Hi James. Yes, we can check whether spyware is installed on your phone. The first thing we'd ask you is what make/model phone it is, and that is because some phone types are impervious to spyware (for example, "cheapie" non-smartphones). Whether or not you need to send the phone to us depends entirely on what you need us to do. Basically, just to tell you whether you have spyware installed and then to remove that spyware wouldn't require us to physically have the phone in our hands. We can use remote access software like Team Viewer to remotely access your phone, examine it and take appropriate action to secure it. This usually takes no longer than 15-30 minutes. We also wouldn't necessarily need the phone if you wanted us to investigate any discovered spyware. We could remotely identify the spyware, determine when and how it was installed, what data it may have had access to, where any compromised data may have been sent to, and more. This could take well over an hour depending on exactly what is discovered. If, however, you wanted the phone examined so that evidence of the use of spyware could be used in civil or criminal action against those responsible then we'd need the phone. A proper chain of custody would need to be established, and forensically sound methods would be used in handling and examining the phone, identifying, acquiring and preserving digital evidence, analyzing that evidence and arriving at our conclusions. Normally, this sort of examination will take 2-3 days, but can be expedited if a report is required urgently for court. You're welcome to email debug [at] intertel [dot] co [dot] za for more information or give us a call on 0861262275.

Great answer