Are smartphones infected with viruses? This question may have occurred to you as well. The answer is that smartphones never suffer from the same virus as PCs and laptops, but they may be infected with other types of malware. In this article, we try to teach you how to remove virus from smartphone.
How to remove virus from smartphone
Most Android malware is installed on the phone in the form of infected applications. While Google removes most malware from the Play Store quickly, many users download such software before it is removed. You can delete infected applications with the appropriate software or delete them manually through the following steps.
1) Remove the infected application
- Step 1: Enter the Safe Mode section
Safe Mode in the Android operating system stops all third-party applications. This amazing tool will help you find the reason for your phone’s unusual behavior. If the phone problem is resolved in Safe Mode, make sure the phone is infected with malware. Safe Mode also allows you to use the phone normally.
To enter Safe Mode on Android, hold down the phone’s power button for a few moments. Then in the menu that opens, select the Reboot to Safe Mode option. If you are not able to enter the Safe Mode section with this method, search for how to activate this mode on your phone via the Internet. If Safe Mode is activated, the phrase Safe Mode will be displayed at the bottom of the phone image.
- Step 2: Identify the infected application
First go to the phone settings and then select “Manage apps” or “Apps and notifications”. Now go to “Downloaded Apps” or “Installed Apps” and look for suspicious apps, such as apps you have never downloaded.
Is there an application that has changed its behavior after downloading or installing it? If so, these apps or apps are the main cause of your phone problems.
- Step 3: Remove the infected application
In most cases you can select the infected application and then delete it.
However, if the infected application is resistant to this move, the “delete” option will turn gray. This means that the infected application has access to the phone management section and does not allow you to delete it. In this case, do the fourth step.
- Step 4: Disable admin access
Go to phone settings and enter security (or similar option depending on your phone). Now tap on “Device Administrators” and check the apps that have access to it.
If you find an infected application, select it and uncheck the application by unchecking it and disabling it. You can now remove the infected application (using step 3). It is also a good idea to disable access to unnecessary applications to the admin area.
- Step 5: Restart your phone
After restarting the phone, the malware problem has also been fixed.
2) Delete downloads and phone cache
Some Android malware, such as adware, may hide in the phone’s browser. If you encounter recurring ads while using the phone browser, or you are redirected to other sites instead of entering the site, your browser may be infected with malware. To remove such malware from Chrome browser, follow the steps below.
- First enter the settings section and then enter the applications section. In this section, find the Chrome browser and select it.
- Select the “Memory and cache” option and then click on the “Clear cache” option to completely clear the browser cache. Now select the “Delete memory” option.
- Click “Clear All Data” and select “OK” in the popup menu.
3) Return to factory mode
If none of the above steps solve the malware problem, it is best to reset the phone to factory defaults. This is the last step and it is recommended that you use Android antivirus software beforehand. How to restore the phone to factory mode is as follows.
- Enter the settings section and select System. Then click on “Reset Options”.
- Select the “Clear All Data” option (factory reset) and click on this option again at the bottom. Now in the opened page, select the “OK” option.
- Restart your phone.
4) Protect your Android device
Instead of following the steps above, you can easily remove all the malware on your Android device using special software. Be sure to get your antivirus from a trusted source as some of these softwares are actually malware that comes with antivirus coverage. AVG Android Antivirus is one of the suitable options.
- Download and install AVG Antivirus for Android.
- Open the application and select the “Scan” option.
- Wait for the antivirus to scan your phone for malware.
- Follow the messages to eliminate all risks.
How to remove virus from iPhones
Cleaning malware from iPhones is easy. These phones are never infected with viruses and many malware are not allowed to enter them. Hackers often use software development kits to build malicious applications. If you jailbroken your iPhone or iPad to install apps outside of the App Store, these infected apps may be installed on your device.
If you do not know about the malicious application installed on your phone, follow the steps below.
1) Delete history and data
Use this method if you encounter error messages in Safari browser. Deleting Safari browser history and data will clear any malware from it. To do this, first go to the phone settings page and enter the safari bar. Then select the “Clear History and Website Data” option.
2) Turn off the phone and turn it on again
Hold down the power button on the phone for a few seconds and turn it off. Now hold this button again until the Apple logo appears. This method often fixes the phone problem.
3) Restore the phone using the previous backup file
If the above does not fix the problem, restore your iPhone or iPad using the previous backup file. If your last backup file was infected with malware, use older files.
4) Return to factory settings
If all of the above steps fail, use the factory reset method.
- Enter the settings section and select “Reset” from the “General” bar.
- Now click on “Erase All Content and Setting”.
After this, your phone or iPad will return to factory mode.
5) Protect your iOS device
It is recommended that you never jailbreak your iPhone as this exposes the phone to many risks. Therefore, it is better to use the App Store to download applications. You can also use antivirus software such as AVG to protect your phone from malware. This application protects your password and secures your WiFi network.
Are Android phones infected with the virus?
As mentioned earlier, Android phones are never infected with viruses. Unlike computer malware, Android malware is not reproducible. Instead, the malware enters the Google Play Store as malicious applications. Android can also be infected with ransomware. This type of malware blocks your files and charges a fee for releasing them.
One of the reasons that Android phones are vulnerable to malware is the delay in providing updates for the operating system. Updates are important because they address important security issues and other operating system vulnerabilities. Android open source system and delay in releasing updates are the two main reasons for using antivirus software.
Is the iPhone vulnerable to viruses?
IPhones are never infected with viruses and are more resistant to malware than Android. Most of the security risks of these phones and the iOS operating system in general are related to phishing attacks and insecure WiFi networks. But why are iPhones more secure than Android phones?
Unlike Android devices, iPhone and iPad apps can only be downloaded through the App Store. This feature prevents malicious applications and other malware from being installed on your phone. IOS apps do not allow you to use data from other apps or access your device’s operating system, and Apple is constantly updating its iOS to prevent security issues.
What are the signs of a phone infection?
Malware is often hidden in various parts of the phone. Therefore, it is very important to find signs of the phone being infected. Fortunately, finding these symptoms is not a difficult task and can be done easily. The following are the main signs that the phone is infected with malware.
- Adware
If you encounter a lot of ads on your phone, your device is probably infected with software ads. This type of malware sends you countless ads.
- Crash apps
Sometimes apps crash automatically, but if this happens to you on a regular basis, your phone is most likely infected with malware.
- High data consumption
Another sign of a contaminated phone is a sudden increase in data consumption. This type of malware starts activities in the background of the phone and transmits your phone information out.
- Increase the cost of the phone bill
Some malware increases the cost of your phone bill by sending expensive messages. This type of malware can also sometimes delete your messages.
- Send spam messages to contacts
Some malware has access to the phone’s messengers, sending infected links to your contacts.
- Anonymous applications
If you come across an app that you did not download yourself, do not log in. Counterfeit applications are one of the signs of malware entering your phone and it is better to remove them as soon as possible.
- Faster battery drain
Phone malware usually consumes a lot of battery power. So if you encounter this problem, use antivirus software.
- Warming up the phone
While overheating is usually normal and not dangerous, it can be one of the reasons your phone is contaminated.
How to prevent the phone from becoming infected?
- Download applications from reputable sources
Both Google and Apple are checking their security before launching apps on their stores. Avoid downloading from third-party stores and do not jailbreak your iPhone.
- Check the security of the application
Despite the fact that the official stores check the security of applications, some malicious applications succeed in bypassing the security filter of these stores. Therefore, it is better to make sure of the security of the application before downloading it.
- Update your device
Developers often use updates to fix problems and fill security holes. Always update your operating system and applications.
- Avoid entering suspicious links
Many suspicious links in email, text messages and cyberspace contain malware. Do not enter these links.
- Use security software
Security software protects your device against malware, phishing, and other mobile threats.
Have you noticed any signs of malware on your phone or tablet? What do you think about mobile antivirus software? Share your comments with us.
