How to remove a virus from your Android phone

Android smartphones are the most popular phones in the world. This fact alone makes Android phones more susceptible to viruses and other malware than iPhones, for example.

Don’t let this scare you. Generally speaking, smartphones are less likely to be targeted by malware than PCs. Moreover, all Android phones come with built-in security features, which makes them hard to hack in the first place. However, as we use smartphones more and more, that is slowly changing.

Luckily, you can remove a virus from your Android phone pretty easily with antivirus software, such as TotalAV. However, there are other ways to get rid of cyber threats, including uninstalling malicious apps or doing a factory reset.

In this article, I will show you how to check if your Android smartphone is infected with malware and teach you how to safely remove it.

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How to get rid of a virus from an Android phone

Removing viruses from your Android phone or tablet requires some patience, as there are quite a few steps to go through. These steps include a manual approach; however, there are a few automation tools that can help you ease the process. I will walk you through the process of removing malware from your phone below:

Step 1: Check for Android device and security updates

Outdated software is more susceptible to malware. One of the first things you should do is ensure that your phone is up-to-date. These updates often include hot fixes and security patches and protect against cyber threats. Here’s how you can update your phone:

1. Go to your Android settings and search for Software/System update
2. If there are any new updates, make sure to install them by clicking Install now

Step 2: Scan your Android device with antivirus software

Removing viruses manually can be difficult if you’re not tech-savvy. That’s why I recommend using an antivirus to make the job easier. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Download and install a reliable antivirus from the Google Play store. I recommend TotalAV, now 80% OFF
2. Create an account and choose a plan
3. Perform a full scan of your phone
4. Follow the instructions on your antivirus app

There are certain types of malware that can slip through an antivirus scan. If you believe the virus has survived the scan, try to remove it from your phone manually.

Step 3: Remove untrusted apps

If you have recently spotted an app that you didn’t install, there’s a high chance that it might be malware. You'll need to clean your phone to ensure that no unfamiliar and potentially harmful apps remain. You can remove unrecognized apps by following these simple steps:

1. Open your Android Settings and locate Apps
2. Tap Apps and choose App management
3. Search for suspicious apps
4. Select the app, tap Uninstall, and click OK

Step 4: Try a different network or connection method

Sometimes, you might experience symptoms that resemble malware-related activity if you’re connected to an untrusted or unsecure network, for instance, public Wi-Fi. Immediately disconnect and try a different network:

1. Go to your Android settings
2. Locate Network & Internet and choose Wi-Fi
3. Connect to a trusted and secure Wi-Fi
4. Alternatively, tap Mobile network and switch to mobile data

Step 5: Perform a security checkup on your Google account

There’s a strong chance that hackers used malware to hijack your Google account and further compromise your security. Here’s how you perform a security check on your Google account:

1. Open a browser on your Android device
2. Go to myaccount.google.com/security-checkup
3. Perform the recommended steps

Step 6: Change your Google account password

If you’ve noticed suspicious activity on your Google account, such as new logins or unauthorized charges, make sure to reset your password:

1. Open your Android settings
2. Go to Google and tap Manage your Google account
3. Select the Security section and locate Password
4. Confirm your current password and create a new password in the next window. Use a password generator to create a unique and strong password with uppercase letters, lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers

Step 7: Add two-factor authentication (2FA)

You can also increase your Android protection by using 2FA which makes it way more difficult for hackers to gain access to your Google account. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open your Android settings
2. Go to Google and find Manage your Google account
3. Click Security and locate 2-step verification
4. Confirm your password and follow the steps in the next window

Extra step: Wipe your Android phone

If none of the above methods were able to remove the malware, you can wipe your Android by doing a factory reset. Here is a guide showing how to wipe your Android phone:

1. Make a backup of your data onto a trusted computer. Don’t rely on Google’s backup features in case it’s also compromised. Plug your device into your computer using a USB cable. In the pop-up, select File transfer/Android Auto, and proceed with file transferring on your computer. The most important files to transfer would be photos and videos located in the DCIM folder, however, think about anything else you have on your phone that you would like to save.
2. Reset your phone to factory settings. While these settings might be located in different places depending on your Android device, the most generic steps would be to go to the Settings app > System > Reset Options > Erase all data (factory reset).

How to check my Android phone for malware?

A reliable antivirus is one of the easiest ways to check if your Android smartphone has been infected with malware. Here’s how you can check whether your phone has malware/malicious threats:

1. Go to Google Play, find and install the TotalAV app
2. Open TotalAV and tap the Security Scan button at the middle bottom of your screen
3. TotalAV will scan your device and notify you if any malware are detected

If you believe that your smartphone has been compromised but are unable to find the malware yourself, you can also perform a factory reset. Remember, a factory reset will delete nearly everything from your Android phone, so make sure to back up your photos and other important files before doing so.

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Can phones get malware?

Yes, phones can easily get malware. For the past 10 years, the Android operating system (OS) has been dominating the global market and currently holds over 80% of the smartphone market share worldwide. Due to their popularity, Android phones are more susceptible to malware than iPhones, but both can get infected. Here are some of the most common ways by which malware and potentially unwanted apps can get into your phone.

Rooting is an easy way to get infected with malware. Rooting your phone allows you to gain root access to its operating system. Users choose to root their phones for more customization, access to third-party apps, and the ability to remove bloatware. However, rooting inherently involves bypassing your phone’s security restrictions and can make it easier for malware to infect your phone.

The same applies to custom ROMs, which give users even more customization and control over their Android smartphones.

Another common way malware infects Android phones is through malicious apps. Malicious apps are usually installed through third-party websites, although there have been instances of malicious apps infiltrating Google Play, such as Anatsa banking trojan.

In addition, your phone may become infected with malware if you connect to an unknown or unsecured Wi-Fi, enable Bluetooth in public places, your Google or Apple account has been compromised, or you use outdated software.

How to know if your phone has a malware?

The quickest way to determine whether your Android phone has a virus is to run a full system scan with a reliable antivirus, like TotalAV. It’s compatible with Android and iOS devices and can detect even the most advanced cyber threats.

In addition, you should closely monitor your device’s activity and look out for suspicious behavior such as:

1. Overheating or battery drain

Malware can use your phone’s computing power to run nefarious background tasks. A good example of this is running ads in the background without your consent, where malicious actors infect your device and use it to generate revenue without your knowledge. This can cause your phone to heat up out of nowhere and is a symptom you shouldn’t ignore.

You can check the state of your battery life by navigating to Settings app > Battery > Battery Usage. Here, you will also find which apps use the most of your battery power.

If the battery-intensive apps are legitimate and you have installed them yourself, you should not worry. Yet, if you notice a suspicious app draining your battery, there’s a high chance that it’s malware.

2. Unexpected ads, redirects, or pop-ups

Intrusive ads are a result of adware, which is not strictly classified as malware, and instead rests under the name of Potentially Unwanted Application/Program (PUA/PUP). If sites or apps that are normally ad-free or ad-light suddenly become filled with ads, pop-ups, and redirects to sketchy sites, here are some possibilities:

• The service has changed ownership or been compromised
• Your network is injecting ads into insecure (HTTP) connections
• Your phone has adware

Most of the time — especially when a trusted app is covered by an ad — the issue is caused by adware.

3. Unwanted, suspicious new apps

Finding apps you don’t remember installing is a huge red flag. But, before you start worrying about malware, make sure that you’re not signed into a shared Google account. They can sync apps across devices, so it’s possible that someone you share an account with installed the app.

To check whether you're using Family Sharing on Android, go to Google Play > Account > Family > Settings > [your name] > Family Sharing.

If this isn’t the case, malware is a possible explanation for unwanted apps appearing on their own. To get rid of unwanted apps for good, install an antivirus and run a virus scan. I recommend using TotalAV as it has unmatched malware removal rates and great security features.

4. Unusually high data usage

If an app you hardly use eats up tons of data, or worse, you get a huge phone bill from data usage but can’t find the culprit — your device might have been infected with malware.

You can check data usage in settings, and once you determine which app is consuming all your data, make sure to delete it and run a malware scan to ensure no trace of it is left.

Keep your Android device protected

Phone malware is just like your physical health: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Protecting yourself against malware is not too difficult for most people who aren’t high-value targets – all it takes is some planning and precaution:

• Consider installing a strong antivirus, like TotalAV on your phone
• Stay away from third-party apps
• Don’t jailbreak or root your phone
• Keep your phone updated; if you no longer receive timely software updates, purchase a new phone

Overall, practice basic cyber hygiene, stay vigilant, and exercise caution when browsing the web, installing apps, and opening messages/emails from unknown senders.

Video tutorial

Check out our step-by-step video tutorial and learn how to identify and remove malware from your Android smartphone.

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