When creating and updating the iOS operating system, Apple developers pay great attention not only to its technical capabilities, but also to protection against malware. For all the time since the release of the first iPhone model, only 20 viruses have been recorded. This means that "infection" of an iOS device is practically impossible, but in extremely rare cases it is possible. In the article, we will consider how to remove a virus from an iPhone, if such a nuisance did occur.
Is it possible to infect the device?
Users of "apple" gadgets know that the company makes a lot of effort to ensure the safety of its customers. But many are wondering if the iPhone can "catch" the virus. In fact, this is almost impossible to do. What's more, if you try to find an antivirus program in the App Store, there are only a few apps to download, and even those are more geared towards fighting incoming spam than protecting against viruses.
So if strange activity or deviations from normal are detected while using a smartphonefunctioning in the form of constantly pop-up ads, application loading errors and other problems, most likely, the device “caught” a virus. Often, the user is not even aware of the presence of a malicious program, since it is skillfully disguised in the system and is extremely difficult to detect. From all of the above, we can draw an unambiguous conclusion: there are practically no antivirus programs for checking an iOS device.
What does the emergence and spread of the virus mean?
Neglect of security measures most often leads to the fact that the iPhone is infected with a virus. This is the primary reason that entails the appearance of malware. At one time, several cases of malicious attacks on the Apple operating system were recorded, including even reliable applications. They suffered from virus code or infection of the developer's programs that were used to create the utility. In this case, the user is not at fault.
Another reason for a virus infection can be the cancellation of secure downloads and downloading music, movies and other files not from official sources, but from third-party resources. In this case, the user intentionally spreads the virus because he knows about non-compliance with security measures. Thus, the virus penetrates the phone or PC. Of course, the presence of a protective system in iOS should prevent malicious attacks and block access to applications and the operating system, but in the absence of the latest updates or the latest virus, infection cannot be avoided. If one kind of dangeris to place constantly pop-up ads, then another can read confidential data, including passwords from bank cards, online wallets.
“Symptoms” of device infection
If your device starts acting strangely when using multiple apps, it may be infected with malware. If only one program is experiencing crashes, it is most likely a problem with one specific application.
In most cases, applications attacked by a virus begin to redirect the user to previously unknown sites and open the App Store without asking the owner. However, it is worth noting once again that "infection" with a virus "iPhone 5" and other models is extremely rare, and the reason usually lies in a hardware malfunction.
Sometimes users face the problem of uncontrolled sending of messages. It doesn't have to be a virus. Perhaps this is how the activation of the iMessage and FaceTime applications behaves.
What are malware types?
There are several types of viruses on iPhone:
- Harmless - malicious code that displays a variety of messages on the screen after a different period of time. Another notorious virus is WireLurker, which manifested itself only by installing comics on a mobile device.
- "Thief" - virus programs that steal personal data - from phone numbers and photos to passwords for accessing financial information. As a rule, all of them are developed for a specificcategory of commercial structures. The most publicized story was with IGN bank.
- SMS virus that spreads through messages. When reading such an alert, the device freezes or runs slower.
- Banners - penetrate Safari code and appear as constantly pop-up advertising materials, including obscene content.
Clear history and cache
If you do not know where to start and how to clean your iPhone from viruses, then first pay attention to the history of sites and the temporary buffer for storing information. There are times when unclosed tabs or temporary data can cause your phone to run slowly or experience other problems.
Each application has its own cache, which is recommended to be deleted from time to time. It is most convenient to do this not for each individual program, but at once on the entire device. It is best to use the Battery Doctor application or any other of your choice. After downloading, you need to go to the Junk tab, and then click the Clean up cache button. The program will search for cache in the system and delete it.
In addition, you need to clear the Safari cache. Since applications do not affect the browser when deleting information from the buffer, it is better to do it manually. To do this, open the "Settings" tab, select the Safari item, and then "Clear history and site data".
How to remove a virus from iPhone
For cleaningsmartphone from malware, it is recommended to use the following utilities:
- Lookout Mobile Security.
- McAffe.
- Virus Barrier.
- Norton.
- Avira.
As a rule, after installing the program, it prompts you to perform a virus scan. If this does not happen, you can always find and select this function in the menu, just activate it. For example, the Avira utility has a Scan button in the antivirus tab, everything is also available in other programs.
How to protect your device from viruses?
What should I do to prevent a virus from appearing on my iPhone? First of all, it is desirable to exclude the installation of an update to the version of the operating system if the developer is unverified. It is worth weighing the need for a "Jailbreak", because after that access to the file system appears not only for the user, but also for attackers. The latter, in turn, are easily able to introduce a virus into the device. All downloads must be made only from official and trusted sources.
It is necessary to update the operating system as an improved version of iOS is released. Apple developers take into account all existing gaps and weaknesses in anti-virus protection and eliminate them when switching to a new version.
What to do if nothing helps?
In the case when no methods help to remove the virus on the iPhone, you can try to "demolish" applications, perhaps they hide the ill-fated code. Moreover, if necessary, the software is alwayscan be reinstalled. Another advantage of this method is that after reinstalling the application takes up less device memory. The same is recommended for unwanted photos. If sooner or later they come in handy or just nice to look at, you can save the files in the cloud storage.
The cardinal measure in the fight against the virus is a complete reset of the device to factory settings. However, before using this method, you need to save all your data: photos, contacts, personal videos and other files in iCloud, on a computer or on a USB drive.
After resetting the settings, the applications are reinstalled through the App Store or iTunes. Before downloading, you need to make sure that the program is not infected with a virus. When you install digital and media files, the settings are personalized for maximum ease of use. This method requires time, but most likely you will not have to resort to it again.
