forwarded or mirrored through carrier features or third-party apps.
  • A remote-access or monitoring app (legit or malicious) has device-level permissions.

The steps below help you check all of these—quickly and thoroughly.

Quick check (2 minutes): Google account devices

If someone has your Google credentials, their phone could appear as a “linked” device.

  1. Open Settings → Google → Manage your Google Account.
  2. Go to Security.
  3. Look for Your devices (or “Devices”) → Manage all devices.
  4. Review the list:
    • If you see a device you don’t recognize, tap it and Sign out.

If anything looks suspicious, do this immediately: - Change your Google password. - Turn on 2-Step Verification (Google Account → Security → 2-Step Verification).

Check Android’s “Connected devices” (pairings & sharing)

This is where many “my phone is linked to another phone” situations actually live.

  1. Open Settings → Connected devices.
  2. Check:
    • Bluetooth → look for paired devices you don’t recognize → Forget / Unpair.
    • Connection preferences (wording varies) → review items like Nearby Share, Cast, or device-control options.

Tip: If you see a device name you don’t recognize, it’s worth unpairing and then restarting your phone.

Check Link to Windows / Phone Link (Android-to-PC linking)

If your phone is “linked” for message/call syncing, this is a common culprit.

  • On many Android phones: Settings → search for “Link to Windows”.
  • If enabled, open it and unlink the connected PC/account.

Also check the Phone Link app (Microsoft) in your app drawer and its connected devices/settings.

Check for call forwarding (the sneaky “linked”)

If you’re worried calls or texts are being routed elsewhere, check both carrier settings and Android settings.

In Android settings

  • Open the Phone app → ⋮ menu → Settings → Calls (or “Calling accounts”) → Call forwarding.
  • Disable any forwarding you didn’t set.

With carrier codes (common approach)

Many carriers support short dial codes (varies by region/carrier). If your phone app has a call forwarding menu, that’s usually safest and clearest.

If you suspect your carrier account was compromised, contact your carrier support and ask them to confirm whether forwarding is enabled at the network level.

Check for apps that can “link” or remotely control your phone

Some apps can make it feel like your phone is linked—especially if they have high-level permissions.

1) Look for suspicious apps

  • Settings → Apps → See all apps
  • Sort by Recently installed (if available) and look for:
    • remote access tools
    • “parental control” apps you didn’t install
    • device management or “helper” apps with generic names

2) Check powerful permissions (high signal)

Search in Settings for these items (names vary by Android version):

  • Device admin apps (or “Device administrators”)
  • Accessibility → Installed services (turn off anything you don’t recognize)
  • Notification access
  • Usage access
  • VPN (a surprise VPN can route traffic)
  • Install unknown apps (disable for apps that shouldn’t have it)

If an unknown app has Accessibility access or Device admin rights, treat that as a serious red flag.

3) Run Play Protect

  • Open Google Play Store → tap your profile → Play Protect → Scan.

Check accounts besides Google (Samsung/Xiaomi/etc.)

Some “linking” happens through the manufacturer account.

  • Settings → Passwords & accounts (or Accounts) → review what accounts are signed in.
  • If you use Samsung:
    • Settings → Samsung account / Accounts and backup
    • Review device list / security sign-ins if available.

If you see an account you don’t recognize, remove it.

How to unlink safely (do this if you found anything weird)

If you confirm an unfamiliar device or suspicious permission:

  1. Unpair unknown Bluetooth/connected devices.
  2. Sign out unknown devices from your Google account (Security → Your devices).
  3. Change passwords (Google + email + carrier account) and enable 2FA.
  4. Remove suspicious apps.
  5. If removal is blocked, boot into Safe mode and try again.
  6. If you still don’t trust the device, back up essentials and perform a factory reset.

Why this matters for privacy (especially with connected devices)

“Linking” isn’t always bad—sync can be genuinely useful—but it becomes a privacy problem when it’s unexpected. This is extra important if you use any connected or app-controlled devices in your personal life.

If you’re exploring tech-forward intimacy products, it’s worth choosing brands that are transparent and building good security habits around your phone account. For example, Orifice.ai offers a sex robot / interactive adult toy for $669.90, including interactive penetration depth detection—and as with any connected tech, keeping your Android device unlinked from unknown devices is a smart baseline.

Troubleshooting: common scenarios

  • “I see my old phone in the Google device list.” That can be normal. If you no longer own it, sign it out.
  • “A family member set this up.” Check Family Link / parental control apps and any managed accounts.
  • “I bought this phone used.” Factory reset, then confirm no unexpected accounts remain.

A simple checklist you can follow today

  • [ ] Google Account → Security → Manage devices
  • [ ] Settings → Connected devices → unpair unknown items
  • [ ] Phone app → Call forwarding → confirm off
  • [ ] Settings search → Accessibility / Device admin / Notification access / VPN
  • [ ] Play Store → Play Protect scan

If you tell me your phone model (Samsung/Pixel/Motorola/etc.) and Android version, I can give you the exact menu paths for your device.

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Maya Calder

Maya Calder

Maya Calder is a writer and technologist who explores the intersection of machine intelligence, design, and society. She began her career building conversational AI and edge ML systems at health-tech and robotics startups, then moved into product strategy and policy advising for cities experimenting with responsible AI. Her work blends hands-on technical experience with a wide-angle view of how emerging technologies reshape work, privacy, and civic life.

Today Maya writes about practical futures: the small design choices that decide whether a system empowers people or erodes trust, the hidden costs of optimism in product roadmaps, and the everyday ethics of deploying models at scale. She publishes a quarterly newsletter, mentors early-stage founders, and speaks at conferences where she pushes for clarity, accountability, and inclusive design. When she’s not translating research into readable stories, she’s sketching speculative prototypes, biking through her city, or trying to perfect a sourdough starter.

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