Smartphones have become an integral Section of our lives. We can communicate with our friends and family members anytime and anywhere, instantly. With all these great features, the Smartphone has also become a dangerous place. It’s easy to download and install apps from the Google Play Store without carefully reading the small print. And sometimes, these apps can have malicious code. If you download a virus-infected app, your device will be filled with advertisements or redirect you to a website that looks precisely like the app, but it’s a fake. This is what is known as a phishing scam. You might even give out sensitive information, like your email address or bank account number.
To protect yourself from these attacks, you have to be extremely careful and diligent. And the most acceptable mechanism to do this is to remove the app causing you problems. It’s not always easy to comprehend which app you can trust. That’s where the anti-virus mechanism comes in. You’ll get to know how to remove a phone virus. Some steps can help you overcome viruses on your phone, and you’ll soon be free from that pesky program on your phone.
What can Virus on Phone Do?
Viruses are infections that are usually transmitted through contaminated media. They can slow down your phone and make it run slower by taking up memory and processing power. They can also cause issues with either the operating system or third-party apps.
A virus is not the same thing as a malware infection. While both can affect your phone, malware is designed to steal your data; viruses are designed to replicate themselves and cause problems.
But, while you’re on the subject, take a look at exactly what a virus can do on your phone.
A virus can affect your device’s operating system. This can vary from a simple annoyance to something more serious, like your device becoming unusable.
Viruses can affect your device’s hardware, including but not limited to:
- Mirroring images on your device’s screen.
- Picking up sounds from your device’s surroundings makes them available through your microphone.
- Picking up vibrations from your device’s keypad or controls makes them available through your speaker.
- Picking up your device’s location and make it available through its GPS.
- It picks up your device’s Internet connection and uses it through its mobile data connection.
Some other common issues caused by viruses on your phone are:
- Apps won’t launch
- Apps crash frequently
- Apps don’t update
- Poor battery life
- Faulty hardware
Signs your Smartphone may have a Virus
If you’ve taken care of your phone correctly and kept it clean, but it keeps getting infected, it might be time to consider replacing the phone itself.
While these are all signs of a virus, you should note that they aren’t necessarily conclusive. However, if any of these occur more frequently than usual, it’s worth looking into. Now that you’ve gone over some of the best ways to get rid of a virus from your phone and what a virus can do, here are some of the most common signs that your device may have a virus.
Sign 1: Your device is taking longer than usual to start up.
This is primarily the first sign that something is incorrect and could indicate that your device has a virus. As soon as you get this sign, take your phone apart and perform a clean install of your operating system. This will remove any traces of the virus and ensure that your device is as clean as possible when it’s up and running again.
Sign 2: Your device is overheating and, or slowing down.
If your device is overheating or slowing down, it’s usually a pretty good indication of a virus on your device.
It would be best to try to perform a clean install of your operating system as soon as you notice this sign. If you’re in a hurry, you can constantly use the directions outlined in the following signal to try and clean your device without performing a clean install.
Sign 3: Your device’s battery is getting drained.
As we’ve already mentioned, this is usually the first sign that something is wrong. If you’re experiencing this sign, your only option is to perform a clean install of your operating system.
Here are some other signs that your Smartphone may be infected with a virus:
- Apps crash frequently
- Apps are running slowly
- Apps are constantly getting installed and removed from the phone
How to check for viruses on your Smartphone
There are a few different ways to check if a virus is present on your phone. The easiest method is to use an anti-virus app.
You can also quickly scan with the built-in virus scanner in some smartphones. However, these will only detect viruses on the phone; and they won’t notice the virus on any other devices that may be connected to it.
The best way to check if your phone is infected with a virus is to take it to a neighborhood electronics repair shop and have them run a diagnostic test. This will check if your phone is infected with viruses, including computer viruses. Most cellphone repair shops will do this for free, and you can even find one that offers free virus checks on their website.
If you decide to do this, make sure to take along the following information so they can properly diagnose your device:
- Your model of phone
- The make and model of the charger
- The date and time that you plugged it in
The exact symptoms you’re experiencing, including if the phone has been acting normal up until the moment you detected the virus
If you’re still having problems removing the app, you can always try scanning your phone with a security app like VirusTotal.
There are also some easy procedures you can take to make sure you’re not getting infected in the first place.
Before downloading any apps, always go to the Google Play Store and check the latest reviews.
- Only install apps that you trust.
- Only download apps that are from a trusted source.
- Don’t download apps from unverified sources.
- Only download apps that have a good reputation.
- Only download apps from trusted developers.
How to clean a Virus from your phone
The best way to clean a virus off a phone is to use a reliable mobile phone cleaning app.
These tools are mainly designed to detect and remove viruses from mobile devices. The significant part is that you don’t have to use it multiple times; once it’s done cleaning, you can delete it from your phone.
There are a lot of mobile phone cleaning apps out there, and the best ones are completely free. Make sure the app has a good reputation and has been around for a while; if it’s a new app, make sure your phone manufacturer recommends using it.
There are also many different ways to clean a virus from your phone. You can either manually remove the virus or attempt to perform a clean install of your operating system.
Manual removal: If you’re lucky enough to remove the virus yourself, your best bet is to wipe an entire system. This means that you’ll have to perform a clean installation of your operating system. This is the safest way to go, but it’ll take a while.
Clean install: If you’re not up for removing the virus by hand or are unsure how to do it manually, you can always perform a clean install of your operating system. You’ll have to start from scratch and completely rebuild your device. This is the last resort, but it may be the only way to get your machine working again.
The best way to clean a virus from your phone is to back up your data and take the battery out. You can then take your phone to a local repair shop and have them clean the phone for a fee. This will erase the data on the phone, including your sensitive information. It would be best to be careful about this, though, making sure only to have your cellphone authorized for cleaning. Also, make sure to have a backup of your data before your phone is wiped.
If you own a Mac, you can use Apple’s built-in virus removal tool to remove any viruses from your phone. You can, however, use a third-party app like Malwarebytes to remove viruses from your computer.
If you’ve been hacked, you’ve probably already taken some precautions. You’ve changed your passwords, you’ve disabled unnecessary apps, and you’ve taken some other steps to try and prevent a breach. The problem is that sometimes, even after you’ve taken those steps, a virus can linger on your phone.
To clean a virus off your phone, start backing up your data. This includes photos, videos, contacts, and texts. This can be achieved by connecting your phone to your computer using the built-in backup feature or third-party apps like iCloud or Dropbox. This is important because it’s gone for good once you delete the app. There’s no going back. So you have to make sure that you save all your data to avoid losing it.
Conclusion
Keeping your Smartphone clean is crucial to protect it from viruses. Ensure you know how to clean a virus off a phone and which apps to keep away from.
Smartphone-associated viruses are on the rise, and with the ever-growing number of people using their phones as their primary method of communication, the threat is only growing stronger. If your cell phone is infected with a virus, you may not even be aware. Your phone might be running slow and starting up apps at odd times, but you probably won’t think anything of it.
No matter how careful you are, it’s impracticable to be 100% safe from smartphone viruses. And to be safe, you should also know how to remove a phone virus.
There are too many apps out there. However, you can remarkably reduce your risk of getting a virus with a bit of diligence. However, if you see a pattern of viruses being reported across social media at an alarming rate, it’s time to take action.
