How to remove malware from Android phone

Having your phone attacked by malware is not the most pleasant thing, and it causes really many headaches. If your phone starts to behave suspiciously and keeps crashing your apps and showing you various pop-up windows, this might be malware.

You cannot leave it this way, though, and hope that the problem will solve itself. Find out how to get rid of malware on your Android phone and enjoy its smooth work again.

Malware types and their effect on Android phones

Any malicious software can get to your phone, and unfortunately, almost no one is protected from it. The only aim of this malware is to cause harm to your device and data.

Malicious software can include:

• Viruses;
• Trojans;
• Computer worms;
• Ransomware;
• Spyware.

Such malicious software is used to sneak on your personal data. Cyber Criminals often use it for fraud or identity theft.

Viruses can be installed on your device or PC without your knowledge or consent. Once a virus is on your computer, your online activity may not only be monitored but also manipulated. They are created for revenues. Therefore malware can easily get your information and manipulate your device.

For example, your Android phone may send messages to text services with high rates or install adware that makes you open specific web pages or download the apps you do not want to. All of your personal information is in danger when your phone or computer is affected by a virus. They steal contact lists, personal info, passwords, location, and everything else. They can use your information for their own benefit, as well as selling it. One of the worst scenarios is when a hacker locks your device and requires a payment for unlocking it. In this case, you can do nothing to access your personal data and all files.

Remove malware from your Android phone step by step

Removing malicious software from your Android phone will not be that easy, so get ready to complete multiple steps. No panic, though. Doing it is still possible, and moreover, anyone can do it for free. To remove malware from your Android phone, follow the instructions below.

Turn the Safe Mode on

The first step to complete is to start your phone in safe mode. It will prevent malware from interfering with the next steps. Here is how to do that:

• Press and hold the power button;
• Press and hold the hardware power button on the side of the phone;
• See the power off menu;
• Tap and hold on the Power off regime;
• Tape the Power off button;
• Get the Safe mode option;
• Press and hold the hardware power button;
• See the power off menu;
• Click on the Safe Mode option;
• Tap on it and enter safe mode by long-pressing the power off button;
• Wait until your phone reboots, and here you are in Safe mode.

If you did not find Safe mode on your Android phone, you could turn the airplane mode on, and this way, your phone is off all connections and networks.

Remove malicious admin apps from your Android phone

Malicious apps use admin apps not to let you remove them from your phone. You should check first whether your Android phone contains any of them, and here is how you can do it:

• Open the settings;
• Find the Settings app and tap on it;
• Find the Device admin apps section;
• Tap on Biometrics and Security;
• Tap on Other Security Settings;
• Tap on Device admin apps.

Depending on the model of your phone, those sections might be called differently, for example, Security – Security and privacy – Lock Screen and Security and Device admin apps – Device Administrators – Phone Administrators.

Now, find in your Device admin apps the Android section and tap on it. On the right of the app, tap the Disable admin rights option. If there are no malware admin apps, complete the next step.

Uninstall malicious apps

To find out whether your Android phone contains any malware, do the following:

• Open the Settings;
• Tap on the Settings app;
• Tap on the Apps or App Manager;
• Find the malicious app.

You should scroll through the apps until you see a malicious app. Pay attention to suspicious names, such as Xender, Z Camera, ES File Explorer, Kitty Play, etc. — the ones you have never downloaded or that do not sound like official software. If you do not find any, exit Safe mode and complete the following step.

To uninstall your malicious app, you should press the Force stop button and simply tap on Uninstall. Confirm it and exit Safe mode by restarting your Android phone. That’s all you should do. You will get back to normal mode automatically once your phone is restarted.

Remove adware, viruses, and other malware by using antivirus software

If you want to have some extra help and assistance with removing malware from your Android phone and can by no means do it on your own, you can install one of the antivirus apps. There are pretty many antivirus apps you can download from Google Play and use absolutely for free.

Remove pop-ups and redirects from your browser

Your phone might be redirected and show you pop-up ads from time to time. This is also not a good sign, and you should disable this option. Reset the settings of your web browser to the original defaults in this case. Complete this step only if all previous ones didn’t help.

When it comes to Android, doing it will be much easier than with other OS because this option is not built into the browser settings. You can clear the application data and restore the settings on your Android phone. Be careful, and it will remove all cache, cookies, and other things that might have been saved previously. Not to lose your passwords and other important information, save it in advance.

To remove pop-up and adware from Google Chrome, do the following:

• Find and tap on the Settings menu;
• Tap on the Apps or App Manager;
• Find and tap on Chrome;
• Click Storage – Manage Space;
• Click Clear all data;
• Tap OK to confirm.

You will see a confirmation dialog now and all the components that should be restored to their default settings. After confirmation, your phone should be free of malware. All of these steps sometimes do not help, so if you keep having troubles, do the following:

• Open Settings on your phone;
• Go to General management;
• Tap on Reset;
• Pick Factory data reset.

If you are bothered by malware on your Android phone, start with step number one and keep completing them until you fully get rid of it.