The adoption of smartphones across the country is on the increase, enabling more of us to make use of digital services.

This means however, that through the different applications we download, links we follow, or other engagements we enjoy online, malicious actors can spread malware that steals sensitive information or money.

What are the signs that your smartphone may have been infected with a virus?

1. Your smartphone is slower than usual

Websites that used to load quickly are loading slowly, or apps that would normally run smoothly are now crashing.

2. Your contacts are receiving strange messages from you

Your device is sending spam messages which come with links or other dangerous attachments.

3. Unusual pop-ups

You notice an increase in ads and pop-ups on your screen when using your smartphone, especially when not using applications.

4. Noticeable reduction in battery life and overheating

Your smartphone is working harder than unusual in order to support an application working in the background, making your device hot to touch or even overheat. This may be a manufacturing issue, so consider in combination with other indicators.

5. Unauthorized charges

Your bank statements show unusual charges, which may be in the form of premium text messages, phone calls, increased data usage or unfamiliar payments.

If you find your smartphone is showing many of these signs, it is likely to have been infected with malware.

Here are the steps to take in response.

1. Use a reliable antivirus app to scan your phone for the malware

Use your operating systems official app store to find reputable vendors that offer an antivirus application for your smartphone. Once installed, you can use the application to scan and remove the malware.

2. Backup all of your data in case of device loss or corruption

Back up all of your phone data on local and cloud storage so that it may be recovered in the case of another malware infection that leads to device loss or corruption.

Backups of important data should be carried out regularly so that you maintain multiple up-to-date copies of your important data.

3. Clear phone storage and cache

On Android devices, clear your phone storage and cache to remove unnecessary items from your storage. To do this:

Go to Settings > Apps > Select All Apps > Tap on the app you wish to clean > Select Clear Data and Clear Cache.

For iPhones, clear your browsing history and website data for the same purpose. To do this: Go to Settings > Safari > and tap Clear History and Website Data.

4. Restart your device

Restart your iPhone. If you have an Android device, restart it and go into safe mode to prevent any third-party apps from working. To go into safe mode:

While the device is powered on, press and hold the power key. In the pop-up menu, press the Power key. Touch and hold Power off until the Reboot to safe mode message appears. Tap OK to restart in safe mode.

5. Delete suspicious, unfamiliar or unused apps

Delete any apps from your smartphone that you may be unfamiliar with or seem suspicious.

You can then remove safe mode by:

Turning off your device > Press and hold the Power and Volume down buttons > Once in recovery mode, use the volume buttons to navigate to Start > Press the Power button to restart the phone and remove Safe mode.

6. Change your passwords

Once you’ve cleaned up your devices, ensure you change all passwords. Ensure your new passwords are strong and unique.

7. Download apps from official or authorized application stores and developers

When you are downloading applications for your phone, ensure they are from official and authorized vendors such as the iOS app store or Google Play store.

Official stores and developers are trustworthy sources and they release regular security updates to fix any identified vulnerabilities.