For Android

A Complete Guide To Virus Removal For Android

Mansi Vijay
Published 2019-07-25

In all walks of life, being infected with a virus is the biggest nightmare!

In the tech world, viruses and malware are often associated with desktops & laptops, but arguably one of the most susceptible operating systems is Android Smartphones. There have been numerous exploits over the past few months. Researchers have found that 87 percent of all Android phones are exposed to at least one critical vulnerability & 95% of devices could be hacked with a simple text message.

So, what would you do if you get a virus on your phone? We’re sure the first thing that would hit your mind will be to perform a factory reset, but then it means you’d lose all your data if you have no backup of them.

Image Source: cloudwards

So, let’s get to know about different types of mobile viruses & Best Virus Removal apps for Android to protect yourself from growing smartphone threats.

Table of Contents:

PART 1: Different Types of Mobile Viruses

PART 2: Ways Your Smartphone Can Get A Virus

PART 3: How to tell if your phone has a Virus?

PART 4: How to get rid of Virus on Phone?

PART 5: Recommended Virus Removal Apps for Free

PART 6: Final Thoughts

Part 1: Different Types of Mobile Viruses

Android Malware comes in all shapes and sizes, designed with different vulnerabilities with each. Some of the most common mobile security threats are listed below:

  1. Ransomware

Ransomware is one of the most rising cyber threats. It simply locks you out of your device, encrypts your data & forces you to pay a ransom in hard-to-trace cryptocurrencies, in order to get your files back. In most of the ransomware cases, users remain with no choice but to pay up!

  1. Spyware

Spyware is a type of malware that secretly observes users’ activities without permission & reports to the software developer. They are usually disguised as games & tantalize users to install them.

  1. Worms

Designed with the capability to endlessly reproduce themselves, Worms are the most aggressive type of Android viruses. They are generally transmitted through SMS, MMS, and other digital media.

  1. Trojans

Much like their namesake, Trojans are common viruses that hide inside popular and legitimate apps, so that users can easily be tricked into downloading one. They are the most destructive in nature, as they steal users sensitive and banking details.

Skip to Part 4 to know How To Clean Virus From Phone?

Image Source: ZDNet

Part 2: Ways Your Smartphone Can Get A Virus

Make sure to avoid the following situations & prevent your smartphone from getting infected from common malware and viruses.

1. Installing Apps Outside From Google Play Store

Installing apps from untrusted places is the most common way to inadvertently end up infecting your smartphone with malware.

By default, Android doesn’t allow you to download apps from unknown sources. To check if it’s already disabled:  Go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Advanced > Special App Access > Disable Install Unknown Apps.

2. Downloading Doppelganger Applications

A shocking number of Android devices – nearly 50% are at risk because of installing fake apps. Hackers develop clones of most popular Android applications & somehow sneak into official app stores to pose as the original one. So, even when you’re downloading apps from official stores, it’s still a good idea to some research and pays observance to protect your device.

Get to know how these apps trick users into installing apps & what you can do to combat fake apps.

3. Not Keeping Android Up-To-Date

The latest version of Android OS won’t necessarily be available for your phone, but you should frequently check that it’s up-to-date as it can be.

4. Rooting Your Device

Of course, there can be plenty of reasons why you want to root your device. But if don’t have an extreme purpose, then avoid rooting your phone as there could be a probability that you might accidentally download a malware on your phone that can do some real damage to your phone.

Image Source: Gihosoft

5. Connecting to Public Wi-Fi

Using unprotected Wi-Fi access points, give hackers the advantage to intercept sensitive information, which may later be used for stealing sensitive information & infect smartphone.

You can skip to Part 5 to know the ultimate way to remove virus from Android phone!

Part 3: How To Tell If Your Phone Has A Virus?

If your Android gets infected from any of the ways mentioned above, then it might produce symptoms like:

1. Battery drains in no time at all

2. Multiple apps crashing far too frequently

3. A puzzling increase in data usage for no apparent reason

4. A sudden flood of pop-up ads

5. Your phone starts getting overheating while performance lags

6. Frequent interference in phone calls

7. Bogus charges on your phone bill, this happens when malicious software makes calls to premium numbers on your behalf

8. Your phone automatically turns on Wi-Fi & Internet connections on its own

9. Noticing unfamiliar apps that you don’t recall downloading

10. You start receiving suspicious notifications from banks and unknown services

Know the Best Virus Removal For Android in Part 5!

Part 4: How To Get Rid Of Virus On Phone?

So, if you think you have a virus on your device, then do follow the below steps to remove virus from Android phones effectively.

How To Clean Virus from phone?

To get rid of virus on phone manually, follow the steps below:

STEP 1- Shut Down Your Device

Once you’re sure your device is under attack by malware, simply switch it off. No, it will not remove the virus from a phone. But the process would surely stop the viruses from causing more damage. Additionally, it would also halt the malware attempts from accessing nearby networks.

STEP 2- Switch To Safe/Emergency Mode

Put your phone into Safe Mode. This would automatically deactivate the apps from running, including malware attacks. Some mobile devices will let you reboot in safe mode, while devices like Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, Sony, HTC and phones running Android 6.0 or later requires a few more steps.

Press & Hold Power button > Tap & Hold Power Off > When Reboot To Safe Mode prompt appear > Press OK

 

STEP 3- Uninstall Suspicious Apps

Once the Safe Mode is activated, head towards Settings menu > Apps > Locate applications you can’t recall downloading. Start uninstalling them as quickly as possible.

In some cases, you can’t uninstall the app, as certain malicious apps simply disable the button. In such scenarios, you have to change administrator settings to uninstall apps.

To visit Device Administrative; go to the Settings > Security & Location > Device Administrators. If the suspicious app is featured on the list there > click Deactivate to remove its privileges.

 

STEP 4- Download Antivirus For AndroidNow you can head back to your App Manager to uninstall the malicious apps.

Often times, only uninstalling malicious apps doesn’t prevent infections, a vulnerable device deserves complete protection. Having an antivirus for Android is a great way to destroy different types of malware. Choose a reliable Virus Cleaner that helps you scan your phone for identifying and removing viruses and other malicious content.

Have a look at some of the most efficient & trustworthy Virus Removal for Android!

Image Source: Techlicious

Part 5: Recommended Virus Removal Apps for Free

Google Play Store is full of Virus Remover apps that you can use to scan & remove infections from your phone. Here’s a rundown to Top five Virus Remover Apps for Android:

1. Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus

Another powerful & recommended Virus removal app you can rely on to get rid of malicious content is, Kaspersky. It offers advanced antivirus protection to help you keep your phones & tablets vulnerabilities free. It acts as a robust virus cleaner that automatically blocks infectious apps and other viruses. It comes with capabilities to scan for spyware, ransomware, and trojans in real-time.

Benefits of using this Virus Smart Phone Cleaner

Kasperksy is undoubtedly one of the most reliable tools to remove virus from Android phone!

2. Norton Security and Antivirus

An all-in-one virus Android Cleaner, Norton provides an extensive range of mobile security features. It protects your device against threats like malicious apps, theft & online viruses that try to steal your personal information & other sensitive data. Norton offers both free & paid versions. The standard version offers phone scanning, wi-fi scanning & safe search, whereas it’s premium version includes the following benefits. 

Benefits of using this Virus Removal App for Android

Download Norton Security and Antivirus app now to remove virus from Android phone in a few taps & swipes.

3. Avira Antivirus Security

Avira is one of newer Antivirus for Android, it grew rather quickly over the last year. The application has all the basic functionality, including device scans, real-time protection, supports for SD Card scanning and more. Apart from it boasts advanced features like:

Benefits of using this Antivirus for Android

Avira Antivirus Security is definitely your ultimate guide if you want to know how to get rid of virus on phone immediately!

4. Systweak Anti-malware (Recommended Choice)

Systweak Anti-malware is one of the most recommended virus removal apps for free, available in the market right now.  It is designed with advanced algorithms to keep your device safe from all sorts of malware and infections. It boasts a decent set of features, including quick & deep scanning, protection from the latest malware threats, one-click uninstaller, support for both internal & SD card.

Benefits of using this Virus Removal for Android

Download Systweak Anti-malware virus removal for Android to safeguard your smartphone, not only from malware but also unauthorized usage of apps.

Note: This app has been discontinued.

So, folks, these were some of our recommended virus removal apps, apart from this you can take a look at our other Antivirus For Android suggestions right here! 

Part 6: Final Thoughts

You should stop taking phone security as optional as every OS is susceptible to viruses today. Anytime you get to know that your device might have been infected with malware, take additional steps to get rid of it quickly. Aforementioned, Virus Removal for Android apps is your ultimate destination to stay secure!

Additional Tip

Data loss is unavoidable if you take effective measures to protect your phone from virus infections. Make sure you always have a complete backup of your phone, so that you can recover all your important data anytime if any mishap happens. We recommend using Right Backup Anywhere – Online Cloud Storage to combat data loss situations.

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