How to remove a virus on Android phone?

Android devices can encounter viruses and malware. They can cause you harm by sending expensive SMS messages, encrypting your device for ransom, stealing money through banking apps, stealing your pass­words, etc.

To detect and remove viruses from your phone you need an anti­virus for Android, like F‑Secure Internet Security. Anti­virus soft­ware deletes Android viruses from your phone. It also blocks new phone virus infections. With F‑Secure Internet Security other devices can be protected with the same subscription. You can try it for free for 30 days, and you don’t need to enter credit card details for the trial.

Viruses and malware on phones don’t always work the same way as they do on computers. Many legitimate apps can gather detailed information about you. This blurs the line between a malicious and a normal app. The collected data is used for profiling you so advertisers can better target ads to you.

The easiest way to remove these apps is simply uninstalling them. The tricky part is to detect the unwanted actions and which app is causing them. That’s why it’s important to carefully consider why apps ask certain app permissions. Do you really want apps and their developers to have access to your photos, location, contacts, micro­phone and so on? If not, deny the app permissions. You can edit app permissions from Settings → Privacy → Permission manager.

The best way to be safe from viruses is to prevent infection. Anti­virus for Android phones is the best way to do this. Phones are interesting targets for hackers, because they are used to access social media accounts, email, banking, and other important things. There­fore, anti­virus for Android is necessary.

It’s unlikely, but possible. Official app stores, such as Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store, have vetting processes to catch malicious apps and viruses. While rare, every now and then malicious apps get through. And like said, some apps can do bad things without being viruses. These apps can be down­loaded from app stores.

Unofficial app stores, however, are a different thing. They can be practically any­thing. Same goes for apps down­loaded from web­sites. Only trust official app stores to better protect your phone.

You can get malware from unsafe Wi‑Fi net­works, unofficial app stores, email attachments and malicious web­sites. Some­times malicious apps get through the vetting processes and are available even on official app stores.

It can be difficult to say for sure without an antivirus for Android. Find out possible warning signs that your phone could have a virus in our other free article!