How to completely Remove a Virus from an Android Phone
First (Step)
When you get a virus on your Android device you have to act immediately to remove it and minimize any damage to the data stored on it. In this short tutorial we will teach you how to remove an Android virus. If you think your device has been infected, one of the best free antivirus programs for Android is: AVG AntiVirus. Read this oneHOWTO article to learn how to remove a virus on Android.
Use an antivirus to remove a virus on Android
The first option for virus removal for Android, as we've said, is AVG Antivirus. Take a look at this step by step guide to know how to remove a virus on Android with this method:
The first thing to do is download and install AVG Antivirus from Google Playor via this link: http://www.avg.com/gb-en/antivirus-for-androidhttp://www.avg.com/gb-en/antivirus-for-android
Once you have accepted the permissions, downloaded and installed it, open the application. Activate the application and click on the Protection option.
Next, on the list of options, click on "Scan Now". This way we'll be able to start an immediate analysis so the program can detect malicious files and get rid of them.
It will then begin searching for anypossible viruses and malware that may be on your Android phone or tablet. When it's finished it will remove all traces of the virus.
A fast and effective way to clean and protect your mobile from future infections.
How to put Android in safe mode
There is another method of virus removal from Android that does not require external apps. This requires to put your Android on safe mode so no third party apps can access your phone. Thus, we're going to show you how to put Android in safe mode first of all.
First of all, you should press and hold the power button for at least two or three seconds. You will see that the device will ask you if you want to turn off your phone.
Click on 'Power off', but don't release your finger but wait until the phone asks if you are sure you want to restart your phone on safe mode.
Click on 'ok'.
This will not allow you to access any of the apps you have downloaded from the internet.
Different brands that use Android may have different methods of putting your phone in safe mode, so make sure this is the method your brand uses.
How to check your phone for viruses
Now you have the safe mode on, it's time to start looking for viruses. Although there are many third party apps that do the job for you such as the aforementioned AVG, you can scan your Android phone for viruses manually for virus removal.
Once you are on Safe mode, go to your Android phone Settings.
On this menu find the 'Apps' option.
Once here, click on the Application manager option.
Find the apps screen and scroll down the apps you have on your Andorid phone.
On this list, you should find an app you haven't installed yourself. Make sure it isn't a default app.
Click on the app, where you should see the option 'Uninstall'.
If the 'uninstall' option is not allowed, the virus may have requested to have a 'Device administrator status'.
If this is the case, go to settings and click on the 'Security' option, which you may find in 'advanced settings' depending on the brand of your phone.
Click on the option 'Device administrators'.
Here you'll see the virus app has access. Click on it.
On this screen, you should click on deactivate.
This will allow you to go back to step 1 and successfully remove a virus on Android.
Once you're done, you'll need to deactivate the safe mode.It's as easy as switching off your Android phone and switching it on again as you normally would.
Tips
It's advisable to run the antivirus once a week on your Android device in order to avoid viruses from getting into your Android phone.
It's best to use the antivirus when the device is connected to a power supply or is fully charged.
Remember you should never download any third party apps that may seem dodgy or doubtful. If you are not sure about an app, use the Internet or Google Play comments to find out what people who have downloaded the app say.
How to completely Remove a Virus from an Android Phone (Second Step)
If your phone or tablet is acting up it's possible it has a virus or something else misbehaving behind the scenes. Here's how to remove a virus from Android.
Android phones and tablets can behave erratically from time to time, especially as the amount of junk installed on them piles up.
Sometimes bad behaviour can be attributed to a virus or other malware, and it can be difficult to tell what's to blame.
Nine times out of 10 it won't be a virus causing your device to act up. They do exist, but they are rare, and are usually installed exclusively via dodgy apps.
You'll find few of these if you stick to the secure confines of the Google Play store.
The most common symptom presented to us as evidence of a virus is dodgy pop-ups in the browser. Usually these can be removed simply by clearing the browser's cache.
Go to Settings > Apps > Chrome > Storage > Clear Cache. Within Chrome itself hit the three dots icon at the top right and choose Settings > Privacy > Clear Browsing Data, then tick all the options and choose Clear Data.
If your device is misbehaving in another way, the best way to rid it of whatever is causing the issue is a factory reset, which can be achieved via Settings > System > Reset Options > Erase all data (it might look a little different on some phones).
But this is not an attractive solution when you have it set up just how you want it, so you should be careful to ensure you back up anything importantbefore you begin.
If you're pretty sure you know what's causing the trouble - perhaps it all kicked off after you installed an app that you're not sure is 100 percent trustworthy - then you can sometimes fix the problem just by removing that specific app.
Uninstalling an app can be difficult if it's given itself administrator rights, however, but following the steps we outline below you should be able to force it out. We'll explain how to put your Android phone or tablet in Safe mode, remove the administrator rights, and then uninstall the app.
Supposing you've done all the above and your device is still slow, consider that it may be a case of old age or a new software update that doesn't play nicely slowing things down. Check out our guide on how to speed up Android.
To prevent further threats, you might also want to install an antivirus app for your phone or tablet. You'll find our favourites in our round-up of the best mobile antivirus. Our top pick is Bitdefender.
If you're convinced that malware is at large, read on for instructions on removing it from your device.
As instructed in Step (1) Put your phone on safe Mode ,the procedure is given again below
Put your phone or tablet into Safe mode. This prevents any third-party apps running, including any malware.
On many devices you can press the power button to access the power off options, then press and hold Power off to bring up an option to restart in Safe mode.
On other phones you hold down volume-down during boot-up to enter Safe mode.
If neither of these options work, Google 'How to put [your model name] into Safe mode' and follow the instructions.
When in Safe mode you'll see 'Safe mode' at the bottom left of the screen.
Now open your Settings menu and choose Apps. Search for the dodgy app in question, and if you don't know which app to look for just search for anything you don't remember downloading or which doesn't sound like a genuine Android service.
Remove the administrator rights and uninstall the dodgy app
Tap on the malicious app (clearly it won't be called 'Dodgy Android virus', this is just an illustration) to open the App info page, then click Uninstall.
In most cases, this is all you need to do to remove the virus, but occasionally you might find the Uninstall button is greyed out.
This is because the virus has given itself Device administrator status.
Exit the Apps menu and find the Device Administrators menu within Settings > Security. On our Samsung this is in Settings > Security > Other Security > Device Admin Apps. Here you'll find a list of any apps on your phone or tablet with administrator status.
Simply untick the box for the app you want to remove, then tap Deactivate on the next screen.
You should now be able to return to the apps menu and remove that app.
With the virus now off your Android phone or tablet, all you need to is restart the device to take it out of Safe mode.
Avoid future Android viruses and malware
• Don't install apps from outside Google Play unless you know what you're doing:This functionality should be disabled by default, but to check you can open your phone or tablet's Settings menu, go to Security, then ensure the Unknown Sources option is disabled. If you do install an app outside Google Play, be absolutely certain that you are installing it from a legitimate source and not a fake website posing as an official source
• can also check reviews online and browse the developer's website to see whether it's a genuine operation or cowboy business
• Keep Android up to date: The latest version of the Android operating system won't necessarily be available for your phone or tablet, but you should check that it is as up to date as it can be. Next time you upgrade, consider a brand that is known for its timely operating system updates. Check out our guide on how to update Android for further advice