How to know if your phone has a virus

While the world may have become more technologically advanced, the malware landscape has unfortunately been growing increasingly complex. What this means is that your device - whether it be an Android or iPhone, could be attacked at any time.

So, how do you know if your phone has a virus? Here are some signs that’ll help you ensure that your devices are well protected.

How bad is it?

Before delving into telling if your phone has a virus, how bad are the stats? Well, according to a report in 2021, the number of data breaches has increased by 17 per cent over the past year.

Cybercriminals have not taken advantage of the increase in connectivity use due to the pandemic and are exploiting this with phishing campaigns, malicious applications and more.

Signs your phone has a malware or virus

When your phone has been hacked, you’ll notice it because your phone will start to get wonky. Certain signs, however, aren’t as obvious, so here are some other tell-tale signs to look out for:

Your device is hotter than usual
When your device downloads malware, your phone’s internal components need to work harder to support that malware or virus that’s entered your device. This will cause your device to be hot to the touch, and even overheat.

Your phone feels off
Much like how humans can feel off when a virus has impacted their body, a digital virus can impact the overall performance of your phone. It could cause your websites to work at a slower pace or your device to be sluggish in general.

More pop-ups and random new apps
If you’ve got a malicious virus in you phone, you may notice an increased number of pop-ups occurring when you’re surfing through websites. If you take a look at your app library, you may also notice that you’ve got app icons on your phone from apps you’ve never even downloaded.

Fraudulent links sent to your contacts
It’s normal for a virus or malware to access your contacts list and use the information to send out messages to your friends. This can happen not only through messages, but also email and social media accounts. If you notice this happening, go ahead and change your passwords immediately.

Charges that you haven’t made
One of the worst ways to know that your phone has a virus is if you’ve noticed that you’ve got charges that you haven’t authorized on your credit card or banking statements. If you’ve noticed this, make sure that you’re changing your personal information as it could be a malicious app making purchases on your behalf.

What to do if my phone is infected?

If you’ve noticed that your phone is infected, you’ll need to go ahead and follow the steps below:

Switch your device to airplane mode to prevent any malicious data from being received and sent from your phone.

Check apps that you have recently installed and see if any of them have a low number of downloads or poor reviews. If they do, go ahead and delete them to remove any potential viruses from your phone.

Ways to protect your phone from a malware or virus

If you’ve noticed your phone exhibiting any of the signs above, here are some ways to protect it from a malware or virus:

Make updates to your device
This means you not only have to stay on top of updates for your phone, but also make sure you’re installing then necessary comprehensive security software. While it might be tempting to skip those updates, avoid doing so as regular updates can ensure that you’ve got the latest security features installed on your phone.

Ensure you’re using strong passwords
Each of your devices should have a strong password with a unique username.

Know where you’re downloading your apps
Only download your apps from trustworthy sources and avoid third-party apps. If you’re not sure, research the apps that you’re downloading and read reviews before proceeding with the installation.

Be aware of your digital surroundings
If a link has just popped out of nowhere, avoid clicking it - especially if it looks suspicious.

Make your phone as private as possible
This means making your accounts private and limiting app permissions. Avoid opting for “always-in” permissions and decline if an app requests access to your contacts.

Clear your browsing history
Go through your browsing history and data and if you notice a suspicious link, go ahead and delete it by choosing “clear history and website data”.

Keeping your phone virus-free

Unfortunately, in this technological-driven world, viruses are aplenty. If you be aware of your digital surroundings, update your passwords, make updates to your device and be careful of where you’re downloading apps, you should be able to minimise the chances of viruses attacking your phone to a minimum.

At Circles.Life, we’ve got you cyber-secured as we don’t only have the highest of international security standards, but we also operate our own proprietary digital telco platform.