Whoever invented mobile phones saved us from back pain and carrying our laptops everywhere however like our laptops or mobile devices can be privy to ransom ware, spyware or adware as well. Since we spend most of our times on our devices we need to make sure that our devices are safer so here are the signs that your phone may be infected:
Your Phone Is Overheating
Normally your phone is not hot however certain malware may cause your CPU to overwork resulting in your phone being hot. If you suspect that your phone is overheating it’s safer to ensure that you are unplugged from any power source as left unattended it can explode.
Your Battery Drains Faster Than Expected
Although batteries are prone to degrading over time a sudden shift of a battery that used to last longer than 8 hours to one that lasts for an hour is a sign that your phone has malware.
Your Phone Suddenly becomes slower
Similarly to a computer , your mobile device does perform tasks similarly to a computer .If your device has been infected, the malware may be overworking the components inside your phone and causing simple tasks failing to occur i.e. opening an email may take longer than expected. If your phone is suddenly slowing down or even crashing, malware could be the reason.
Annoying Pop-Up Ads Won’t Go Away
If you are noticing a lot of pop-up ads appearing when using an app or when using an app that doesn’t stipulate ads popping up in the free version your device may be infected with adware. Avoid the urge of clicking on these ads.
You suddenly have a new app you didn’t install
Sometimes an app you download can install additional programs. Take a look at your app list and make sure you recognize and want everything on the phone. If you find something unexpected, do not open the app.
These signs may seem to you as only those that affect Android phones only but malware can also affect iOS devices. While iPhones are less likely to get infected with malware than Android phones, it doesn’t mean the iPhone cannot be infected.
So regardless of what mobile OS you’re running, it’s important that you look for the above mentioned signs and if you suspect your phone is infected here is what to do:
- Scan for viruses- A good antivirus goes a long way and opt to use trusted names only such as McAfee and Kaspersky among others
- Reset your device as a last resort and only when you have run out of options as this clears your entire device.
Protect your devices and stay safe always.
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