Restart your iPhone One of the easiest ways to get rid of a virus is by restarting your device. You can restart your iPhone by holding down the power button until a “Slide to Power Off” knob appears (it should take around three to four seconds to appear).
Does Factory Reset Remove Viruses from Your Phone? The short answer is “yes”! By returning the phone settings to factory model, the reset option automatically deletes viruses and any infected file or program on your device. It's an extreme option and works pretty much every time—except in some very rare cases.
Does a factory reset remove spyware? Restoring your iPhone to its factory settings will wipe it completely clean, removing spyware and other malware in the process. But unless you backed up your iPhone prior to the infection, a factory reset will result in all your data being lost.
Factory resets remove most viruses
Your smartphone will have a feature that allows you to revert the drivers and operating system to a similar or original state from when you bought the phone. Performing a hard reset will get rid of most viruses on your device because it wipes everything away.
So, while the answer to the question “Can iPhones get viruses?” is 'generally not', iPhones have been known to get viruses, albeit rarely (and more likely if they have been jailbroken). Learn more about other security threats iPhone users may face in our article Vulnerabilities in the iPhone.
The iOS operating system is designed in such a way that does away with the need for virus scanners for iPhone. If you look at the architecture of the iOS operating system, it quickly becomes clear that comprehensive antivirus protection for iPhones is actually useless and unnecessary.
Not from Safari itself, but it's possible to get your iPhone infected via Safari. Just as any other browser, Safari can be a getaway for malicious programs and viruses. This is why it's important to avoid clicking on links and ads on the websites you don't trust, and generally avoid suspicious-looking websites.
If you fall for a scam, you should immediately reset the password and login information for the affected account, and do the same for any other accounts linked to the compromised profile or that use the same password. Also, make sure each account has a unique, strong password.
The majority of malware can be removed with a factory reset of your phone. This will, however, wipe any data stored on your device, such as photos, notes, and contacts, so it's important to back up this data before resetting your device.
Apple already scans your Mac for viruses. As we explain in how Apple checks your Mac for viruses Apple includes antivirus software in macOS that monitors your Mac for malware, blocks malware and removes it if necessary.
Key Takeaways. If you think that you have an infected device, a factory reset should be your last resort to try to remove it. Instead, there are some alternative fixes to try, such as installing Certo and using it to identify and remove viruses and threats.
Myth #1: iPhones Don't Get Viruses. Contrary to popular belief, iPhones are not virus-proof. Malware, spyware, and adware can infiltrate your device through phishing emails, malicious apps or social engineering.
Just like on your computer, your iPhone can be hacked by clicking on a suspicious website or link. If a website looks or feels "off" check the logos, the spelling, or the URL.
Yes, malware can hide itself and antivirus and other protection programs may not catch it. Check out this undetected malware map.
If your phone does have a virus, you'll notice some changes in its behavior. A typical sign is the sudden existence of poor performance issues. Your phone might slow down when you try to open its browser or another app. Other times, you'll notice some apps behaving suspiciously.
By updating your iPhone's operating system, you can both potentially remove malware from your device and prevent future virus threats. Here's how to update your iPhone or iPad: Go to Settings. Tap on General.
A malware scan finds spyware installed
One of the best ways to determine if your iPhone is hacked is to run a malware scan. Antivirus apps for iOS are quite limited as Apple's operating system does not allow them to access areas of the device where malware typically hides.
When a hacker gets into your phone, they will try to steal access to your valuable accounts. Check your social media and email for password reset prompts, unusual login locations or new account signup verifications. You notice unfamiliar calls or texts in your logs. Hackers may be tapping your phone with an SMS trojan.