How to know if your phone has a virus or spyware

1. Signs that your phone has a virus or spyware

It's not always easy to notice that a phone is infected, but there are several signs that, if they appear together or suddenly, should make you suspicious:

• The battery drains much faster than normal, even without having changed your usage habits.
• The phone heats up for no apparent reason, even when not in use or charging.
• Apps appear that you don't remember installing in the app list.
• Pop-up ads show up outside of any app, even on the home screen or when the phone is locked.
• Mobile data usage spikes without you having changed how you use your phone.
• The phone suddenly gets slow, freezes, or takes a long time to open apps that used to run smoothly.

2. How to check by reviewing apps and permissions

Go to Settings > Apps (the exact name varies by phone) and go through the full list of installed apps, not just the ones you see on the home screen. Pay attention to generic names, strange icons or apps you don't recognize: if you don't know what it's for or when you installed it, that's a red flag.

Then go to Settings > Accessibility and to the device administrators section (sometimes inside Settings > Security). These two areas are spyware's favorites because, once those permissions are granted, an app can read what's on screen, manage other apps, or even prevent you from easily uninstalling it. Legitimate apps almost never need these permissions, so if you see something there you don't recognize or that has nothing to do with its function, it's worth investigating or removing it.

3. How to fix it step by step

If you've spotted something suspicious, follow this order to clean the phone without losing more than necessary:

1. Uninstall the suspicious apps. If an app has device administrator permissions, you'll first need to revoke that permission from Settings before you can uninstall it.
2. Update the operating system to the latest version available from Settings, since updates fix security flaws that malware often exploits.
3. On Android, turn on and run Google Play Protect from the Play Store app so it scans the device for harmful apps.
4. On iPhone, check there are no unknown configuration profiles under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management, and remove any you didn't install on purpose.
5. As a last resort, do a factory reset. First back up your photos and contacts, but avoid restoring a full backup that could bring the suspicious app back.

4. How to prevent it from happening again

The best defense against malware and spyware is prevention:

• Only install apps from official stores (Google Play or the App Store) and avoid downloading APK files or apps from external websites.
• Don't grant accessibility permissions lightly. Before accepting, ask yourself whether that app really needs that level of access to work.