Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to infect an Android phone with a virus. Although you are unlikely to infect your phone, particularly if you exclusively download from the Google Play store, you may become frustrated or bewildered if you do. Of course, in an ideal world, people would not download or install from unknown or risky websites; nonetheless, the reality is that they do. If you've accidently infected your Android phone, you're definitely looking for instructions on how to remove it, so let's get started.
First and foremost, make sure you have a virus. Some sophisticated adverts trick users into believing their devices are infected before convincing them to download a harmful program. If you have not downloaded any software from strange websites and are seeing disturbing graphics or notifications that you have been infected, it is most likely a scam. If your Android device is infected, you should continue reading this brief instruction.
Throughout this post, we'll show you how to boot your Android into safe mode and remove the virus by first disabling the malicious app's administrator status. This should allow you to successfully and permanently remove the app. Beyond that, we'll show you how to employ the nuclear option, which is a factory reset. Although this method should be used as a last resort, especially if you have anything on your phone that has not been backed up elsewhere, it may be required in some instances.
Origins of Android Viruses
Viruses generally piggyback on seemingly harmless programs. In many situations, the viruses remain concealed in the app's code. However, once the apps are loaded on your devices, they unleash the viruses, infecting your phone. Some people can even infect their phones by clicking on suspicious links sent over text or email, so keep that in mind before clicking any link.
There are also savvy hackers who have managed to piggyback viruses into add-ons or plugins for popular programs like Pokemon Go, which can be downloaded from the Google Play store. These viruses can propagate by undermining people's trust in popular or well-known apps.
The biggest red flag that you've mistakenly downloaded a virus is when the program asks you to grant it device administrator capabilities. These rights allow malware to lock itself onto your device, making it tough to remove.
Avoiding Malicious Applications and Viruses
You should disable the Unknown Sources setting. This will keep you from purposefully or unintentionally downloading any questionable apps onto your device. To disable this feature, navigate to your phone's settings, select the Unknown Sources option (which may differ depending on your operating system), and ensure it is disabled. Keep in mind that allowing this option allows you to download programs from sources other than Google Play, therefore you should disable it.
Some sophisticated hackers also create exact clones of programs, known as cloning, and make them available in the Google Play store. While these apps appear to be harmless, they often contain a few lines of code that can cause havoc on your phone or possibly your life.
While some apps can automatically download additional apps to your phone, others may search your device for information such as banking, social security numbers, personal contacts, and so on. To avoid mistakenly downloading a cloned app, pay attention to the app's publisher or developer's names. For example, if you're installing Pokemon Go, be sure it's from Nintendo rather than a name you're unfamiliar with.
When you download an app, even from the Google Play Store, you should always pay special attention to the permissions options. Apps never require device administrator privileges. Granting this permission will prevent you from deleting the program. Other apps may not require access to your camera, microphone, or email contacts. Each permission requirement or prompt should be questioned.
By the way, this is a good time to look into antivirus software, which can be downloaded from Google Play and installed on your Android device. These apps work similarly to antivirus programs on desktops and may help you avoid another infection.
Phones, including Androids, are the least vulnerable when the running software is constantly updated, just like traditional computers. Always download and install the most recent update. If you're using an older device and can't get the latest updates, check sure it's up to date with the most recent version available for that device.
Remove a Virus
Before eradicating a virus, put your phone in Safe Mode. The steps for completing this differ depending on the operating system, so you may need to look for tutorials online. Usually, but not always, you can turn off the gadget by pressing and holding the button. After holding the button for a few seconds, a prompt will display asking if you wish to enter safe mode.
Safe Mode is an important step because it disables any apps that are not essential to your phone. This allows you to effortlessly uninstall the dangerous or infected software. When you're in safe mode, you'll want to check your download history. When people inadvertently infect their computers or phones, they usually know what caused it, or suspect a problematic app or software. Locate the suspected app, or other problematic apps, and press to view the information page. From this page, select the Uninstall button.
As the name implies, the Uninstall button does exactly that: it uninstalls the program, eliminating it from your phone and relieving you of a major hassle. However, if you enter the details page only to find that the Uninstall button is deactivated—you can see it, but pressing it accomplishes nothing—you must tackle the problem differently, notably by removing its administrative authorization.
In the settings menu, select security, then device administration, then uncheck the dubious app. This easy action will withdraw its access, allowing you to uninstall it from the information page stated above. After removing the app, restart your phone. The dangerous software should be removed, the virus destroyed, and your phone should function normally again.
If you are unable to withdraw an app's device admin access, or if the program will not uninstall, you may need to perform a factory reset. Different operating systems require different methods of initiating factory resets, so look online to find how to accomplish it on your device. Be aware, however, that a factory reset will erase everything on your phone. Only use this option if all else fails.