It’s easier to pick up a virus on your Android device than you think. Whether you’ve downloaded apps that you shouldn’t have or clicked on an ad that led to you picking up something suspicious, a virus can infect your tablet quite easily, which can severely impact your tablet’s performance.
We’ll be covering how to tell if you have a malicious app or virus on your Android device, how you can remove a virus from your Android device, and then wrap up with some frequently asked questions. Casual or business, let’s get your tablet back to peak performance!
Identifying Symptoms of an Android Virus
Sometimes it’s difficult to identify whether your Android device has a virus or not. Thankfully, there are a few signs that you can quickly and effectively spot to pin down if your Android tablet has a virus.
Your Device is Slow
If your device is noticeably slow and you’re finding that certain apps have been loading for a longer time than otherwise, this could be a result of a virus. Now, a slow device isn’t a standalone signal that your tablet has a virus, it could also instead be a storage problem.
There’s a variety of performance testing tools that you can employ to double-check, which you should always do when upgrading your device to the classic visual design.
Higher Data Usage & Unexplained Phone Bills
One of the telltale signs of a virus is if your data is being consumed unnaturally quickly or you begin seeing phone bills that are more than you expected for the month.
Once a virus is installed on your tablet, it’s very easy for the individuals who created the virus to exploit their access to your phone and steal your data or expand and spam your phone bill to attempt to scam your friends and family.
Appearance of Pop-Ups
If you’re browsing the internet on your tablet or just browsing your applications, you may see that you have a virus when you’re bombarded with numerous pop-up ads.
Pop-ups are annoying to deal with and can lead to your tablet being infected with even more viruses if not treated with proper care. They can also be quite embarrassing when they pop up while you’re with friends and family.
How to Remove Viruses on Android Tablet
Now that you have a better idea of if your Android Tablet or 2-in-1 laptop has a virus or not, then we should teach you how to remove a virus!
There are a couple of methods of removing a virus, with many involving the installation of the actual app that caused it from your device or monitor. Malicious code and data usage are to be taken extremely seriously so make sure to remove a virus as soon as possible!
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Reboot your tablet in Safe Mode.
Your first step should always be to restart your Android device in Safe Mode. Safe Mode stops third-party apps from being enabled when your device is restarted, allowing you a temporary respite from the malicious app that has been causing you trouble.
You aren’t able to use any of the other apps you’ve downloaded so use this time to look for the Android malware that has infected your device. Ensure that you see how your tablet’s GPU temperature is handling it and if any optimizations have been deactivated since the virus entered your device.
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Search Through your Recent Downloads
The next vital step that you should undertake is to open Settings and navigate to your apps and downloads. Here you’ll be able to find all the installed apps you have, which is important for finding the sometimes hidden app that caused you all the trouble in the first place. Thankfully, removing a virus can be as easy as removing a sticker from your laptop.
Downloading apps from non-protected sources like the internet is a dangerous risk and leaves you vulnerable to malicious apps. If you find an application you don’t remember downloading or looks to be from suspicious or unfamiliar links, delete it right away!
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Install an Antivirus Software
Once you’ve located any suspicious apps and uninstalled them, hopefully, you should be safe from pop-up ads, data usage, and other information stealing. From there, there are several other steps that you can take to stop any further virus infections with an Android antivirus app.
First and foremost, make sure to download an antivirus app or antivirus software onto your Android device. There are plenty of free applications you can find on the Google Play Store that will protect your device from further infections like AVG antivirus software, which you can use to make an antivirus scan.
Also, make sure your downloaded apps and any future apps are insured with Google Play Protect. This will always be a more reliable way of downloading apps than from the internet.
Hopefully, you’ve rid yourself of any malicious apps that are on your device, so why not read our other articles like how to fix your GPU fan or charge your laptop manually?
Frequently Asked Questions
We often see some questions come up again and again when it comes to removing malicious software from your Android laptop, phone, or tablet. From easy to difficult, you don’t need a development kit like JDK to find the answer to some of the questions that are likely floating around your head.
Read on to discover the answers to some frequently asked questions.
How do you check if your Android has a virus?
We’ve covered the most reliable ways to check if your Android device has a virus, but there are a couple of other tools that come with your Android device that can make your safeguard easier.
If you tap Apps on your device, go to Smart Settings, and then go to Security and run a scan – this is a great way to discover security threats to your Android devices. Feel free to do this while using your tablet as a monitor – it shouldn’t impact your performance.
What are the signs of a virus on your phone?
Many of the signs of your phone having a virus will be the same compared to the signs you’ve experienced for your Android tablet. That being said, your phone will likely be running how – both physically hot to the touch and experiencing inefficiencies with apps like photo editing.
You may experience random messages being sent to your contacts, excessive data usage, and possible fraudulent charges from your bank.
Does factory reset remove viruses?
If you’re willing to lose all of your other data and applications, factory resetting your device may be a choice of last resort to remove a virus. Factory resetting will undoubtedly remove a virus from your device, just at the cost of losing your other data – so make sure to back up all the important information you have.
Connecting your Android devices to a Nintendo Switch, laptop, or external storage is the best way to do this.
Parting Shot/Conclusion
And there you have it! Hopefully, with these helpful tips you’ve removed any potential viruses that your Android device may have. It’s easy to mistakenly add a virus, so it’s always best to take preventative measures for your device.
If you liked this article, then you like to know how to use your tablet as a monitor, the right case for your desktop PC, or our review of the Alienware Aurora 2019.
Writer Graham Grieve brings two decades of technical communications experience to The Holy Tech coverage. Isaac contributes articles on laptops, tablets and PCs, alongside various software and hardware guides. Isaac is a former newspaper journalist who also worked in tech communications for some of the country’s biggest corporations. He also counsels and creates material for other technology publications and hosts a podcast.
Isaac’s in-depth reporting and knowledge of hardware and software issues helps The Holy Tech’s readers learn how to choose the right products, or solve tricky problems.