How to clean your iPhone from virus and malware threats

Although iPhone viruses are rare, they are not impossible to happen. In general, the route of infection is limited and almost none of it is the responsibility of the user.

Hackers are very cunning and can always find new ways to infect devices for malicious purposes. Clicking unrecognized links or downloading suspicious apps can lead to virus infection.

A common way for hackers to load viruses and malware onto their iPhones is through iMessage.

You will receive a message informing you about an emergency and encourage you to click on the link to resolve the issue or receive a prize. Once clicked, your phone will be affected by the content on the other end – and that’s almost no good thing.

If you think your iPhone is infected with a virus, we will show you how to clear virus threats from your phone, how to clear viruses from your phone, and discuss some apps that can help keep your iPhone safe.

How to tell if my iPhone is infected with viruses or other malware?

Simply put, your iPhone will behave abnormally. Devices infected with viruses or malware usually run slowly and may hijack normal search functions. That's why it's so important to remove viruses from your iPhone or iPad. Here are the most common signs that your iPhone may be infected with the virus:

• Application-related issues . Your app may start to crash, or you notice some unfamiliar apps on your iPhone—all of which are some serious symptoms. Please note that applications are the direct way for hackers to hack your phone. Developers often use snippets of code called APIs (this code is open source) to access services in the cloud, while hackers are known to inject malware and viruses into the API.
• Abnormal battery consumption or data usage . It's best to always pay attention to your iPhone's performance – how long it can run after a full charge, how fast or slow it can be on some networks, and how much data it uses every day. Once you notice any abnormal patterns, it's time to learn how to clear viruses from your phone.

You are charged for items you have never purchased . This is a worrying sign that criminals may have access to your personal account.

While this article will show you how to clear virus threats in your iPhone, prevention is still the best way to go. Don't click on links you are uncertain, and don't download suspicious apps from any source.

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Free trial security test How to remove viruses from iPhone

Apple has done a great job of keeping the iOS ecosystem closed. "Walled Garden" keeps the virus threat away. Code developers regularly check for suspicious API calls or weird text. Despite some threats detected, Apple's due diligence has made the number of viruses on the iPhone very low.

Still, we are not 100% safe. Let's discuss how to clear viruses on your phone and prevent common malware threats.

Delete a suspicious app

Double check the apps on your phone: Are there any apps that look suspicious? Do you remember downloading every app, and do you use them frequently?

The answer to "How to remove viruses from my iPhone?" is usually as simple as deleting an app. Applications have associated files, and deleting them usually deletes the files they import. You just need to hold down the app icon and select "Delete App" from the menu that appears.

Clear history and website data

It is also important to know how to delete viruses from iPhone history. Viruses may exist in your browser history or website data, especially if you frequently revisit suspicious websites. The virus may reinject files into your phone, which may cause greater damage.

Here is how to reset your website history and data:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone
2. Select "Safari"
3. Select Clear History and Website Data
4. Select Clear History and Data from the menu that appears

Restart your iPhone

Viruses and malware usually occur while your phone is running, and turning off your phone completely can prevent viruses or malware from running. This is a simple measure to answer the question "How to remove malware from iPhone".

Remember, you have to turn off your phone; putting it in airplane mode will not work. You just need to hold the power button on the left side of the iPhone and the volume up button on the right side for a few seconds. On the screen that appears, slide the icon at the top of the screen to turn off the phone.

Restore your phone from previous backup version

Apple offers a small amount of iCloud storage space for backups, but this is usually not enough to store many backups. This is not a useful method if you have been infected with the virus on your phone for a while. Every backup iCloud owns may also be corrupted!

That's why it's best to have your own backup program and why you should download the AnyTrans app for your Mac right away.

AnyTrans allows you to control your backups more than Apple allows via iCloud. The app allows you to download any file or folder to your Mac and sync your iOS device to your Mac's storage space. Cable connections to your Mac also bypass the usually clumsy iCloud synchronization protocol and give you direct access to iPhone backups stored on your Mac or associated external drive.

Since you have full control over where the backup is stored and how many backups are kept, you can properly save your iPhone’s reliable and secure backup and restore it to that backup if your iPhone encounters virus or malware issues.

Restore your iPhone from factory settings

If all other methods fail, or you just want to use your iPhone from scratch, you can always reset the device to factory settings and start over. Please note that any data you have not backed up will be lost, so it is best to take advantage of all the features AnyTrans offers before taking this action.

First, if your iPhone is registered, you need to remove it from Find My iPhone. The method is as follows:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone
2. Select the name banner at the top of the screen
3. Select Find
4. Select "Find My iPhone"
5. Close all settings

To restore the phone to factory settings, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your phone
2. Select General
3. Select "Transfer or Reset iPhone"
4. Select "Erase all content and settings"
5. Enter your iPhone's password
6. Click "Erase"

Your phone will begin the process of deleting all data and settings. It will then restart like a brand new phone.

Update iOS

Outdated operating systems are the most fertile soil for viruses. Enable automatic software updates on your iPhone to enhance protection levels and ensure you follow the latest security standards. Here are the ways to update iOS and set up automatic updates:

1. Open Settings on your phone
2. Go to General > Software Updates
3. If there are pending updates, click "Download and Install"
4. After updating iOS, go back to "Software Update" and set "Auto Update" to "On".

Please read also:

• iPhone ad blocker
• Block spam messages on iPhone
• Best WhatsApp Alternatives
• 10 Tips to Protect Your iPhone

How to protect your iPhone or iPad from viruses

Remember, preventing problems is far better than solving them! Now that you know never to click on a link you are not sure if it is legitimate, here are some extra tips to make sure your phone will never get infected with the virus again:

• Use a trusted VPN . You already know that most malware threats come from the Internet. ClearVPN is one of the best tools for protecting and encrypting connections, especially when you browse on your move and connect to a public network.

• Download the application from a trusted service . Always download applications from services such as the App Store or Setapp and never "sideload" applications from the network or unreliable markets. Be sure to read the comments when downloading the app. If an app has a low rating, it may be because the user notices signs of a virus, but does not understand that the application is the source of the error.
• Keep iOS updated . Every time Apple updates iOS, it brings a lot of security improvements. Apple has never discussed the fix it makes, but the latest version of iOS is always the safest. Again, don't download the old iOS version unless it's directly from Apple. Even if you don't like the latest version of iOS, it's safer than downloading iOS from elsewhere, as iOS downloaded elsewhere may itself contain viruses and malware.
• Keep the application updated . Did you know that application updates often show "bug fixes and improvements"? This is because "Errors" and "improvements" are usually security patches! Always keep your application up to date. Applications that haven't been updated for a long time may also carry malware. Remember we tell you whether Apple will check for suspicious activity in the code? If a developer intentionally adds viruses to their apps and publishes updates, Apple will check the code and the hacker may be caught.

Pro Tip: Free Gigabytes from Unused Files and Photos

Keeping your Mac and iPhone sync is popular because having the same files, folders, and images on all devices will only make life easier. You can use CleanMy® Phone to free up valuable space for synchronized applications, files, folders, and images.

CleanMy® Phone is dedicated to finding duplicate files and deleting them when you choose. Your iPhone and iPad are completely harmonious sometimes means that files and images are copied, resulting in unnecessary storage space. You can ignore this, but why? Duplicate files are just messy that you don't need.

Cleaning up your Mac with Gemini and syncing your folders and images to your iPhone ensures that the storage space on your device remains clear and concise, and that you only keep the files you really need and want.

Protect your iPhone with Setapp

Viruses on Mac are never easy to deal with, so be sure to take precautions. The last thing you want to do is to have to reset your phone because you click on a weird link in your text message! Setapp can help you focus on tasks.

ClearVPN, CleanMy® Phone, and Gemini – all three apps available through Setapp membership – will help you keep your iPhone synced, backed up and clear unwanted files. Sign up for Setapp and try all of these apps for free, as well as over 240 other useful Mac and iPhone apps. After the trial period, the Setapp access fee is only $9.99 per month.

Frequently Asked Questions

To sum up three main questions people usually ask, and the ultimate “How to clear my iPhone virus?”

Can iPhones be infected with viruses through Safari?

It's not from Safari itself, but it's possible to infect your iPhone with Safari. Like any other browser, Safari can also be a way to escape malicious programs and viruses. This is why it is important to avoid clicking on links and ads on sites you don’t trust, and generally avoiding suspicious-looking sites.

Will iPad be infected with viruses?

For iPad, the situation is similar to that of iPhone. Although Apple double-checks every app submitted to the App Store and maintains a high security standard for both devices, you can still be a victim of a phishing attack if you click on the wrong link or be tricked into revealing your credentials or financial information. So be sure to follow the same tips we outlined above to protect your iPad.

Why does my iPhone receive a virus warning?

Apple never shows virus warnings, so if you see a warning, it's definitely a scam. Make sure you never click on such pop-ups and warning messages. After seeing this kind of content on the web, the first thing to do is to clear the browser history – we have explained in the tips above how to do this for Safari. Next, learn how to clear the virus from your phone so as not to become a victim of such malicious attempts again.

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