How to Remove Malware from Android Phone

Many users may wonder, where can Android phones get malware? In fact, the Android operating system runs on an open source platform. This allows users to download files and applications from many different sources.

Additionally, apps and files from third-party sources are often unsafe for the Android system, and some third-party apps may be configured in a way to collect sensitive user data.

Mobile phones can get malware from websites, third-party apps, or interacting with strange text messages and emails. There are some signs that your mobile phone is infected with malware, such as reduced performance and excessive data consumption.

What is malware?

Malware is software or mobile applications that are intended to harm the user of a computer, mobile device, or software running on that computer/mobile device.

Malware performs malicious actions, such as installing software without the user's consent or installing harmful software like viruses to disrupt normal device operations and cause damage or steal sensitive information.

Mobile malware that we often mistake for viruses is mostly malicious code disguised as legitimate (Trojan horse), spyware and worms.

According to the famous security software manufacturer and distributor Kaspersky (Russia), most malware is designed to attack any widely used operating system, which has many security holes.

Common Signs Your Android Phone Is Infected with Malware

Here are common signs that your Android phone is infected with malware.

Apps frequently hang:App crashes are inevitable. But if multiple apps suddenly crash or stop working properly, there may be malware at work.

Increased data consumption:Malware-infected apps often run in the background, consuming more data. Users can force close them or clear their cached data, but this is only a temporary solution as they will reappear when the user reopens the app.

Spam messages appear:Malware can send links via email or text to contacts to lure users into clicking on them. Hackers can also use them to make purchases without the user knowing. Users may notice these suspicious transactions on their bank statements or receive email receipts.

Phone battery drains fast:Malware-infected apps running in the background without the user's knowledge will consume energy and reduce the phone's battery life.

Phone overheating:Apps infected with malware running in the background will take up a lot of the phone's random access memory (RAM). This makes it difficult for the phone to perform other tasks at the same time, causing the phone's temperature to heat up quickly.

Many ads appear:Once adware invades a phone, it can take control of the user's browser, redirect the user to other websites, install unauthorized extensions, and target the user with multiple ads.

Google automatically logs out of account:When Google detects malware on a phone, it automatically deletes the user's account and displays a warning that says “You've been signed out for protection,” and it displays suggestions to restore the user's account.

Strange apps appear:New apps suddenly appear on the user's phone that the user did not install before.

How to Remove Malware from Android Phone

When there are signs of suspicion that the Android phone is infected with malware, users should take the following steps to remove it.

Scan and remove malware using your Android phone's built-in security program.

Most Android phones now come with a dedicated security program from the manufacturer. Users should check if their phone has such a program and perform a full system scan. After scanning, if the program detects any malware, delete it immediately.

Use Android Safe Mode to Remove Malware

Users can also run “Safe Mode” to factory reset their Android phone and see if their phone works normally, otherwise, they need to check all installed apps and uninstall suspicious ones.

Clear browser cache and enable Google Play Protect

Apps store caches of web pages to make them load faster when users revisit them. Clearing them may make sites load a little slower when you revisit them. But by clearing the cache, users can also remove the connection between their phone and malicious websites.

Additionally, users should also enable Google's Play Protect feature to detect and block harmful apps, which will scan every app a user has installed regardless of where they downloaded it.

Play Protect also conducts regular security checks on the user's phone. When malware is detected, Play Protect notifies the user to uninstall the malicious apps or automatically deletes them and notifies the user later.

Update your phone to the latest operating system version

Updating your phone to the latest version of the operating system will improve its functionality and compatibility with other apps and devices. You will also get security patches and exciting new features. Usually, you will receive a notification when a new update is available, otherwise, check for software updates in the settings menu.

Restore phone to factory settings

When a user performs a factory reset on their phone, it will erase all settings, files, or applications, returning the device to its original state before it was unboxed and activated. However, users should consider only using this method when all other steps have failed to remove the malware, and be sure to create a backup of your data before performing a factory reset to avoid data loss.

Solutions to help protect your phone from being reinfected by malware

Removing malware from your phone is a success, but keeping your phone as free from re-infection as possible is important. Therefore, users should avoid accessing suspicious websites, applications and links from untrusted sources. Here are some solutions to help protect your phone from being re-infected by malware:

Change Google account password

Your Google account connects to a number of tools that contain sensitive data, from the Drive storage service to the Docs and Sheets suite of word processing tools. If your Google account password falls into the hands of hackers, your data could be stolen. So change your Google password immediately after dealing with the malware.

Reset network connection

The network reset process essentially restores all network settings to their factory defaults on the mobile device, including mobile data settings and Wi-Fi settings. All WiFi settings will be wiped clean and restored to their factory defaults, including any virtual private networks (VPNs) that the user has set up.

Resetting all of your customized network options to factory values ​​can help fix a number of problems. For example, incorrectly specified settings will be cleared, leaving your phone's network connection intact. If you've previously shared your connection with a suspicious device, resetting will stop future automatic reconnections and prevent hackers from sending files with malware attachments to your phone without permission.

Avoid suspicious apps and platforms

Users who frequently download third-party applications are likely to be infected with malware. So, if necessary, carefully consider the applications and platforms that users want to download such as checking the reviews and ratings of those applications, in case there are no or few reviews and ratings, then do not download.

Some malware can disguise itself as legitimate apps or hide inside phone cleaners or optimizers. Modern Android phones offer a variety of ways to free up storage, so users don't need such apps.

Reference:

1. https://www.androidpolice.com/...

2.https://www.gizchina.com/2023/...

Phan Van Hoa