uk Technology & digital loss

What to do if…
a smart device shows settings or account changes you did not make

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: 28 July 2026 Last reviewed: 12 August 2026 Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

If the changes could affect your physical safety or alert someone who may be monitoring you, use a device they cannot access and move to a safer place before changing settings. Otherwise, from a trusted phone or computer, check the linked email and smart-device account, change the account password, sign out other sessions, and remove access you do not recognise.

Do not do these things

Do not follow account-recovery or security links in unexpected emails, texts, or notifications.
Do not share passwords, verification codes, recovery codes, or screen access with anyone who contacts you.
Do not change passwords from a shared or potentially monitored device if this could put you at risk.
Do not factory-reset the smart device before noting the unexplained changes and securing the account, unless immediate safety requires it.
Do not delete the account or official app while you are trying to regain control.
Do not reuse the new password on another account.
Do not disconnect a smart lock, alarm, heating control, medical device, or other safety-critical equipment if doing so could create danger.
Do not confront someone solely because their name or device appears in an account record.

What to do now

If a smart lock, alarm, camera, doorbell, heating system, or other connected device is creating an immediate danger, move to a safer place and call 999. If someone you know may be using the device to monitor or control you, use a phone or computer they cannot access before making account changes.
If it is safe, take screenshots or photographs of the changed settings, unfamiliar users, linked devices, login alerts, purchases, routines, and visible dates or times. Do not delay urgent safety steps to do this.
On a trusted phone or computer, open the provider’s official app directly or type its known website address into your browser. Do not use a link from an unexpected message.
Check the email account linked to the smart device. Look for security alerts, password-reset messages, changed recovery details, unfamiliar logins, and unwanted email forwarding rules. Remove any forwarding rule you did not create.
If the linked email appears compromised, change its password first. Then change the smart-device account password to a new password that you do not use elsewhere. Change the password on other important accounts if they used the same one.
Use the account security settings to sign out all other devices and apps. Turn on two-step verification where available, and confirm that the recovery email address and phone number belong to you.
Remove unfamiliar household members, administrators, linked accounts, third-party services, trusted devices, routines, or automations where the provider allows this. Turn off remote access if you do not need it.
If the device is still carrying out unwanted actions, switch to safe manual controls or disconnect its network or power only where this will not disable an essential safety function.
Install available updates through the official app or the manufacturer’s instructions. Contact the manufacturer through its official support page if you cannot recover the account, remove unfamiliar access, or control the device. Ask for device-specific advice before performing a factory reset.
If several smart devices are affected or your router’s administrator settings have also changed, contact your internet provider or router manufacturer through an official channel for help securing the router.
Contact your bank immediately through its official app, website, or the number printed on your card if you see an unauthorised payment or think banking or card details were exposed.
Report suspected cyber crime or fraud to Report Fraud if you are in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. In Scotland, use Police Scotland’s cybercrime reporting options or call 101 for a non-emergency. Call 999 instead if someone is in immediate danger or a crime is in progress.

What can wait

You do not need to identify who made the changes, replace every device, rebuild your entire home network, make a formal complaint, or determine the exact cause now. A factory reset, detailed privacy review, device replacement, and longer investigation can wait until immediate safety and account access are under control.

Important reassurance

Unrecognised changes do not by themselves prove that someone deliberately accessed the device. Shared access, software updates, account synchronisation, or a technical fault may also cause changes. Securing the linked accounts is still a sensible first response.

Scope note

This guide covers immediate steps to protect your safety, secure account access, and limit further unwanted changes. Later decisions about replacing equipment, checking the wider network, preserving evidence, making complaints, or recovering money may require specialist help.

Important note

This is general information, not legal, financial, technical, or other professional advice. Account menus and recovery processes differ between providers, so use the manufacturer’s current official instructions and seek urgent assistance where personal safety or financial loss is involved.

Additional Resources

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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