Do apps on your phone crashing too often? Does your phone hangs too many times? Is your phone filled with spam? Then your phone probably has a virus. In this article, we will teach you how to recognise that your phone has a virus and how to effectively and completely remove virus from Android phones and how to remove virus from iPhone.
What is a computer virus?
In this day and age, everyone is familiar with what a computer virus is.
However, to those who don’t know:
It is a piece of malicious code that can affect your phone or computer’s documents, files, boot and even change how the device works. A computer virus replicates itself to spread throughout the mobile phone or from phone to phone.
How to tell if my phone has a virus? (Android and iPhone)
You would easily be able to notice if there is a virus on your phone because your phone starts acting out. Since most people use android phones, they are more likely to be easily infected by a virus.
There are some simple ways to detect virus on android phone without using anti-virus apps.
You should most definitely avoid installing apps from unknown sources as they are more likely to possess viruses and malware.
If you’re unsure whether or not your Android phone or iPhone has a virus, you see if your mobile device is exhibiting the following symptoms:
- Increase in data usage even when you’re not using it
- Unexpected charges in the bill from unknown sources
- Annoying popups and unknown warnings while browsing the internet
- Unidentified apps which you (or anyone who might use your phone) didn’t installed
- The battery is draining quicker than usual
- App crash unexpectedly and suddenly
Some of these symptoms also appear when you have a really old mobile. However, symptoms like data usage surge, unexpected charges and unknown apps found on your mobile device only appear when your phone is affected by a virus.
Virus on iPhone safari also creates the same symptoms on iPhones.
The only way to surely know if your mobile device has a virus is to scan your device using an anti-virus app. More about it later in the post.
How to effectively remove virus from my phone?
Once you have identified the symptoms of a virus, the next step is to remove virus from mobile device. There a few effective ways to do that.
You should get rid of viruses because they cause trouble by slowing down your phone and even stealing your personal data. It must be your immediate priority to get rid of viruses.
In this virus removal guide, we will go into all the effective way to deal with virus and malware.
How to Remove virus from Android Phones?
Android viruses infect Android devices through unknown shifty apps. Now that you know how to detect virus on android, it is time to know how to remove virus from Android phones.
Find and remove malicious apps
The best practice is to avoid installing apps that are not available on Google Play Store. However, now that the damage is already done, the only thing left to do is to uninstall these apps.
Follow these simple steps to uninstall an app:
Step 1: Go to Settings > Applications.
Go to the applications manager where you find the list of all the apps installed on your mobile device.
Step 2: Find that app that you need to uninstall and click on it.
Find the apps which you have installed from unknown sources or the apps that have been causing damage to your mobile phone.
Step 3: Press uninstall
Uninstall these apps before they cause any further damage.
Reset your android phone to factory settings
Even after you delete the malicious apps, if all the symptoms discussed before exists, then this is the next step to take. When you reset your phone to factory settings, most of the data stored on your mobile phone will be erased.
Make sure you have backed up the important data on your mobile device before you reset your phone. It is always a good practice to keep your mobile devices backed up.
Warning: Resetting factory settings will wipe out all the data on your android phone.
Follow these simple steps to reset your android device:
Step 1: Go to Settings > Backup and Reset
Step 2: Go to factory data reset.
Step 3: Reset the phone to factory settings.
Switch to safe mode
Safe mode is included in mobile phone and computers to deal with troubleshooting. In Android devices, safe mode disables all the third-party applications and boots your machine in a minimal user interface. This mode is especially useful when you have to troubleshoot your android phone.
Switching to safe mode is easy. Most of the modern Android devices include the option in power off menu.
However, some mobiles are quite tricky. You need to either press and hold a combination of buttons to reboot into safe mode. For example, in few Samsung and HTC devices, you need to switch the phone off, then press and hold the power button and the volume down button to reboot into safe mode.
Remove virus from iPhone
iPhone viruses or iOS viruses are pretty rare. In fact, iPhones are very secure as far as the mobile devices are concerned. Not so much if you include iCloud hacks into it.
However, if your iPhone is jailbroken, you can install apps from other sources. This opens up your device to attacks from malicious apps.
These are some of the ways to remove virus from iPhone:
Clear history, cookies and other browsing data
If your safari browser is redirecting you to multiple malicious web pages, then you can quickly solve it by clearing the private browsing data. This means that there is virus on iPhone safari. Follow the mobile virus removal guide and get rid of iPhone virus popup and iPhone virus message from your iphone.
Go to Settings>Safari>Clear history and data. Press on the ‘Clear History and Data’ to confirm the process.
If you’re using google chrome on your iPhone to browse the internet, clear the cache, cookies and browsing data from google chrome in the same way.
Try restarting your iPhone
Sometimes, even after you delete the cache and personal data on your iOS device, virus on iPhone safari could still be present. Try this mobile virus removal method to remove virus from iphone and get rid of iPhone virus popups and iPhone viru messages.
Hold the power button and switch off your iPhone. Then restart the phone by pressing and holding the power button. The iPhone might take some time to reboot. If this didn’t solve your issues, you need to take more severe steps.
Restore your iPhone from backup
If your iPhone is lagging and slow, you should try restoring the device from backup. For this process, you need access to a computer or a mac with iTunes installed in it. If you haven’t taken any backups of iPhone, you should try the next step.
However, it is a best practice to take frequent backups of your iPhone device.
Reset your iPhone to factory settings
If you haven’t taken backup of your iPhone, this is the best option for you. Resetting iPhone to factory settings will wipe all the data on your Apple device and makes it a new device.
Warning: This will wipe all the data on your iPhone.
Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Contents and Settings. Tap on the Erase All contents and settings and enter the passcode to confirm. This will erase everything on your iPhone and makes it a new. All the documents, pictures, videos and apps on your iPhone will be deleted.
If this doesn’t solve your problems, contact Apple Customer support for assistance.
After you reset the iPhone, take frequent backups for you might have to do this again. But you can avoid virus in the future.
If your iPhone has wifi problems, read how to fix problems in iPhone X and iPhone 8.
That brings us to:
Few tips to avoid virus in the future
You can completely be safeguarded from virus, but you can – for the most part- try and avoid it.
Always keep these tips in mind to consciously avoid viruses:
Don’t install any apps from unknown sources
Often people accidentally download and install malicious apps from anonymous sources. This is the primary gateway for viruses and malicious apps to enter your mobiles. As a general rule, if you don’t know where it came from, don’t install it.
Sometimes, when you’re “browsing the internet”, you might accidentally or the file might automatically download itself. However, stop these downloads and delete the files before they cause any trouble. Whatever you do, don’t install these apps.
Only install from google play or apple app store
Only use reputable sources for app downloads and installations. If you’re using an android phone, you should only install apps from google play store. If you have an iPhone, download the apps from the Apple App Store.
Never download and install anything from random sources on the internet. Such reputable sources also include app store of mobile companies and Amazon App store.
Disable install from unknown sources in the settings
Even if you take all the necessary steps, sometimes you can still fail to stop malicious apps from installing on your device. The best and the simplest way to avoid this problem is by disabling the “Install from unknown sources” option from the settings menu.
It will ensure that you will never accidentally install an app from unknown origins.
Read the permissions before you install an app
Your mobile phone will show a list of permissions that the app needs before you install the app. Read all the permissions before you install an app. Check if your app is asking you to give permissions to anything that is unrelated to what the app does.
Don’t give administrator access to any apps
After you read the permissions, check if the app you’re about to install is seeking administrator rights. If it does need administrator access, do thorough research on Google to see if the app is credible. Because it is difficult to uninstall an app with admin access, it is best to avoid installing such apps.
Install an anti-virus app and scan your phone frequently
The best and most effective way to keep your phone safe from virus and other malware, is to install an anti-virus app and scan your phone as regularly as you can.
Choose an anti-virus app from the app store and install it. Scan your mobile phone at least twice a week to ensure maximum security.
4 Best Anti-Virus applications for iPhone
There are several anti-virus mobile security apps available on the app store for iPhones and iPads. There is only one way how to check iPhone for virus or malware, it is to use an anti-virus app.
However, not all of them are useful. Let’s take a look at a few famous and most downloaded mobile security apps for iPhone. Install these apps and scan frequently to keep your iPhone safe and secure.
#1. McAfee Mobile Security for iPhone and iPad
McAfee Mobile Security is one of the most trusted anti-virus software available in the market. They have a well-established reputation in the anti-virus software field.
Features of McAfee Mobile Security for iPhone and iPad:
- Secure Media Vault with a safety passcode for privacy
- Contact Backup, restore and wipe
- Anti-theft alarm with find and locate a lost phone
- Save the location of your iPhone before the battery runs out
It has all the features a typical anti-virus app needs to have for a price of nothing. You should try it.
Price: Free
#2. Lookout
Lookout is a relatively new security app that is available in two different versions: free and premium. The free version only has a limited number of features available. However, if you buy the premium version, you get access to all the security features.
Features of free version:
- Security advisor that warns you about outdated apps
- Find my phone to locate and sound an alarm when stolen or lost
- Saves the last known location of your lost iPhone before it runs out of battery
However, the premium version costs about $2.99 per month. However, it comes with a lot of features. Premium version has all the feature available in the free version and more.
Features of Premium version include:
- Wi-Fi protection
- Quick breach reports about apps and companies that you use
- Theft alerts when the location of the iPhone displays suspicious behaviour
- Identity Theft Protection – warns you if your personal data is available online
- $1M Identity Theft Insurance for legal fees and damages
- Lost Wallet Recovery – Helps you cancel your credit cards and IDs
This app has pretty cool features in the premium version. If you’re looking to buy a security app, this is for you. But if you’re looking for a free app, try McAfee because this app doesn’t have many security features in the free version.
Price: Free, but a premium version is available to buy
#3. Norton Mobile Security
Like McAfee and AVG, Norton is one of the big anti-virus/security software companies out there. It is a familiar name to everyone who uses a computer. This app is available to download for free on iTunes App Store.
Features of Norton Mobile Security include:
- Find my phone with saved last known location
- Backup and recover contacts
- Scream – Sound alarm to find a lost device
- Remotely call your lost phone via internet
There is also a premium version available that comes with a lot more features than the free version.
Price: Free
#4. Avira Mobile Security
Avira has been gaining popularity over the years. It is competing head-to-head with big companies like McAfee, Norton and AVG.
However, in the mobile security field, it comes with limited features. It lacks many of the features that their competitors are offering in the free versions of their security apps.
Features of Avira Mobile Security include:
- Web protection from phishing
- Email security
- Find my phone – Locate and sound an alarm on a lost phone
- Backup and restore contacts
- Device analyser
But it doesn’t have a media vault. If you don’t want a media vault, this is for you.
Price: Free but requires sign up
4 Best Free Anti-Virus Applications in Android
All the android apps in this list offer free anti-virus protection to the users. We have compiled this list of free anti-virus apps to help you choose the best app for your needs. All the apps in this list are free.
You need to protect your mobile device from viruses. Install these apps and protect your personal data and your bank accounts. However, if you can afford to buy anti-virus apps, I suggest you get premium versions of these apps. Use these apps to remove virus from Android phones.
#1. Avast Mobile Security
Avast is a popular and reputed anti-virus company out there and my favourite anti-virus solutions available on the market for free. This mobile security Android app has been downloaded over 100 million times. Unlike the security apps for iOS, Android security apps come with plenty of features.
Even for an android app, Avast Mobile Security app offers even more features. Some of the features include:
- App locker – lock specific apps with a pin (For Premium Users)
- Call blocker – Blocks unwanted calls
- Anti-Theft – locks your when the sim is changed and records audio and takes pictures of the thief.
- Photo vault – Hide and lock Pictures
- VPN – Hide your identity and location while browsing
- Firewall (For rooted devices)
- RAM booster – Saves up RAM by stopping unnecessary background apps
- Junk cleaner – Cleans junk, temp, cache and other unnecessary files
- Web Sheild – Protects your device while surfing the internet
- WiFi security and Speed test
- Battery Saver – Reduces battery consumption by managing settings and managing tasks
To know how to save battery in android phones, read this article.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one security app, there is nothing better than this. It is the most recommended and well-rounded security option. The only drawback is that they place ads on the app. But you can remove ads by switching to Pro Version.
#2. AVG Antivirus 2018
AVG is a familiar name among the anti-virus programs out there. They have been making anti-virus programs for applications since I was a little kid. This mobile security app provides all the security features as the previous one on this list.
This app has been downloaded over 100 million times and is the most popular and trusted mobile security solutions out there. AVG and Avast have the same set of features available in the free version of this app. They offer almost the same features in the premium version too.
There is no doubt that I would recommend this app. If you’re wondering what should you choose between AVG and Avast, I would recommend AVG. Since AVG runs smoothly on the phones with low specs. However, If your mobile phone has high-end specs, it is just a matter of choice.
When it comes to logo and user-interface, I like the logo of Avast and minimal user-interface of AVG. Avast user-interface looks elegant, no doubt, but I prefer minimalistic design.
#3. 360 Security
360 Security is a relatively new but an innovative security app that comes with a shit-ton of features. It has more features in the free version than the previous apps. This app has over 200 million users. It is an all-in-one security app for all your needs.
It has a game booster feature that can optimise your phone while playing video games on your mobile phone.
Free Features of 360 Security App includes:
- Game booster and RAM booster
- App locker with intruder selfie (Comes with the free version)
- Junk cleaner
- Battery Saver
- Smart locker
- Call and SMS filter
- Notification Manager
- Fingerprint Lock
- Photo cleaner – deletes blurred and duplicate files
- WiFi Security
- Web protection
- Private Album – Photo vault
This app offers more features than the reputed mobile security apps out there. However, I only recommend this to you if you are a regular user who doesn’t need complete security protection.
If you need complete protection or paranoid about security, I suggest you opt out from this security option. For an average user who plays a lot of games and needs to hide memes and sensitive pictures, this is for you.
I have this app installed on my personal mobile phone where I play a lot of games.
#4. Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus
Kaspersky is known for their anti-virus programs. They offer complete and thorough protection of your computer and mobile devices but for a price. Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus app is free to down on the play store. However, many of the features are limited to the premium users.
There are not many features available for free users. If you’re a student or someone who can’t afford to buy anti-virus app, I suggest you opt out of this one. If you want a complete mobile security app, you should definitely buy this app.
Like my dad used to say, best things come at a price.
Free features of Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus include:
- Antivirus Protection
- Call and SMS filter
- Anti-theft protection
Conclusion:
Prevention is always better than cure. But prevention is not always possible and sometimes is out of your control. Install anti-virus apps on your devices and protect yourself from virus and malware.
I hope you solved your mobile phone issues while following the steps we provided in this article. If you found this article helpful, lets us know. Feedback is appreciated.
