Android Phone Is Infected With Virus?
How to understand that an Android phone is infected with a virus, how is it infected, what should be done if it is infected? We have included all the details about the subject in this article.
How to understand that the phone is infected with a virus, how does the phone get infected, what should be done if it is infected? Based on these questions, we have prepared a guide for you to learn whether your personal information on your smartphones is safe and how to protect your information.
As Android is the most used mobile operating system in the world, it is a system that is more open to security threats compared to iOS. Recently, we have heard about security vulnerabilities on both mobile and desktop platforms on the Apple side, but in such cases, Apple either quickly releases a security update or shares an article on the solution.
Even better, since both software and hardware are one name, the update is delivered on the same day around the world. This is not the case on Android devices. Regardless of the degree of vulnerability, the majority of manufacturers do not consider user security. Even using the flagship phone of that manufacturer does not guarantee you to receive the update.
At this point, it is up to you to take the necessary security measures. In order to help you, in this guide, we will share with you how to understand whether your smartphone has a virus, how to clean it if there is a virus, which programs/applications you should use, and how to set up security settings for healthy smartphone use.
How to Tell if the Android Phone is Infected with a Virus? Ways to Understand
Pop-up ads appear
Phone slowing way down
Excessive use of data
Apps starting to crash
Unwanted widgets
Charge draining much faster
Sending spam messages to people in contacts
Phone overheating
If you are wondering whether your phone has a virus you should check the items above. If you are experiencing at least 2 of these problems then most likely your device has a virus.
Before moving on to which Android antivirus applications you should use, let’s take the listed items above one by one.
1. Pop-up Ads
If you encounter pop-up ads that are a sign of infection, press the home button and close all running applications instead of bothering to close them one-by-one.
Pop-up ads that force you to buy virus protection or click on a harmful link are one of the indicators that your Android phone has a virus. However, they can also be some processes in the background that you are not aware of.
2. Slow performance of the device.
An effective virus can decrease the performance of your phone drastically. It can disrupt data usage by sending text messages to private numbers on your behalf or by transferring the information on your device.
3. Excessive Data Usage
Look at mobile data usage under “Settings – Connections – Data Usage” to see if there are any apps that are using excessive mobile data. If you are observing an app using data more than usual, that means there is something afoot
4. Crashing of the applications
Viruses can cause excessive resource usage, therefore, causing drainage of your battery. Consequently, it causes your harmless daily used apps to crash.
5. Unwanted Widgets
When your Android phone is infected with a virus, you may be exposed to unwanted application widget installations.
6. Battery drainage
It’s a good idea to review battery usage, as malware or keyloggers have the ability to significantly increase data, resource, and battery consumption. Under the “Settings – Battery – Battery Usage” menu, you can see which application is using how much battery.
7. Sending Messages to People in Contacts
There is a detail that you can notice before it is too late when software developed by malicious people infects your smartphone. If the malware is developed to make money, it uses deceptive links and contacts from the victim’s directory to get more people to download the files.
If you receive a notification about this issue from the numbers registered in your directory, immediately apply to the antivirus software we have listed under the question of what to do if the phone is infected with a virus section.
8. Overheating of the phone
Android phone overheating is also a sign that your phone has a virus. Malware does not directly heat your phone, but because it is resource-intensive, your phone may heat up.
What to do if the phone is infected with a virus?
Detect and remove applications consuming abnormal resources
Remember which application the unusual situation occurred after downloading on the phone and get rid of that application.
Download a reliable, fast, good antivirus application from the Google Play Store.
Scan your device with the antivirus software you downloaded.
Factory reset the phone as a last resort if antivirus software doesn’t work.
If your smartphone’s charge is draining too quickly, or if you are wondering where “that” app came from you need to scan your device with good antivirus software.
If you have no idea about the best antivirus software for Android, you can take a look at the following links to antivirus software such as Kaspersky Internet Security, Malwarebytes, Avast Mobile Security, 360 Security that does their job very well.
If you see an application on your phone that you have never installed, that consumes the battery quickly, or that tries to consume all of your mobile internet packages, you can remove the unwanted application or applications by following the “Settings – Applications – Application Manager” path.
As a last resort, you can reset the phone to the factory settings. After backing up your photos, videos and messages, follow the “Settings – Backup and Reset (If you can’t find it “General Management”) – Reset – Factory Reset” path. Remember, this process wipes every user data on your device.
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