How To Check For Malware on Your Android Device Right Now

Do You Think Your Android Has Hidden Malware? Don’t Panic.

If your Android device has been infected with malware, chances are you’ll notice one or more of these symptoms:

• Poor and/or slow device performance
• Apps take longer to close, or they crash regularly
• Your battery drains much faster than usual
• Unexplained increases in your data usage appear on your phone bill
• You discover strange apps that you don’t remember installing
• You see constant pop-ups or ads in your mobile browser
• Your contacts are receiving strange messages or links from you
• Google signed you out of your Google account automatically

Keep in mind that even if you’re seeing some of these signs, it doesn’t necessarily mean for sure that your device has a virus. Many of these symptoms could also be caused by an outdated phone, corrupted files, or poorly designed apps. 

Regardless, once you start experiencing any of these warning signs, it’s a good idea to clean up your mobile device. 

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How To Manually Check for Viruses on Your Android

While malware may impact your device’s performance, an infection can pose an even greater threat to your personal data and online accounts. 

Hackers often use malware to steal sensitive information — like your bank details, online account passwords, and credit card numbers, as well as personal documents saved to your device. In extreme cases, malware can even allow a cybercriminal to take control of your device remotely.

While many basic viruses can be uncovered and removed manually (and for free), it’s not always easy to spot and remove all viruses on your own. If you’re concerned that your Android could be infected with malware, follow these steps to manually check for threats.

Before you begin: Try restarting your device. If apps or files become corrupted, they can cause your device to slow down or crash. Try to force-close apps that aren’t working properly and reinstall them. If that doesn’t work, restarting your device can clear up many problems.

Use Smart Manager or Device protection to scan for malicious apps

Most Androids come with some kind of built-in antivirus or other malware protection tools. For example, Smart Manager is a feature available on some Samsung devices that helps optimize your device’s performance — and part of this includes monitoring for security threats. 

You can use Smart Manager to scan for viruses, phishing attacks, and identity apps that are draining your battery — common signs of malicious software.

How to use Smart Manager:

• Open the Smart Manager app, and navigate to Security.
• Tap on Scan Now to run a scan for malware, viruses, and other potential threats on your phone.

How to use Device protection:

If your Android doesn’t have the Smart Manager security software app, you can run a scan by using “Device protection” instead by opening the Settings app and selecting Battery and Device Care > Device protection > Scan.

Look for unfamiliar or sideloaded apps

Cybercriminals sometimes sneak Android malware into legitimate-looking apps in the Google Play Store. If hackers have access to your device, they could sideload apps from third-party app stores to your device without your knowledge.

These kinds of apps often just run in the background, and the only way you’ll know is by checking your list of apps. This is why it’s a good idea to regularly review what you have installed and delete anything that looks unfamiliar.

There are a few different ways you can check the apps you have installed on your Android device:

1. Go to your Settings app. Tap on Apps or App management, and then All.
2. From your home screen, swipe up to open the Apps menu. Swipe left to view all of your installed apps.
3. Open the Google Play Store. Click on your profile picture, and then navigate to Manage apps & device > Manage.

Check which apps are using the most data

Malware often leads to bloated data consumption because it runs in the background, sending data from your device to other servers.

Apps that are using an extremely high amount of data disproportionate to other apps are suspicious and could indicate that you have a malware problem. While it may be normal for your most-frequented apps to use a lot of data, watch out for apps that you rarely click on that are eating up your data usage.

You know your phone habits best, and only you know whether or not the amount of data an app is using is unusual and cause for concern.

How to check for apps with high data usage on Android:

• Open the Settings app.
• Depending on your device, go to Network & Internet or Connections.
• Click on Mobile data usage and Wi-Fi data usage to see which apps are using each.
• Assess apps that are consuming a lot of data. Consider whether the app needs mobile data to work; and if it does, how much do you actually use it? Does the shown usage make sense?
• Investigate any apps with potentially problematic consumption, and delete if necessary.

Check which apps are using the most battery power

Similar to the way malware can eat up a lot of data, it also can drain your device’s battery. If your device is suddenly losing battery power at a much more rapid pace than before, this could be a sign of malware — but not always.

Apps you open multiple times a day, streaming apps, and GPS apps may consume a lot of battery. However, unrecognized apps that are consuming a lot of battery on their own usually point to a larger issue.

How to check for apps with high battery consumption on Android:

• Open the Settings app.
• Click on Battery Usage.
• The apps that use the most device battery will be displayed at the top. Assess and consider whether these apps make sense in regard to their battery consumption. For example, a calculator or notes app probably shouldn’t be using much battery power.

Make sure no malicious apps have administrative privileges

Administrative privileges allow access to view and make changes to system features, user permissions, settings, and more — which can manipulate your device and the way it functions.

A general rule of thumb: The vast majority of apps we have on our phones don’t need administrative privileges. Apps that need “admin” privileges are apps that require extensive control of your device, such as for security reasons. Social media apps, streaming services, and games shouldn’t need these kinds of permissions.

How to check for apps with administrative privileges on Android:

• Open the Settings app.
• Go to Security > Other Security Settings.
• Depending on your device, click on Device admin apps, Device Administrators, or Phone administrators.
• Any unrecognized app that has admin privileges is a pretty good indicator of malware. Toggle off admin privileges for these apps, and/or delete them from your device.

How To Use Antivirus To Automatically Check for Android Viruses

Manually checking your device for malware if you suspect there’s a problem is always an option. However, it can be a lot of work — and relies on you to see all of the potential warning signs of a malware infection. 

Installing antivirus software is a more foolproof and convenient solution to keeping your Android phone secure. 

Third-party antivirus software works automatically in the background and usually comes with additional digital and mobile security features like phishing protection, Safe Browsing tools, and ad blockers.

Unfortunately, not all anti-malware tools offer the same level of quality. 

Some services are better than others, while a few could potentially cause even more harm than good. That’s why it’s important to go with a reputable company that you trust.

Google Play Protect is a built-in antivirus service for Android devices. It automatically scans app installs in real-time and sends notifications if a potentially harmful app is detected. It can also reset app permissions and send privacy alerts about apps that violate Google’s policies. 

However, the downside of Google Play Protect is that it only protects you from suspicious apps found in the Google Play Store. It can’t protect you against outside phishing or malware threats.

That’s where an antivirus app like Aura’s can be useful. Running an antivirus scan with the Aura app is quick, easy, and straightforward. Here’s how to do it:

• First, make sure you have the Aura Android app installed.
• Open the hamburger menu in the app; and under Me, tap on Antivirus.
• Click on the Scan now button. Depending on your device’s existing settings, you may be prompted to toggle on “All files access” for Aura. You can access this in your phone’s Settings app by navigating to Storage or Privacy, and then Manage access to files.
• Wait until the Virus Signature updates. The Aura app automatically checks for new types of malware every time you scan so you can stay safe from the latest threats. The app may take a few minutes to update the Virus Signature.
• Your Android’s files will then be scanned for malware and other threats. Review any quarantined or ignored threats that the scan surfaces. You’ll be prompted on what to do within the Aura app if a threat is found.

How To Remove Malware From Your Android

1. Reboot your Android device in safe mode. Safe Mode can prevent suspicious apps from running as you boot up your phone. To use it, tap on the power button to restart your device. Press and hold the “Power off” button until the option to restart in Safe Mode appears.
2. Uninstall recently added or suspicious apps. If your device starts acting strangely right after installing a new app, there’s a good possibility that the app in question is causing it. Similarly, if an app is suddenly sending you strange notifications or randomly running in the background, it could be the problem.
3. Clear your mobile browser cache. Malware can sometimes hide in cached content on your device. You can clear it by opening the Chrome app and tapping on More. Then, go to History > Clear browsing data.
4. Activate Google Play Protect. Google Play Protect can automatically reset permissions granted to suspicious apps and alert you when an app violates Google’s policies of privacy. To turn it on, open the Google Play Store app and tap on your profile icon in the top right. Then, click on Play Protect Settings, and toggle on Scan apps with Play Protect.
5. Run a full antivirus scan. Running an antivirus scan is one of the best ways to detect and remove malware — just make sure the antivirus software you use is from a reputable company such as Aura. Antivirus software will detect malware and isolate threats so you can easily remove them.
6. Make sure your device and apps are up to date. Outdated operating systems and apps often have security vulnerabilities that are easy for hackers to exploit. Enabling automatic software updates can help ensure that your device is up to date with the latest security patches.
7. Block pop-ups in Chrome to combat adware. Blocking pop-ups can prevent malicious sites from spamming you with notifications or monitoring your behavior in the background. To block them, tap on the three dots in the upper right corner of Chrome. Then go to Settings > Permissions > Pop-ups and redirects.
8. Do a Security Checkup on your Google account. Google’s Security Checkup tool identifies unsafe apps that you have installed and provides personalized recommendations to secure your Google Account. Go to myaccount.google.com/security-checkup and follow the steps to fix any security issues associated with your account.
9. If all else fails, factory reset and restore from a safe backup. If nothing else works, resetting your device to factory settings will remove all data and settings from your phone — including any hidden malware. Be sure to create a backup of your phone’s data; then open your Settings app and go to General Management > Reset > Factory Data Reset.

The Bottom Line: Protect Your Android From Cyberthreats

Android phones are generally more susceptible to viruses than iPhones for a number of reasons, so it’s important to know the signs of malware and how to look for it if you suspect your device has been infected.

Typically, smart and safe online behavior is all you need to protect yourself from most types of common malware. 

Here are some of the safety precautions you can take to keep your Android and other devices secure:

• Avoid rooting your Android smartphone
• Turn on auto-updates for your operating system and apps so that you always have the latest security updates
• Make sure your Android’s built-in security tools are enabled
• Only download apps you trust from the Google Play store
• Use a virtual private network (VPN) when browsing on public Wi-Fi
• Create unique passwords, and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for each of your online accounts
• Make sure you make regular backups of all your files
• Don’t click on suspicious links in emails, text messages, or pop-ups
• Use Safe Browsing tools and ad blockers to avoid malicious websites and ads

For comprehensive cybersecurity and identity protection, consider an all-in-one digital security app like Aura. 

Aura’s antivirus protects you against many different types of malware, including ransomware, spyware, and even pop-up ads. You’ll also get access to a VPN and password manager for up to 10 devices, identity and financial fraud protection, a 1GB sensitive files vault, and $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage.