Your phone may have malware: Here’s how you can check
This article provides a guide on how to detect and remove malware from mobile devices, including checking VPN profiles and app permissions. It also highlights the prevalence of mobile security threats and the limitations of traditional antivirus software on platforms like iOS.
Why it matters
As mobile devices become central to daily life, understanding how to secure them against malware is critical for personal data protection.
Home News World Sports Entertainment Science Royal Trending Health Videos Technology Your phone may have malware: Here’s how you can check Fast battery drain, overheating and odd spam texts can all signal an infection. Here's what to check first
Kaspersky blocked more than 1.99 million malware, adware and unwanted-software attacks on mobile devices in the second quarter of 2026, and that counts only its own users.
Plenty of infections never announce themselves. The signs of malware on your phone are often small.
Go to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management and remove any profiles that you did not download. Next, check app permissions by going to Settings > Privacy & Security and remove any permissions of apps you do not recognise.
Apple's sandboxing technique means that traditional antivirus software is not applicable, but certain security software warns about breaches in data.
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