How to check your phone for viruses or malware.

That’s why it’s important to keep an eye out for activity that might put your device’s security at risk. We’ll walk you through simple steps to check your phone for malicious software, clean up your device if needed, and keep it secure.

Malware, including viruses, is harmful software that can compromise your phone. It might steal personal data, install unwanted apps, or take control of parts of your device.

There are several telltale signs that your phone might be infected. Knowing what to look for means you can act fast and reduce any potential damage.

Signs your phone might have malware:

• Slower device performance.

• Unexpected pop-ups and intrusive ads.

• An unexplained increase in data usage.

• Unsolicited SMS messages sent from your phone.

• Apps crashing or not working properly.

• Your battery draining more quickly than usual.

Taking a quick look through your phone can help you catch anything that seems off. Regularly scan your phone for viruses by keeping an eye out for any unexpected behaviour.

To scan your phone for malware, start by reviewing installed apps and checking app permissions. Take a look through your apps to identify any that seem suspicious or unfamiliar. Pay close attention to apps you don’t remember installing or those with unusual permissions. 

1. Open your Settings app.

2. Select Apps or Application Manager. 

3. Scroll through the list and look for anything that seems out of place.

Check your phone’s data usage to spot apps that are using too much data, especially in the background. Here’s how:

1. Go to your phone’s Settings app.

2. Find Network & Internet or Data Usage.

Be wary of suspicious pop-ups or ads, and avoid clicking on them. These pop-ups can be a sign of adware or malware – don’t enter any personal information they ask for.

Check your browser history for unusual websites or redirects. Also, delete any suspicious bookmarks. You can usually find your browser history in the settings menu of your browser app.

Use these steps to check the security status of your phone and see if there are any recommendations:

1. Open your device’s Settings app.

2. Find Security or Security & Privacy.

3. You’ll see the security status of your device and Google account at the top.

4. If there are any security issues, follow the guidance to secure your device or account. 

If you think your phone has malware after following the steps above, it’s important to take action quickly to prevent any further damage.

Uninstall any apps identified as suspicious in the previous steps. To uninstall an app on Android, long-press the app icon and select Uninstall. You can also:

1. Open your Settings app.

2. Find Apps.

3. Select the app you want to remove, then tap Uninstall.

Clear your browsing history, cache, and cookies in your mobile browser. This can help remove lingering malware or tracking cookies. You can find these options in your browser’s settings menu.

Google Play Protect scans your phone for viruses by checking for potentially harmful behaviour in apps on the Google Play Store and your device. It can send alerts, deactivate apps, and remove malicious ones automatically.

Google Play Protect is enabled by default, but it’s a good idea to make sure you haven’t accidentally turned it off.

1. Open the Google Play Store app.

2. Tap on your profile icon.

3. Select Play Protect. 

4. Check that Scan Apps with Play Protect is turned on.

5. Turn on Improve Harmful App Detection. This automatically sends unknown apps from sources other than the Google Play Store to Google.

If nothing else is working, a factory reset can wipe infected files by restoring your phone to its original settings. But it will also remove all your personal data, such as photos, contacts, and settings.

Important: A factory reset will erase all data, apps, and settings on your phone, so it should only be done as a last resort. It’s crucial to back up your data before resetting your phone. Performing a reset might not completely remove a deeply embedded virus.

Here’s how to perform a factory reset on your Android-powered phone:

1. Open your Settings app.

2. Choose General Management or System.

3. Select Factory Data Reset. You might be prompted to enter a PIN or password.

4. The reset process will begin. This can take up to an hour.

If you can’t access your phone’s settings, you can reset from Recovery Mode using your phone’s buttons.

Pixel phones are designed with security features that lock down hidden threats before they reach you, giving you extra protection right out of the box.

The Titan M2 chip defends sensitive data with an additional layer of hardware security. It’s created from the same chip we use to protect Google Cloud data centres.

Google Play Protect regularly scans your phone and system for malware and threats. This helps identify and remove harmful software before it becomes a problem. Anti-phishing protection works in the background on Pixel devices to notify you of potential threats in phone calls, text messages, emails, and links.

Pixel devices receive security updates directly from Google as soon as they’re ready¹, so you’re protected against the latest vulnerabilities.

Using Google VPN on Pixel phones provides extra defences by encrypting your online activity, no matter what browser or apps you use. We publish our VPN’s source code so anyone can see how it keeps your information private by separating browsing activity from your IP address.

Sandboxing is a security feature that separates apps, so they can’t easily affect each other or your phone’s core system. This helps prevent harmful software in one app from affecting the rest of your device.

Protecting your phone from malware is simple once you know what to look for. When downloading apps, stick to trusted sources like the Google Play Store. Before you hit install, take a quick look at the permission requests to make sure they’re normal for the type of app you’re downloading. Staying secure online and regularly scanning for malware isn’t a one-and-done thing, but small habits like these go a long way.