Ever wondered what to do if a virus infects your phone and how you will remove the virus from Android? Well, you don’t need to worry because all you need to do is follow the methods and steps we have mentioned in this post.
So, read this guide till the end to know how to remove viruses from Android phones manually.
Viruses for android are rare, but they exist. When your phone starts performing sluggishly, then there is a possibility that your phone is under virus attack.
The most common symptom of an Android virus is that the web browser will start redirecting you to inappropriate websites. So, if your phone gets a virus, for most people, the first option that comes to mind is factory reset.
The factory reset helps remove viruses from your device, but the most significant disadvantage of factory reset is that you have to remove all your data like your saved games, text messages, and everything else (if you didn’t create a backup). So, better you consider the factory reset as your last option.
Before starting with the solutions, we will discuss the symptoms of a virus or how to tell if your phone has a virus.
Symptoms Of Having An Android Virus On Phone
Viruses are all about cautious attack. Yes, you heard it right because it steals all your sensitive data so that attackers can use it for their purposes. So, if you found any of the below symptoms on your phone, then it means that your phone is infected with the virus.
Increased Mobile Data Consumption
If you notice a sudden hike in data usage, then it may be a sign that the virus is running background on your device. You can monitor your data usage using a data monitoring app to check your usual internet usage.
Excessive App Crashing
Sometimes apps crash is a common issue, but when your phone apps start crashing again and again without any reason, then your phone is likely to have a virus.
Adware Pop-Ups
Pop-up ads are just irritating, not malicious. However, if you see that pop-up ads are there even after closing your Android browse, then this could be malicious pop-ups attacking your data. You might see ads on the homepage, on the app page, or sometimes fullscreen ads are the trigger that your phone has been affected by malware or viruses.
Fast Battery Draining
If your phone is infected by a virus or malware, then it will run a lot of processes which subsequently causes faster battery draining issues. It means that if your phone’s battery is draining more quickly than usual, then maybe your phone has one or several viruses installed.
Unknown Apps
Unfamiliar apps are also called fake apps. If you find some of the fake apps are getting downloaded automatically on your phone, then surely your phone has a virus. Don’t waste a second and uninstall that app immediately. This is one of the most common symptoms you will see when your phone is affected.
Ways To Remove Virus From Android Phones Manually
If you notice any of the above symptoms, and you are sure that your phone has a virus, there are several ways to remove a virus from Android without losing any data.
#1 Start By Scanning Your Phone For Virus
Google Play has dozens of antivirus apps that you can use to scan and remove the virus from your Android device. Here is a collection of some excellent and useful antivirus apps that we suggest you use. No matter which app use, there can be a different set of options, but here are the necessary steps that you need to follow on every app to remove the virus.
Step 1: Go to the Play Store and download the best-rated antivirus app.
Step 2: After successful installation, “open the app” and “Click on the scan button“.
Step 3: Wait until the app scans and checks your apps and files for malicious software.
Step 4: If any issue or threat is found, then tap on the resolve option.
Step 5: If prompted, “Uninstall malicious apps“.
That’s all. You have successfully removed the virus from your Android phone manually.
#2 Try Uninstalling Malicious Apps Manually
Step 1- Go to the safe mode
Go to the safe mode on your device and turn off the access of all third-party apps to stop them from running.
This is one of the best ways to identify the culprit behind your phone’s misbehavior. If the problem gets resolved, then your phone is in safe mode, and it enables you to use your phone normally without any issues.
Many Android phones will allow you to reboot to safe mode just by holding and pressing the power off button. If you have done this correctly, you should see the option ‘safe mode‘ at the bottom of your screen. Enable this option, and your phone is in safe mode. Furthermore, you can also read this guide on how to boot your phone into safe mode.
Step 2: Identify suspicious apps
Go to your phone’s settings and choose to “manage apps” section. From there go to the “downloaded apps” section and check whether there is an app that you haven’t installed in the meantime or the apps you haven’t downloaded but still running in your background. If you find any app running that you have not downloaded, just uninstall that.
Step 3: Uninstalling the malicious app
In most cases, you can simply click on the “uninstall” option, and your app is uninstalled. But if your phone is virus-infected then uninstalling any app is a big task because the malware or virus will resist the action. This will keep your uninstall button grey. This means that the malicious app has acquired administered access. Now check step 4.
Step 4: Remove the administrator access
To remove administrator access, go back to the settings option and search for the “security” menu.
From there, tap on the “device administrators” option and check whether any malicious apps have access. If found so, tap on the app and deactivate it. You can now easily uninstall the malicious app and remove the virus from Android.
How to protect your phone from Android viruses?
If you want to protect your phone from viruses, then I would strongly suggest you install apps from Google Play. This is because it reduces the risks of the virus from low to none. Google scans all your apps and removes the offenders, which causes misbehavior or steal data on your device.
Installing the app from third-party sources doesn’t mean that your phone is infected with the virus. However, in most cases downloading from random websites (especially cracked apps) always brings some viruses.
Well, you know better that you should not download apps from shady websites. Also, you should try to avoid tapping on ads and always keep an eye on app permission.
Summary
I hope this article will guide you on how to remove viruses from Android phones manually. Hope you enjoy reading this article and strictly follow the tips and tricks to safeguard your phone from the virus.
Keep in touch and do-follow The Android Portal. For more updates, stay with us.
