Desktops aren’t the only gadgets that can be affected by a virus. Android devices have a malware problem and it’s growing every day.
So what can you do to remove a virus from Android without a factory reset?
Is It Really a Virus?
If your phone isn’t functioning the way it should be, there’s a chance you have some malware on it.
One wrong tap somewhere and a malicious file might have been downloaded on your phone, which is leeching battery life, Internet resources, or your personal data.
But it could be something else.
Suppose your Android refuses to boot or crashes every time it starts up.
Or maybe you can’t seem to download apps from the Play Store.
In fact, there are some tell-tale signs that your Android has a virus. Ask yourself a few questions:
Did the problem start happening after you downloaded some app or file?
Have you recently installed an app from a third-party source and not the Play Store?
Did you click on some ad that
downloaded a file or app you didn’t want?
Does the problem occur only when you run a particular app?
If the answer to any of the above is yes, then there’s a chance you have malware on your system.
And importantly, you might be able to fix it without a factory reset!
Install and Run an Antivirus Scan
The first step is to run an antivirus and see if that catches the malware.
Android actually has a wide array of antivirus apps now, both free and paid.
We’ve tried to answer what is the best Android antivirus app, but honestly, there’s no one app that is head and shoulders above the rest.
In terms of detection and ease of use, if you want a free app, then Avira is a good bet.
It will scan all your files and apps, and recommend removing malicious ones.
For a more thorough scan, you’ll need a paid app like Kaspersky Internet Security, which has a 30-day trial period and otherwise costs $14.95 per year.
Download: Avira Antivirus Security for Android (Free)
Download: Kaspersky Internet Security for Android (30-day Trial | $14.95 per year)
For other options, check out antivirus tester AVTest’s recommendations for the best Android security apps, ranked based on their detection levels as well as ease of use.
Hopefully, the antivirus scan should find and remove the malware on your phone or tablet. But if that doesn’t get the job done, then it’s on to a manual step.
Manually Delete in Safe Mode
Much like Windows has a “Safe Mode”, so does Android.
And if your system has been affected by a virus, you’ll need to rely on it.
To boot into Safe Mode on most Androids:
Press and hold the Power button till you get the “Power Off / Reboot” screen.
Tap and hold “Power Off” till you get a prompt to “Reboot to Safe Mode”.
Tap “OK”.
Wait for the phone or tablet to reboot.
In one of the corners, you will see a watermark of “Safe Mode”.