How to Tell If Your Phone Has a Virus and What Steps to Take

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The fastest and easiest way to identify and remove viruses from your iOS or Android device

Co-authored by Brandon Phipps and Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: October 10, 2024 Fact Checked

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Signs of a Virus

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Checking for a Virus

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Get Rid of Viruses

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Common Ways to Get a Virus

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Tips to Avoid Getting a Virus

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Types of Viruses

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Does your phone run hot, are there random pop-ups, does it use excessive data, or is it slow, sluggish, and laggy? If you can say "Yes" to all of these, you might have a virus on your phone. This wikiHow article and IT expert Brandon Phipps explain more about figuring out if your phone has a virus and what to do about it.

Common Signs Your Phone Has a Virus

Random pop-ups.
Overheating.
Sent messages that you didn't send.
Slow or laggy performance.
Fraudulent charges.
Excessive data and higher bills.
Quick battery drain.

Section 1 of 6:

Signs of a Virus

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Although most pop-ups are just marketing tools, some pop-ups can lead you to download malicious software.
Your phone isn't created to support malware, so your device functions poorly when you run it. Luckily, a hot phone is an indicator of malware.

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If the contacts on your phone receive an email or messages on social media to click a link, a virus could have hacked your contact list.
If you have a newer phone that's running sluggishly, like apps take a while to open, it's suspicious and might indicate activity on your phone that's not from just you. A sluggish older phone can simply indicate signs of aging and shouldn't immediately be seen as a sign of a virus.
Unfamiliar apps on your bank or credit card statements can prove to be malware.
Malware can use more data than expected, so a high phone bill is suspicious and warrants further investigation.
Batteries in phones lose their potency after a while, and there are tons of ways to increase your battery lifespan. However, if none of these battery-saving tips works for you and the battery continuously dies prematurely, you might have a phone virus.

Section 2 of 6:

Checking for a Virus

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An antivirus app works for both Android and iPhones and will let you know for sure if there's questionable activity on your phone. IT expert Brandon Phipps suggests using Malwarebytes to monitor suspicious activity on your phone.

Section 3 of 6:

Get Rid of Viruses

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Phipps prefers Malwarebytes, but you can find plenty of antivirus apps that offer protection for your Android or iPhone for free or for a price.
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Boot into Safe Mode on your Android. There's no such thing as Safe Mode for iPhones (only Macs), so skip this step if you have an iPhone.
- Start with your phone off and press the Power button to turn it back on.
- As soon as you see the startup animation, press and hold the Volume Down button. Keep holding it as the startup animation plays.
- Let go of the button once you see "Safe Mode" at the bottom of your screen.^{[1]
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Uninstall suspicious apps. Go to Settings and uninstall any apps that you don't remember installing.
- You can also long-tap an app's icon and tap Uninstall or X to uninstall it, but not all installed apps will not appear on your homescreen.
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Reset your phone. If your phone is still acting slow or showing signs of an infection even after uninstalling apps you don't recognize, you may need to start fresh with a restart. Remember that resetting your phone to factory settings means all the data and personal files on your phone will be erased.
- Android: To reset your Android to factory settings, find the "Reset" option in Settings. It's in different menus for every manufacturer, but the easiest way to find it is to enter Reset in the search bar.
- iPhone: To factory reset your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.^{[2]
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Section 4 of 6:

Common Ways to Get a Virus

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You can accidentally introduce malware to your phone a few ways:
- Opening links or attachments from unknown/unverified sources – this can take the form of opening a hidden image on Facebook or Twitter (X), and downloading it, or it can be simply opening links within emails or text messages from unknown senders.
- Tapping ads that redirect you to a website and then downloading anything – You can even visit an old site that has recently been hacked.
- Ignoring safety warnings on websites and visiting them anyway
- Downloading apps outside the Google Play Store or App Store
- Connecting your phone to unknown devices – This includes computers infected with malware and questionable devices like USB drives.

Section 5 of 6:

Tips to Avoid Getting a Virus

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Only download apps from the Google Play Store or App Store. Apps through these stores are vetted to make sure that there's no malicious code within them if they are updated.
- However, apps that haven't been updated in a long time carry the chance of being compromised by hackers.
- Protect your data and phone by reading app reviews and understanding how the app works.
Using the same password between accounts is dangerous, so create secure and unique passwords for each login.
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Don't click links from unknown sources. If you get a link in an email, through a text message, or see a shared link on social media, think about the sender or poster. Look at the email address to see if it's a legit sender (remember that scammers use characters that look similar, like "0" in place of "O").
- Some people can have their accounts hacked, which results in you getting an email with a link. So it's a link from a trusted source. But did you ask for that link? What does the rest of the email say about the link? Bad spelling or grammar suggests a suspicious link that might lead to phishing.
Updates keep security vulnerabilities to a minimum. Outdated apps or operating systems are more likely to get infected.
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Enable Google Play Protect on Android. This provides you more security with the apps you get from the Play Store. Play Protect scans apps in the Store that you downloaded or plan on downloading to see if they are safe and free of malicious code.
- While this is on by default, you can turn it off. Here's how to turn it back on. Open the Google Play Store app, tap your profile icon, tap 'Play Protect, then tap the gear icon in the top right corner. Finally, tap the toggle next to "Scan apps with Play Protect" to enable it (colored and pointing right).^{[3]
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Enable two-factor authentication on your Apple account. 2fA makes it harder for hackers to gain access to your Apple ID.
- On your iPhone, go to Settings and tap your name. Click Sign-in & Security > Two-Factor Authentication > Continue. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up 2fA. ^{[4]
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Section 6 of 6:

Types of Viruses

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Malware comes in different forms with separate purposes:
- Malware: This term encompasses all the programs on your phone that steal your information or take control of your device without your permission.
- Adware: Ads on the web, computer, or on your phone/tablet that can access your information on your device if you click or tap on them.
- Ransomware: Cybercriminals prevent you from accessing your phone unless you pay a ransom; they can also use data from your phone, like photos and videos, as blackmail.
- Spyware: Tracks your activity online, then steals your data or affects your phone's performance.
- Trojan: Hidden virus that masks as another app but it instead takes over your phone.