Having viruses on your phone is a common problem that many people face. With the rise in mobile technology usage, more and more viruses are specifically targeting smartphones and mobile devices. While some viruses are relatively harmless, others can steal personal data, lock you out of your phone, and cause serious issues. Knowing how to check for and remove viruses from your phone is important for keeping your device secure.
What are the signs your phone has a virus?
There are several signs that may indicate your phone has been infected by a virus:
- Decreased battery life – Some viruses run constant processes in the background that drain your battery faster than usual.
- Sluggish performance – Viruses can slow down your phone’s processing speed by taking up RAM and CPU power.
- High data usage – Viruses often need to communicate with command servers, which can rack up your data usage even when you’re not actively using your device.
- Unusual pop-up ads – Unexpected ads, especially for adult content, can point to adware infection.
- Apps crashing frequently – Viruses disrupt app processes and cause them to crash or freeze.
- Overheating – The extra strain on your phone’s processor can cause it to overheat.
- Unusual activity on your accounts – Viruses designed to steal information may result in unrecognized charges or password changes.
If you notice any of these issues, it’s a good idea to check your phone for viruses and malware.
How can you get a virus on your phone?
There are several common ways that viruses find their way onto smartphones:
- Infected apps – Downloading apps from untrusted sources outside the official app stores increases your risk of getting infected apps.
- Phishing scams – Opening links in scam emails/messages can trigger malware downloads.
- Insecure WiFi – Using public WiFi networks that aren’t secured makes it easier for viruses to infect your device.
- Outdated software – Older, unpatched operating systems are vulnerable to new viruses exploiting security flaws.
- Syncing infected devices – Plugging your phone into a computer or device that already has viruses can pass the infection.
- Malicious sites – Visiting compromised websites can trigger drive-by downloads of viruses.
Being cautious about where you download apps from, avoiding suspicious links/emails, using secure networks, updating your device software, and scanning connected devices with antivirus software can help prevent infection.
How can you check for viruses on an Android phone?
There are a few ways to check for viruses and other malware on an Android phone:
Use antivirus software
Antivirus apps like Avast, AVG, Norton, and others can scan your phone for viruses, spyware, adware, and other threats. These tools actively monitor device activity and analyze files/processes to detect and stop malware. Many paid antivirus apps offer real-time protection. Some Android phones even come with built-in antivirus software.
Analyze installed apps
Go through your installed apps and look for anything suspicious that you don’t remember downloading, especially apps with permissions they wouldn’t normally need. Malware often disguises itself as legitimate apps. You can research suspicious app developers for reports of malware connections.
Use Android Security Check
Android has a built-in security check tool called Verify Apps that scans your phone for potentially harmful apps. Go to Settings > Security > Verify Apps to enable scanning. Any apps flagged as suspicious should be deleted.
Factory reset your phone
As a last resort, performing a factory reset will wipe your device back to factory conditions, which will remove any malware present. Make sure to backup important data first, as a reset will erase everything on your phone.
Install anti-malware apps
In addition to antivirus software, apps like Malwarebytes and Lookout can scan for viruses, adware, spyware, botnets, rootkits and other mobile threats. These provide another layer of protection against new malware strains.
Check for unusual resource usage
In your phone settings, check the battery usage by app and look for anything using excessive power when you’re not actively using the app, which could indicate a virus. Also look for apps consuming excessive mobile data in the background.
How can you check for viruses on an iPhone?
Checking for viruses on iPhones is similar to Android, but takes advantage of Apple’s closed iOS ecosystem:
Use built-in protections
Apple’s App Store review process and sandboxing provide good protection against malware. Settings like not allowing app downloads outside the App Store help prevent infection. Apple also has malware removal tools in iOS to check for threats.
Install antivirus software
Apps like Norton, McAfee, Avira, and others provide malware scanning for iOS. They help catch threats Apple’s protections miss, including scanning data from third-party apps.
Check for unusual profiles
Go to Settings > General > Profiles & Device Management and look for any unknown or unverified profiles, which can indicate malware. Remove any suspicious profiles.
Monitor iOS updates
Apple releases regular iOS updates to patch security issues and malware threats. Keep your iPhone updated to the latest version of iOS for better malware protection.
Jailbreak your device
Jailbreaking removes the iOS protections that prevent malware installation. Only jailbreak if essential and use antivirus apps to check for any malicious apps.
Factory reset if necessary
As a last resort, a factory reset will wipe any malware that may have infected your iPhone, but will also erase all data.
How can you remove viruses from an Android phone?
If your Android phone is infected with a virus, here are the steps to disinfect your device:
- Isolate your phone – Disconnect it from any networks or other devices to prevent spreading.
- Boot into Safe Mode – This loads only essential processes and prevents viruses from running.
- Run antivirus scans – Use AV apps like Norton or AVG to detect and quarantine infections.
- Delete suspicious apps – Get rid of any apps you think may be infected.
- Reset app permissions – Malware often exploits app permissions – resetting these can stop this.
- Clear app cache/data – This wipes out any stored malware components in app data.
- Check browsing history/bookmarks – Find and delete any suspicious or malicious sites.
- Restore from backup – If all else fails, use a clean backup to restore your device to an uninfected state.
A factory reset should be your last resort if you can’t isolate and remove a persistent virus any other way.
How can you remove viruses from an iPhone?
These steps allow you to remove malware from your infected iPhone:
- Delete suspicious apps – Uninstall apps that you think may contain malware.
- Run antivirus app scans – Use AV software to detect and remove threats.
- Enable 2FA security – Strengthen Apple ID security to prevent reinfection.
- Remove device profiles – Delete any unknown or unverified profiles.
- Clear Safari history – Delete browsing history and caches to get rid of malicious sites.
- Reset network settings – This resets stored WiFi passwords/settings that may be compromised.
- Restore from backup – A clean backup restore can wipe any stubborn malware.
- Factory reset device – As a last resort, wipe your device completely.
Make sure to keep your iPhone updated with the latest iOS version and avoid downloading apps outside the App Store. This provides the best protection against malware.
Best practices to avoid viruses on your phone
Here are some tips to keep your smartphone free of viruses:
- Only install apps from official app stores like Google Play and Apple App Store.
- Don’t sideload apps or jailbreak your device as this disables security measures.
- Keep your phone’s software up-to-date since updates patch vulnerabilities.
- Don’t connect to public WiFi networks that aren’t secured.
- Use secure passwords and enable two-factor authentication.
- Back up your data regularly in case you need to factory reset.
- Only download content from reputable sources and sites.
- Install a reputable antivirus app to scan for malware.
- Avoid clicking questionable links in emails/messages.
- Use caution with public USB charging stations which could infect your phone.
Being cautious about downloading apps and content, keeping software updated, using antivirus tools, and avoiding suspicious links and networks can keep your phone malware-free.
Conclusion
Viruses and malware on your smartphone can steal personal data, damage your device, rack up your phone bill, and cause other issues. Knowing how to check for, detect, and remove viruses is critical for keeping your phone secure. Use antivirus software from reliable brands to scan for threats. Analyze any suspicious app behavior like high data usage or battery drain. Deleting unverified apps or profiles, resetting your device to factory conditions, and restoring from a clean backup can also wipe out infections for a fresh start.
Prevention is also key. Stick to official app stores, keep software updated, use secure networks, don’t sideload apps, enable security features like 2FA, and avoid suspicious links. With vigilance and proper security habits, you can keep your smartphone virus-free.
