How to remove a virus on an Android device

If you suddenly feel that your phone or tablet is slow or erratic, it may be a virus and you need to fix it as soon as possible to protect your devices and all your information. Here are some tips and tools to help you remove virus on android and keep your mobile phone healthy.

Also check out our guides on how to use Neighborhood Sharing on Android, how to track an Android device, and how to block calls on Android.

Step 1 – Turn off the device until you know the details

Once you make sure your phone is being attacked by some kind of malware, you will have to press and hold the power button on your phone. This way, you won’t prevent further harm from a virus or malware, but you can prevent the problem from worsening and stop any attempts to access nearby networks.

Also, this way you have time to think and explore. Do you know the infected application? Do you know what other types of software may have been downloaded without your consent? If not, go to your computer and look for symptoms (as well as any new apps you’ve tried) to narrow down the problem. If you can’t find the infected app, you won’t be able to uninstall it and the problem won’t go away.

If after investigation you find nothing, we suggest that you turn off your phone and go to step 5 this guide. Anti-malware applications can help determine what Programs causes problems, and some may even remove the infected software. However, this will also give your phone access to the internet again, which comes with some risk.

Step 2. Switch to safe or emergency mode during operation.

When you turn on the device again, first switch to safe mode. This will help limit the damage that the infected application has done or could cause.

On most Android devices, you can switch to Safe Mode by holding the Power button for a few seconds after turning on the device. Thus, the option “safe mode”, “emergency mode” or similar words will appear. Select this mode and wait for your phone to restart before continuing. If you can’t find “safe mode”, you can enable “airplane mode” which will prevent your device from connecting to any network. This option is usually found on the notification bar.

Note. If you can’t figure out what’s causing the malware problem even after downloading the security app, seek the help of a professional; you must clear your phone. This is undoubtedly the best strategy.

Step 3. Go to “Settings” and find the app.

Visit the “Settings” section on your Android device. Settings often have a gear icon, but sometimes it depends on the phone.

In the Settings or Options section, scroll until you see the Apps section and enter it. Find a list of all your current apps. You may have to select Application Manager to find the full list. Once there, scroll until you find the infected app.

Select an application. The options to uninstall or force quit should then appear (you can’t uninstall core apps, you just have to disable them, but those apps are unlikely to be a problem).

Step 4 – Remove the infected application and everything else suspicious

You will just have to select Uninstall and your Android device should uninstall the app in question. It’s also a good idea to check the list of programs and remove any other downloads that you think are suspicious. If you haven’t checked this list before, you might be surprised by some of the things your device downloaded automatically.

Note: In some cases, you cannot simply uninstall the application. Some of the smarter malware and ransomware get access to administrator settings and get special protection to prevent it. Fortunately, this is usually easy to fix.

You need to go back to the original Settings menu and scroll down to Lock screen and security (or a similar section). In the “Security” menu, find the “Phone (device) administrators” section. You may need to visit Other Security Settings first, depending on how your menu is set up. In Phone Manager, you should be able to enable the Android malware removal option.

Step 5 – Download Good Malware Protection

A vulnerable Android device deserves protection. To that end, there are a number of security apps that you can download to help secure your phone, scan it for viruses, and get rid of junk files and any potentially infected software. When you finish removing the infected application manually, you should use a security program to help you resolve any future issues. There are many options in this area: you can try programs like Safe Security, Avast Security or AVG Antivirus from the Google Store.

While it sounds obvious, it’s a good idea to keep your Android device up to date. When we miss an update, our Android phones get attacked.