Apple is known for providing their users with optimal device security, be it for iPhone, iPad, or Mac. However, there is some notorious malware that is often undetectable and ends up affecting the integrity of your device, putting a lot of sensitive information at risk.
If you have detected a virus in your iPhone and wish to eliminate it from the device, there are multiple ways of doing that.
We will discuss more on that in this detailed guide for you to save for your future reference.
How to check if my iPhone has a Virus?
If your iPhone is infected with a virus or other kinds of malware, be assured that it will affect the device and its functionalities. You might notice something amiss with the iPhone’s efficiency, something that wasn’t prevalent before.
Some of the signs that possibly show that your iPhone has a virus are:
- The apps are crashing unexpectedly
- There are unfamiliar apps on the iPhone that you didn’t download
- Unwanted pop-up ads are showing on Safari
- The iPhone is jailbroken
- The iPhone’s battery is draining very quickly
- The data usage in the device is very high
- The iPhone is getting hot with minimal usage
If you notice any or multiple of these issues, chances are that there is a virus in your iPhone. The next section explains how you can eliminate those issues.
Ways to eliminate the virus from your iPhone
Now that you have a little knowledge that indicates whether or not there is a virus in your iPhone, it is ideal you have an idea of how to get rid of them from the iPhone in no time at all.
Following are some of the best ways you can eliminate the virus from your iPhone:
- Restart the iPhone
It might not seem like a feasible option but restarting your iPhone can get rid of the superficial virus that’s in your device. Ideally, we’d recommend that you hold down the power button for a few seconds and wait for the “slide to power off” option. Once it pops up on the display, move the slider to the right to switch off the iPhone.
Once it’s been powered off, you can go ahead and restart your iPhone and you are good to go. Also, restarting acts like a mini reboot for your iPhone, eliminating the virus.
- Update your iOS
If you are lagging on the software update front, we’d recommend you change that immediately. The iOS updates come with security patch updates, which you need to ensure that your iPhone is secure and free from viruses and other malware.
So, if you haven’t updated your iPhone to the latest iOS version, the first thing we’d recommend you do is to update your device.
- Clear the browsing history
If you believe that the virus or malware has come from your browser, we’d recommend that you immediately clear the browsing history. Deleting the browsing history on Safari ensures clearing out any of those infected links that brought the virus along.
Here’s what you have to do:
- Open your iPhone Settings and then go to Safari
- Tap on Clear History and Website Data
- Tap on “Clear History and Data” again
This will clear out all the browsing data from your device and ensure that there are no infected links and malware in your browser.
- Uninstall suspicious apps from the iPhone
If you find unfamiliar or unwanted apps on your iPhone that you don’t use, we’d recommend you uninstall them immediately. Removing these suspicious apps can help you eliminate any potential risks of viruses in the iPhone.
Often, these unwanted or unfamiliar apps act as spyware and feed on the sensitive data and information that you enter on your iPhone. The last thing you want is for a hacker to gain access to your data.
- Factory reset
The last and possibly the most drastic step you can take to eliminate all the viruses from your iPhone is to do a factory reset. Doing this will delete all the information in your iPhone and restore the device to the way it came when you first switched it on.
Doing a factory reset means that you will lose all your data and the accounts will be logged out. So, we’d recommend keeping a backup if you have important data. Once you have taken the backup, that’s when you can go ahead and do the factory reset to delete all the information for good.
Conclusion
Nobody wants to deal with any kinds of viruses and malware on their iPhones. If you are sitting there confused about what’s wrong with your device, chances are that your iPhone is infected with a virus. Following the tips we mentioned should fix the issue without any issues. Just ensure that you try out the other tips before you opt for a factory reset as the last resort.