Main uses | Hacking Watch Dogs Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
Just as I have mentioned earlier, Aiden's smartphone is a WILDLY versatile tool, when it comes to hacking. Below, find the list of the most common hacking actions, i.e. the ones that are not connected with an individual mission, or a category of collectibles only.
Hacking is, arguably, most commonly performed against the other people and, in general, you can divide that into two types of actions. The first group are the actions connected with the Profiler app, which starts by means of tapping the hacking key/button once (as opposed to holding it down). The application allows you to scan the people around Aiden, thanks to which you can learn interesting information about them. Profiler is also often used to locate the more important characters, e.g. current mission targets, or the holders of a combination necessary to disarm the local security system.
The second group comprises of attempts to hack into telephones and other devices that the NPCs are equipped with. The results of the hacking attempts may vary - you can access the screen of conversation of the user of the phone, with another person, you can download a new song onto your phone to find out about a crime in progress, around.
The most valuable things that you can find, as a result of hacking into a phone of another person, is the option to rob them. Note - after the amount of cash that you have stolen is not the end of the action, because you still need to withdraw that cash, by going to one of the ATMs, located all around Chicago (an example ATM has been shown in the above screenshot).
A completely different category of hacking actions is hacking into ctOS cameras, which you can find, nearly, at every corner. After you hack into the system, you will be allowed to watch the location via the camera lens. It is a very good idea, if you want to examine, safely, a location that you want to walk into, although this is not the end to the possibilities. Thanks to the camera view, you can, first of all, mark all of the enemies staying in the area, so that you can watch their actions without exposing yourself to risk. taking over the camera does not interrupt the entire hacking "cycle" because you can continue that, from the level of the camera view,, e.g. by moving over to the other cameras, or by hacking into the control panels that are inaccessible in any other way.
Hacking is very useful in situations, in which you want to operate in shadows and avoid direct confrontation with hostiles (more about this, in the next chapter of this guide). Thanks to hacking into devices, you can distract the enemies. You can, e.g. activate a phone on the ground, which will encourage the opponent to change positions and allow you to sneak past.
The situation is similar when you want to use the smartphone and deal damage to the opponents in a smart way, or even bring about their death. You can afford this type of aggressive actions, e.g. against the interactive generators, which may explode at the moment that you define. Still, it is worth remembering that this type of hacking actions can be activated only once and that they are loud so, they may drag the other enemies into the area.
Finally, there is one more use for the hacking mechanism that is worth mentioning. You can use it to lose law enforcers. The possible actions have been described in the chapter entitled How to escape the police?. At this point, I need to remind you that some of the hacking actions may contribute greatly into escaping, although you can initiate some of them, within a restricted extent (i.e. until the battery goes flat).