How do you know if you have malware on your phone?

Author: Dr. Arlo Armstrong  |  Last update: Monday, November 24, 2025

How do I check my phone for malware?

Use a virus scanner app. These apps will scan your device for malicious files and give you instructions on how to remove them if they detect anything suspicious. Use a factory reset or bootable antivirus tool.

How do I clean malware off my phone?

How to tell if your iPhone has malware?

How to find hidden malware?

11 Signs Your Android Has A Virus & How To Remove Them

How do I check for malware and remove it?

Use trusted antivirus software to perform a full system scan for malicious files, processes, and applications on your PC. Then, review the scan results and follow the onscreen recommendations to remove detected malware and other threats.

Can malware go undetected on phone?

Malware can even exist on your phone undetected. And the more information you share while using an infected phone, such as login details, the more likely it is that the malware can gain access to this data.

How do I clean my iPhone of malware?

Restart your phone: Malware may spread with your phone on. Restore a previous backup: If you can't pinpoint the virus's origin, iCloud may contain a virus-free backup. Restore your iPhone to factory settings: If all else fails, you'll need to erase your device and reset it to its original settings.

How do I run a security check on my iPhone?

To access Safety Check, use your iPhone to go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check. IMPORTANT: Before making changes or deleting information, consider potential impacts to your safety and privacy.

Can you tell if someone is remotely accessing your iPhone?

How can I tell if someone is accessing my iOS device remotely? Look out for signs, such as unusual battery drain, overheating, unexpected data usage, unfamiliar apps, settings changes, and unusual behavior on your device. These could indicate unauthorized access.

Does turning off phone stop malware?

To start with, if your phone isn't turned on, and can't execute code, malware can't run at all. However, it's rather pointless having a communications device which doesn't communicate!

Can I remove malware myself?

Download and install antivirus software

For full virus and malware protection — especially against new and emerging threats — install real-time malware scanning and removal software like AVG AntiVirus FREE.

How do I free up malware on my phone?

How to clean malware off phone?

How do you know if your phone has been hacked?

If your device is quick to heat up, it might be due to malicious activity. If apps you haven't downloaded suddenly appear on your screen, or if outgoing calls you don't remember making pop up on your phone bill, that is a definite red flag and a potential sign that your device has been hacked.

How to tell if an iPhone has malware?

The best way to know if you have an iPhone virus is to check for the following signs: unfamiliar or crashing apps, lots of Safari pop-ups, unusual charges or data usage, a rapidly draining battery, or a consistently hot phone. As your device ages, you may notice a decrease in speed or battery life.

How do I clear my security on my iPhone?

On the Security Lockout screen, tap Start [Device] Reset to confirm. Enter your Apple Account password to sign out of your Apple Account on your device. Tap Erase [Device] to permanently delete all of your data and settings.

Does the iPhone have a built-in malware scanner?

While Apple doesn't have a built-in virus scanner, you can use trusted third-party security apps to check for suspicious activity. The good news is that iPhones come with strong security features. Thanks to iOS's sandboxing, apps are kept separate, making it hard for traditional viruses or malware to spread.

How do I check for malware on my iPhone for free?

How to scan my iPhone for malware and viruses? It's quite simple — all you need to do is download Avast Mobile Security from the App Store and install the app into your iPhone. Once it's downloaded and you've gone through the onboarding process, you can scan your iPhone for malware with Smart Scan.

Does resetting an iPhone get rid of malware?

Factory resetting is the most drastic way to clear viruses on iPhone or iPad devices. Not only will a factory reset clear malware from your iPhone, but it will clear everything else too. We recommend that you try all other steps before restoring your device to a like-new state.

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