More than 1,000,000 Android devices have been found to be infected with malware (malicious software). Learn how to determine if your Android phone is infected, and what you can do about it.
Security updates won’t be available for Android devices with Android 6.0 or later.
Which? What? Hackers can use these exploits to steal your personal information, register you for expensive services, or take complete control of your phone.
(Image Source: Which?)
Google has since fixed all Android 9.0 exploits.
Infected Android device
While you might not be able to tell if your Android device has been infected with malware every time, these are the signs you should look for.
- Data usage is increasing
- There are more charges on your bill
- Your smartphone and apps keep crashing
- Pop up ads are what sees.
- Unknown apps are installed on your smartphone
- Your phone is heating up
If you have any of these symptoms, or if your Android phone is more than two years old, you might want to check for malware.
How do you check for malware on Android
Open the Google Play Store app and click the three-line icon in the top-left corner. Next click Google Play Protection and then tap the scan button.
Google Play Protection is an integrated service that scans your Android for malware. Google Play warns you of any potentially dangerous apps.
- Download the Google Play Store app to your Android device. Click the Apps icon at your home screen.
- Next tap the menu button. This icon is located in the upper left corner.
- Next, tap Google Play Protection. The scan results will show you the current status of the device.
- Use the scan button to run a malware scan on your Android device.
- Any potentially harmful apps will be removed from your device
After scanning your device for malicious software, you can make sure that your device is set up to automatically scan apps. Both sliders should turn green.
How to stop your Android device getting infected with malware
To prevent malware from infecting your Android device, ensure that the app you’re downloading has been approved by Google Play Protect.
