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. Among them, some third-party apps can 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 such as 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 horses), 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 stop working or don't work 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 that run 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 your phone's random access memory (RAM). This makes it difficult for your phone to perform other tasks at the same time, causing your phone to heat up quickly.

Many ads appear:When adware infects 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 shows suggestions to recover the user's account.

Strange applications 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 an 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 your phone works normally, otherwise you need to check all installed apps and uninstall suspicious apps.

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 visit again. 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 harmful app detection and blocking feature, which scans every app a user installs, regardless of where they downloaded it.

Play Protect also performs regular security checks on users’ phones. When malware is detected, Play Protect will notify users to uninstall the malicious apps or automatically remove them and notify users 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. It will also patch security holes and give you access to exciting new features. You will usually receive a notification when an 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 fail to remove 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 safe as possible from getting reinfected is important. Therefore, users should avoid accessing suspicious websites, apps, and links from untrusted sources. Here are some solutions to help protect your phone from being reinfected by malware:

Change Google account password

Your Google account connects to a number of tools that hold 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 malware.

Reset network connection

A network reset essentially restores all network settings to their factory defaults on the mobile device, including cellular 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 custom network options to their factory values ​​can help fix some pretty serious issues. 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. Therefore, if necessary, carefully consider the applications and platforms that users want to download, such as checking the reviews and ratings of those applications. If there are no or few reviews and ratings, then do not download them.

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 memory, so users don't need such apps.

Reference:

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

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

Phan Van Hoa