How to find out if there are viruses on my smartphone

Viruses - and indeed any malicious applications - are frankly unpleasant things. Even if they don't steal your money, they can cause equally serious damage in other ways. Moreover, this damage can be quite material, since the presence of virus programs often leads to premature wear of the smartphone or its individual components. In general, just a few months of malicious activity, and the device can be written off as scrap. Therefore, it is very important to be able to recognize the presence of this kind of software and remove it in a timely manner.

The likelihood of Android being infected with a virus, or rather malware, is quite small, but it still exists

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I think there’s not much point in talking about exactly how malicious applications get onto devices. Everyone understands perfectly well that the main source of such software is various Internet sites that distribute, at first glance, benign software. Therefore, if you suspect your smartphone is infected, remember if you downloaded applications from anywhere. If you downloaded it, the probability of infection is quite high. No, of course, trash also gets into Google Play from time to time, but, as a rule, it is removed from there quite effectively.

Can phones get viruses?

Yes, much like computers, with code sent through apps, email, or even text message. Technically, computer code is defined as a virus when the code duplicates itself after infecting a device and then destroys data or attempts to send itself to another device. So, although smartphones can become infected with viruses, they are less common than other problems.

The most common way phones get viruses and other problems is through apps, email attachments, text messages, and even malicious websites.

What types of viruses are found on smartphones?

Ultimately, it doesn't matter what kind of virus you have on your phone, because no matter the type, it needs to be eliminated. But most likely it is one of the ones listed here.

In addition to limiting the functionality of your phone, viruses can cause more serious damage to your life by deleting data, collecting personal information, or making (or attempting to make) unauthorized purchases.

Adware – creates advertisements with links to web pages or applications that may lead to damage or security breaches
Malware – uses certain phone features to steal personal information, send text messages, or perform other problematic activities
Ransomware – locks files or applications and then demands money from the user in exchange for unlocking them
Spyware – monitors the user's phone activity for malicious purposes
Trojan horse - attaches itself to a legitimate application and then interferes with the phone's operation

Virscan.org – is it worth using?

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Virscan.org is a free service that is currently being finalized. The project was created on a voluntary basis with the goal of destroying and identifying Trojans on Android devices. The advantages of the service are that it is free and provides the ability to scan files up to 20 megabytes in size in a wide variety of formats. Unfortunately, due to the lack of distribution capabilities, this service is not as popular as others. But at the same time, it is perfect for fast online checking of small files.

How do I know if my phone has a virus?

Here are some tell-tale signs that your smartphone is infected with malware:

There are apps on your phone that you haven't downloaded. Check the list of apps to see if there are any that you can't identify.
Your phone breaks down regularly. If this happens once and there are no other symptoms, the virus may not be a problem. But if it starts happening frequently, a virus is most likely the cause.
Your battery is draining much faster than usual. If you're using your phone as usual but the battery doesn't even last for a day, this is another likely sign.
You're getting more pop-ups than usual. The virus can cause pop-up ads to become even more intrusive and annoying.
Data usage is increasing without logical explanation. If your mobile bill shows that your data usage is much higher than usual and you are using your phone as usual, a virus is likely the cause.
You incur additional costs for text messaging. Some malware sends text messages to premium numbers, increasing your costs.

Google Play Protect is the ideal device protection option

Google Play Protect is the most popular protection system for Android smartphones around the world. It ensures the reliability and quality of the mobile device, protecting it from viruses. What functions does this application provide and does it have any special features?

The following advantages can be highlighted:

Reliability. This protection system is used daily by more than 2 billion users around the world.
Continuity of work. Built-in protection for Android device users is constantly in use and regularly improved.
Additional function “Find device”. If a user has lost his Android device, then this is the service that will really help in the search. You can remotely track the location of your Android device, block calls, set a password, or even completely erase all data.
Check more than 50 million applications daily.

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Of course, such a system will have many more advantages than disadvantages. The only noticeable drawback is the possibility of rare system crashes during regular updates.

How to prevent getting a phone virus

There is a lot you can do to prevent a virus from infecting your phone .

Stay up to date . Download and install a reputable antivirus app for your phone. Also, always agree to operating system updates.
Download and use an antivirus application . In addition to detecting viruses, they can protect your phone from receiving them.
Use only proven applications . Download only approved apps from Google Play for Android devices, the App Store for iOS devices, or the Microsoft Store for Windows devices. Even then, be careful. Make sure you're getting a quality app by reading reviews, visiting the developer's website, and looking for any other telltale signs that you might be getting more than you bargained for.
Be careful with email . Follow the “digital hygiene” rules for email that you use when viewing messages on your computer. Be wary of attachments and only open them from trusted sources. Be careful with links embedded in messages. Finally, be wary of messages that look like they come from companies you do business with. Many scammers send fake emails, which often contain the hallmarks of fake email addresses, poor grammar, and requests to “update your credit card information” or other phishing schemes. Unfortunately, these messages also often include the official logo of the company the scammer is impersonating.
Text monitoring . Maintain a high level of skepticism regarding text messages, social media posts, and advertising.
Trust your intuition . If something seems "dangerous" to you regarding any activity you are doing on your phone, take a step back and ask yourself if it's worth continuing to lose the functionality of your phone or some of the data it contains.

A few words about viruses on iOS

The statement “iPhone cannot get a virus!” not entirely true. Any iOS device is a computer, and any computer can become infected with a virus.

However, if you haven't jailbroken your iOS device, the chances of it being infected by a virus are slim. If you search the App Store, you won't find any apps called "Antivirus" (except games). Apple's iOS is designed in such a way that app A cannot interfere with the space in which app B is running. This applies to the entire operating system, so an app cannot scan your iOS device for viruses because apps cannot cover the entire space.

However, you can download an app from the App Store that does more than that. Pay attention to privilege requests. For example, most games don't need access to your photos, camera, or microphone.

How to avoid problems and save the system

Antivirus services are not always able to cope with a pest that has settled on Android. In cases where you cannot get rid of the problem after scanning your device, you can eliminate the threat yourself.

Removing viruses using root rights

Holders of root rights can enjoy greater opportunities by performing actions to delete any files, even system files. Having administrator rights will help eliminate system parasites, but inept use, on the contrary, will lead to system failures. In addition, the changes made may prevent the device from starting at all, because it is not without reason that by default developers limit the user in these capabilities. With superuser rights, you can remove any elements, including viruses, using a file manager. Many malicious programs in the “.apk” format are located in the system/app folder.

How to clean your tablet from viruses in safe mode

If you cannot get rid of the virus program as usual, you can try doing it in safe mode, since in this case only basic system functions will be launched without third-party applications. Typically, safe mode is activated by the power button, which is held until the corresponding message appears, suggesting that the device enters this state, after which it is necessary to confirm the action. In safe mode, you need to scan the system with an antivirus or delete infected files yourself if you have root rights and already know the location of the source of the problems. To return to normal state, the device must be rebooted.

How to remove a virus from a tablet via PC

It is possible to remove a virus from Android via a computer using a PC antivirus program or using a file manager for Android devices. If after diagnostics by the defender it was not possible to cure or eliminate the virus software, you can use Android Commander. By running it on your computer, you can access the device’s information and perform various operations with them (move, copy, delete, etc.), for maximum access you will need to obtain root rights and activate USB debugging (“Settings” - “System” — “Developer options”). Next you need to do the following:

Connect the device to the PC like a USB drive;
With root rights, open the Android Commander manager, in the right part of the window the system elements of the connected device will also be displayed;
Find the virus executable file and eliminate it. Copying it to a PC and scanning each folder separately with an antivirus can help with this.

Extreme measures

If the tried methods did not work, there are guaranteed, but extreme ways to get rid of virus software on a tablet or other Android device:

Return to factory settings. You can get to the option using the system menu; if access to the system is not blocked by a virus, it is located in the personal settings in the backup section;
Hard-reset via Recovery mode will help when access to system functions is blocked. This mode is entered differently depending on the device model (holding the volume key or a special button). In the Recovery menu, select the option “wipe data/factory reset” or “factory reset”;
Reflashing the device. The method involves reinstalling the Android system, similar to Windows; to implement it, you need root rights.

All these methods allow the device to return to its original state, as when it was purchased, and all user data will be deleted along with the viruses. Before any of the procedures, it is better to copy important data to another medium.

How to protect your system from malware

By following these recommendations, you can avoid virus programs getting onto your device in the future:

Install anti-virus software on your device;
Periodically run a system scan for viruses;
Update the system as official updates are released;
Download content exclusively from trusted resources, while still checking it for infection;
Do not download unofficial firmware and “cracked” applications;
Do not connect your device to other suspicious devices, either via Bluetooth or directly.

Always get rid of viruses in a timely manner, before pests cause irreparable damage to your device and your wallet, or better yet, prevent their appearance by taking the necessary security measures, then the risks that parasites can disturb you and your gadget will be minimized.