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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nDo I Have Malware?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We assume that since you\u2019re reading this article, you suspect that your Android phone has a malware infection. However, malware<\/a> is rarer than you might think. There are a few typical malware symptoms you\u2019ll want to be aware of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If that sounds like you, let\u2019s move on to how you can deal with your malware issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re highly confident that your phone is infected with malware, switch it off completely. This should prevent the malware from \u201cphoning home\u201d and perhaps further infecting and taking control of your device. Remove the SIM<\/a> card while you\u2019re at it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re ready to turn the phone on again, put it in Airplane Mode or switch off your WiFi router to prevent the device from connecting to the internet. Hopefully, you\u2019ve cut off communications from the phone before any of your private data has been sent back to the malware authors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Using antivirus software is the most obvious thing to do when dealing with malware on an Android device, but some readers may not know that antivirus apps exist. Of course, it would be better to install an antivirus app before your phone is infected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s because some malware might interfere with the installation of antivirus applications. We\u2019ll cover a few things you can do if it\u2019s too late for an antivirus app. If installing an antivirus app is still viable for you, check out The Five Best Android Antivirus and Security Apps<\/a> for verified and effective options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like most desktop computers, Android offers a \u201cSafe Mode.\u201d In this mode, the phone doesn\u2019t allow any third-party applications to run. It\u2019s a good way to test whether it is in fact an app that\u2019s causing your issues. If your phone\u2019s problems disappear in Safe Mode, it\u2019s likely malware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To enter Safe Mode on Android 6 device and newer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, wait for your phone to restart. In Safe Mode, you can still remove apps, so this is a good opportunity to uninstall the apps you\u2019re most suspicious of. If you\u2019re lucky, that might remove the malware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re not that lucky, you\u2019ll at least have stopped some of its functionality, allowing you to install a trusted antivirus app if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Safe Mode temporarily puts a stop to whatever third-party apps are doing on your phone. As mentioned above, you can use this as a chance to delete suspicious apps. However, you should also take the opportunity to review which applications are listed as \u201cDevice Administrators.\u201d Apps with this level of privilege can do extreme things, such as erasing the entire phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some applications need administrator privileges to do their job, but such apps have explicit justifications listed in the Device Administrators list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting to your list of apps with administrator rights can vary from one phone to the next, but the path should be something like Settings > Security > Device Administrators<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On our Samsung S21 Ultra<\/a> unit, the menu is called \u201cDevice admin apps\u201d and is listed under \u201cOther security settings\u201d within the Biometrics and security menu. Few apps should have this privilege toggled on, and you should disable this permission for any applications you don\u2019t know for sure<\/em> should have complete control of your phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, completely wiping and resetting your phone to its out-of-the-box state may feel a little drastic. However, it could be the fastest way to remove malware from an Android phone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It should be no more than a mild inconvenience for most people since all your information is in the cloud. So, once you\u2019ve signed in with your Google account after the reset, your data should be restored automatically. Before you reset, read Google\u2019s backup and restore document<\/a>, so you\u2019re sure how it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Certain types of malware prove harder to remove from your Android phone than your typical bug. Some of them are so tough that they\u2019ll survive a factory reset! Rootkits are a prime example of such a hard-to-kill malicious program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A rootkit is a type of malware that installs itself into the core parts of the operating system. Normally, those critical parts of the software running your phone would be completely off-limits, but hackers find exploits in systems all the time and use those to enable the installation of rootkits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rootkits are almost impossible to detect, but poorly-written ones can still produce classic malware symptoms. They are the most dangerous form of malware because they offer complete control of your phone to a stranger. They can spy on you and do with your phone data what they like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Antivirus makers aren\u2019t sitting on their hands. Apps like Avast Antivirus<\/a> also come with a built-in rootkit scanner. Of course, it\u2019s not clear how effective they are because we can\u2019t know about the rootkits these scanners miss, but it\u2019s better than nothing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hopefully, if you were infected with malware, the above tips have helped cleanse your phone of evil. If it turns out you weren\u2019t infected, that\u2019s even better news!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now we need to talk about not getting infected or victimized by malware in the first place:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finding out you\u2019ve got malware on your phone can feel like quite a violation, but with the right safeguards, you\u2019ll almost certainly avoid becoming a victim in the first place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One of Android\u2019s greatest strengths is the open nature of the platform. Unlike iOS devices, you\u2019re free to install any software you want. Unfortunately, that\u2019s also a source of problems. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":71,"featured_media":79867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ub_ctt_via":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[5397],"class_list":{"0":"post-79866","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tech","8":"tag-android"},"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/malware.jpeg","author_info":{"display_name":"Sydney Butler","author_link":"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/author\/sbutler\/"},"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tSwitch Off the Phone!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nUse an Antivirus App<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Put Your Phone Into Safe Mode<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nIn Safe Mode, Remove App Admin Privileges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nFactory Reset Your Phone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nSerious Infections Such As Rootkits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>An Ounce of Prevention<\/h2>\n\n\n\n