How can a potentially unwanted software appear on iOS
As a rule, smartphones are “infected” in order to steal user’s personal data. Another example is extortion of money for removing the virus. This phenomenon is most often manifested by computer owners, but owners of mobile devices cannot be 100% protected.
Among smartphones, gadgets running on Android OS have the highest risk of infection. The reason for this is the open source code of the system, which allows you to install applications from third-party sources. Unlike Androids, iPhones are almost completely protected from infection by viruses. The low risk of infection is explained by the fact that programs can be installed on Apple devices only from special application stores, where each program is thoroughly checked. Therefore, you can be 100% sure that the virus will not get through the software. But in rare cases, malicious files still manage to break into the OS structure.
This happens in several ways. Sometimes AppStore moderators do not keep up with the arrival of new programs, which is why the verification is not carried out completely. A developer can hide a virus so deep that even a professional will find it only with very great difficulty. In addition, no one is immune from infection through the browser. In this case, the problem arises from visiting third-party resources.
How to find out if there is a potentially unwanted software on the iOS?
As with computer viruses, malware often reduces the performance of your iPhone. You may notice that the battery has started to drain faster than before. Of course, other factors can also affect battery life, such as colder weather and the age of your device. If you notice that now you need to charge your phone more often, I advise you to scan for malware.
When your phone is affected by malware, the device overheats faster. Again, there are other reasons for overheating the phone, such as overcharging or a large number of running applications. However, if malware is installed on the phone, it will work with a higher load and seriously overheat.
I especially want to note that the malware that infected the iPhone is likely to affect not only the operation of the device. Attackers can steal your passwords and other sensitive data. Cybercriminals will sell the stolen information or use it to hack your accounts.
How to remove a potentially unwanted software on the iOS?
Clear browser history and data
As it was already found out at the very beginning of the material, the main reason for iPhone infection is visiting suspicious resources through the browser. It is possible that they act on the device with the help of Internet access.
The best way out of this situation is to clear the history and cache. Let’s look at how this can be done, using the example of the pre-installed Safari browser:
- Open the Settings.
- Choose Safari.
- Click the “Clear history and data” button.
As you can see, everything is simple here. The data is instantly erased from memory, as well as the history of visiting pages. In theory, this should get rid of viruses running over the Internet, as well as improve the overall speed of the interface.
Reboot
In order for the changes to take effect after clearing the browser, it is recommended to restart the iPhone. It is also necessary to perform the operation if it seems that the virus has got deep into the system. After all, as practice shows, even the most serious problems have an extremely banal solution.
To restart, hold the device’s Power button until a notification appears on the screen. Then you need to swipe to the right so that the iPhone turns off. Then it remains only to launch the gadget and check its performance.
Make a full iPhone reset
A radical measure to get rid of viruses is a complete reset of settings. During the operation, all files, including viruses, will be deleted. This is the only sure way to remove malicious software once and for all. After the next launch, you will have to re-log in with your Apple ID. But the phone will definitely not be buggy, and viruses will not be able to interfere with the work.
To avoid losing important files, make a backup before resetting the settings.
For a complete reset, you will need:
- Open Settings.
- Go to the “Basic” section.
- Select the “Reset” item.
- Click the “Erase content and Settings” button.
And you can also reset the settings via your computer using iTunes. The corresponding item is in the menu of the PC version of the program. Therefore, you can choose the cleaning method that will be most convenient for each specific situation.
Restore iPhone from backup
After resetting the factory settings, the question of how to return previously deleted files becomes acute. Fortunately, creating a backup completely solves the problem. The main thing here is not to forget to restore the backup the next time you turn it on.
In addition, if the user created a backup copy before the appearance of viruses, then restoring the backup will help get rid of the infection without resetting the settings.
To restore a backup, you need to:
- Turn on the iPhone.
- Follow the settings until the “Programs and Data” menu appears.
- When requesting to restore a copy, select the appropriate option.
- Log in with your Apple ID.
- Start the copy recovery process.
- Wait for the completion of the operation.
- You can restore a copy after turning it on. To do this, go to settings, log in with your Apple ID, and select backup recovery in the iCloud menu.
As soon as all files are restored, be sure to check the functioning of the smartphone. The virus may make itself felt in a few days. Be sure to keep this in mind.