Do you worry about viruses infecting your mobile devices? You should! In today’s digital world, it’s more important than ever to protect your gadgets from the thousands of different types of malware and viruses out there. We are faced with a constant barrage of hacks and cyber attacks and our smartphones are a focal point. We wanted to explain what viruses are, how they can infect your devices, and how to protect yourself. And just because you have a new Android or new iPhone doesn’t mean you’re immune to these virus attacks either.
How Do Viruses Infect Phones?
Although your phone will not get a virus like your PC there are still various kinds of malware that can infect your phone. Despite the marketing messaging of phone manufacturers, you can still get some nasty malware on your mobile device, especially if you’re being careless and not digitally responsible. If you are concerned about how the malware will enter your mobile, then here are some ways:
- If you download apps on your phone
- By downloading various kinds of nefarious content on your phone (porn is a big one)
- If you link your mobile phone to other devices
- By jailbreaking your smartphone
What Do Viruses Do To Your Phone?
The main objective of malware is to steal sensitive data from your Android or iPhone. That is their goal because once they have personal data, they can access financial data. Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that hackers can benefit from the malware by gathering your personal information.
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The malware is also used to send text messages to other telephone numbers and in most cases, the victim is completely unaware that his/her phone is being utilized. Another negative side of the malware is that it slows the performance of your mobile phone. Let’s keep in mind that viruses are malicious software designed to wreak all kinds of havoc for you.
Viruses On Android
When it comes to Androids, there is a moderate risk with the threat of malware on Android. One reason behind it is more freedom in the operating system. That’s one thing I hear often from Android users (compared to Apple) is that “I can do more with my Android”. Well..with that freedom comes an extra risk as well. Android lets users download apps from other sources than the official app store and that can be a problem.
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In addition to that, from time to time users of mobile phones will customize the OS of the Android to get it to fit their requirements. With those customizations can sometimes come security holes. That’s why it becomes challenging for Google to make sure that all of the customers are utilizing the Android OS’s most secure version.
How To Know If Your Android Has Got A Virus?
There are various signs that will show that your Android is infected by malware.
- The appearance of apps will appear unfamiliar or different
- Crashing of apps (more frequently than normal because crashes do happen)
- You’ll almost notice an increase in mobile data that you used (even though your consumption habits may not have changed. This is one reason why I review my data usage regularly).
- Overheating (more than normal).
- A quick drop in your phone’s battery life and health
How Do You Get Rid Of Viruses From Android?
If you want to get rid of the virus, then you should go for an antivirus app for Android. Once you get an antivirus app, you can run an antivirus scan. After that, you will have to follow instructions regarding the way of detecting and removing the virus on Android (it will all depend on the app you choose). These are standard operating procedures across most antivirus apps for mobile devices.
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Viruses On iPhones
Now…Apple fans, you’re not off the hook either. I know you like to think that iPhones are superior in everything compared to Android, BUT…it is also true that iPhones can indeed get viruses as well. Despite what you might have heard in your cubicle pods or around the cooler in the breakroom that your iPhone device can never get malware, it’s just not true. The iPhone is a hotbed for mobile malware attacks. Furthermore, if you want to protect your iPhone from such attacks, then you must take sensible precautions.
A very popular malware attack is the pop-up ad on Safari. You may get trapped by a pop-up ad that claims your phone is in need of additional software to solve the problem (or you’ve won a free iPad), and most of the time that software is malicious.
How To Know That My iPhone Has Got A Virus?
Here are some of the most notable signs that show your iPhone potentially has got a virus:
- Pop-up ads have become more frequent
- More often, crashing of apps (more than normal because app crashes also happen on iOS)
- An elevation of mobile data being used (again…make sure you’re monitoring data usage on your mobile devices).
- Your phones battery health significantly drops
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How Do You Get Rid Of Viruses From The iPhone?
Just like Android, one of the best ways to get rid of viruses is by getting an antivirus app, running a scan, and then following the next steps.
So…Do I Really Need Antivirus Software For My Smartphone?
In this day and age, it’s more important than ever to take steps toward securing our devices from viruses. While the iOS on your iPhone and Android devices is a fairly secure platform (although there are still risks), many people choose to install an antivirus app for extra protection against malware that can sneak onto these mobile devices through emails or social media sites like Facebook when you’re not looking out for them! And since the iPhone and Android operating systems do escape some types of malicious software nowadays, meaning they’ll never completely shield us automatically without added features, I highly recommend getting one with good scanning capabilities as well as other helpful tools such as threat detection.
There are a handful of really good antivirus software on the market for both Android and iPhones. If I had to choose one, it would be Norton 360 Mobile Security. This antivirus app is great for both iPhones and Android devices. You will get everything integrated into a single application, including an antivirus and VPN service that helps protect your privacy on public WiFi as well! It’s battery efficient because it doesn’t require constant monitoring like some other antivirus apps do (yes..battery life is important to me). This way you can use the phone normally while still getting all these great features such as being alerted about malicious links or websites before installing them (and even getting a warning when there are dangerous ones already installed). And I’ll be honest, I love getting 100% malware protection without slowing down device performance. Aggressive apps annoy me and Norton’s developers have done a fantastic job making sure device performance isn’t sacrificed in the name of security. It’s a delicate balance, but they’ve managed to do it and do it well.