We all know that our computers can get viruses, but what you might not know is that your phone can get a virus too. In this day and age, tablets and smartphones are just as vulnerable to getting a virus as your computer, and if your device becomes infected, it could wreak havoc on your life. Virus on phone? Here’s how to detect and remove Android malware — as well as check that your iPhone is running virus-free.
Virus on phones: How phones get viruses
The most common way for a smartphone to get a virus is by downloading a third-party app. However, this isn’t the only way. You can also get them by downloading Office documents, PDFs, by opening infected links in emails, or by visiting a malicious website. Both Android and Apple products can get viruses. While Apple devices may be the least vulnerable, you are still at risk. Here are some of the tell-tale symptoms that your phone may have a virus:
Rapid data loss – One of the first signs that your phone has a virus is a rapid loss of data. Viruses often run many tasks in the background, therefore sucking up your data.
Pop-ups – As with computers, a sign that malware might be on your phone is an abundance of pop-ups. Though some pop-ups may be legitimate, it’s always good practice to never click on any link in a pop-up.
Draining battery – Is your battery suddenly draining and you don’t know why? It may be due to a virus on phone. This, too, is because viruses often run programs in the background, and that drains your power and therefore battery.
Unexplained charges – Since these phone viruses often use up your data, you could notice charges that you are not expecting. Android users also report seeing extra SMS charges, because viruses often send unsolicited messages to premium numbers.
Strange apps – If you ever notice an app on your phone that you didn’t download, it’s likely you have a virus on your smartphone.
Apps that crash – Apps crash on occasions, but if you start noticing that your apps are crashing over and over again, it is definitely a sign that there is a virus on your phone.
There are, however, other explanations for these types of behaviors beyond just an infected device. It could also mean your phone is old and failing, your battery is dying, your operating system is outdated, or maybe you “rooted” or “jailbroke” your device. By piecing together the evidence, you should be able to understand whether a virus is indeed the problem.
How to remove malware on your device?
To prevent getting viruses on your phone, keep your operating system updated and don’t venture outside of iTunes or Google Play when looking for new apps.
If you have a virus on an Android device, here’s how you can fix it: The first thing you should do is remove any apps that are questionable (apps you don’t remember downloading, basically anything that seems suspicious). Our Hotspot Shield VPN app for Android has a Malware Protection feature. With the click of a button, it will scan your device and inform you of any apps that contain viruses (see image above). You can delete the infected apps from within the Hotspot Shield app.
Once they are gone, you should restart your device. Make sure not to download any third party unapproved apps and you will keep your device safe. Your Android should also have antivirus.
Virus on iPhone
If you have an Apple device, it is less likely you will get a virus. But if you do, there are ways to remove them. First, you should back up your device in iTunes or iCloud. Go to Settings > General, and then click “Reset.” Click on “Erase All Content and Settings.”
Once it’s done, reset your device, and then go through all of the steps to set it back up. At this point, you can go back to your iCloud or iTunes account and sync up your phone. If this doesn’t work, you can also take your device to the Apple Store and they will scan your smartphone for viruses or malware and remove them there and then.
As with all online security, the best line of defense is keeping your guard up and not clicking on suspicious links or visiting malicious websites. And while many of us may follow best practices on our computer, it’s important to remember that your phone is just as vulnerable.
The free, ad-supported Hotspot Shield product includes protection against one category of malware: known malware sites. The paid desktop and mobile products also provide protection against infected sites, phishing sites and spam sites.
The AES-256 encryption used by the provider scrambles your online data, providing high-level protection trusted by security experts globally. Hotspot Shield, now part of Aura, is a solid choice. It's been ranked as the fastest and most secure VPN by independent tests, offering reliable online privacy and security.
When you connect to Hotspot Shield, your internet service provider (ISP) can see that you're connected to an IP owned by a VPN service. It might also know the time of your connection and the port your VPN protocol is using. Plus, the provider will see the amount of traffic traveling to and from your device.
This week, ZDNet published an article about a security researcher who had found a vulnerability in our Hotspot Shield application for Windows. This bug, the researcher claimed, allowed the leakage of the Wi-Fi network name that Windows users on some Hotspot Shield versions were connecting to.
So if a HotSpot is infected with an Internet worm it may use connected devices to spread to other new devices and networks assuming its payload is able to compromise the platform that's connected to it. Examples: The Virut is a File Infecting virus.
However, even though it secures internet traffic, it does not work similarly to how antivirus software secures devices. So, can a VPN protect a system from viruses or malware? Quick answer: No, a VPN, on its own, does not protect your computer from viruses.
Yes, you should leave your VPN on all the time. VPNs offer the best online security, so keeping it on will protect you against data leaks and cyberattacks, especially while you're using public Wi-Fi. It can also safeguard against intrusive snoopers such as ISPs or advertisers. Always use a VPN when you go online.
With your VPN switched on, you can safely access the internet through public Wi-Fi and hotspots. Repeat across devices: It's not enough to simply protect a single device. Download a hotspot VPN to all your devices that connect to Wi-Fi to ensure your data and identity stay safe.
Both VPNs support torrenting, with Hotspot Shield offering P2P traffic on all its 3,200+ servers in 85 countries and NordVPN allowing torrenting on over 4,500+ servers in 45 + countries. They also both feature obfuscation across all servers. Plus, both VPNs handle Tor traffic. NordVPN's server network.
Our VPN products do not log any information that associates your account credentials or identity with your VPN session activity. We do not maintain any records that show what websites you were browsing or apps accessed through a VPN connection.
Hotspot Shield VPN uses our own proprietary Hydra protocol
Our challenge was to find the ideal balance between speed and security. After a lot of real-world testing and optimization, we developed the Hydra protocol.
With Hotspot Shield Free VPN turned on, your ISP can only see that you are communicating with a Hotspot Shield proxy server. Your ISP cannot see the IP assigned to you by us or determine who you are communicating with.
The tether connection is just as vulnerable to eavesdropping and hacking as the source connection. If left unsecured, anyone nearby can log on to your hotspot. Obviously, that puts your data at risk. They don't have to go to the trouble of sorting through your device to wreck your day.
If the free VPN service you use stores your internet activity then you're not private or safe. Hotspot Shield doesn't log your browsing activity. In fact, we are one of the only VPN services to produce an annual Transparency Report to prove it.
You should consider installing Android antivirus software on your device if you are using it in one of these ways:Downloading apps: While Google Play vets its apps, there are many dangerous ones that can — and do — slip through the cracks.
Hotspot Shield prevents ISPs from throttling traffic, something that is a big concern in the U.S. without net neutrality, and it hides your IP address from prying eyes to ensure your sensitive data remains private.
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