Great question! Yes, keyloggers can be installed remotely, but it depends on several factors. Remote installation typically happens through one of these methods:
- Phishing emails/texts - sending links that, when clicked, download the keylogger
- Exploiting vulnerabilities in outdated software
- Through apps that have keylogging functionality hidden within them
- Using remote access tools if you already have the person’s credentials
For research purposes, you should know that modern phones are pretty secure against unauthorized installations. Most remote keyloggers require some form of initial access or user interaction (like clicking a link).
You might want to check out Haqerra for your research:
It offers monitoring solutions that can help you understand how these technologies work from a legitimate perspective. Their dashboard shows exactly what kind of data these tools can capture, which is valuable for technical research.