Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the Gear icon to open the Settings menu. Tap System (Samsung Galaxy) or Software Update (Stock Android). Tap System Update (Stock Android). Tap Download and Install. Wait for the update to finish installing.
Check that no apps are allowed to install unknown apps. To do so, swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the gear icon to open the Settings menu. Then tap Apps or Apps and notifications or something similar. Then tap the icon with three dots (⋮) in the upper-right corner. Tap Special Access followed by Install Unknown Apps. Check to make sure no apps or web browsers are allowed to install unknown apps on your phone. Check to see if you have any APK files on your phone. To do so, open the Files or My Files app. Then tap APK or Installation Files and check if you have any installation files on your Android device. If you find any APK files, delete the files and uninstall any apps they are associated with.
Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the Gear icon to open the Settings menu. Tap Apps, Apps and Notifications or similar. Scroll through the list of apps and check for any apps you don’t recognize. Tap an app you don’t recognize and tap Uninstall at the bottom of the screen. It is also important to check the permissions on the apps you do recognize, as you may have inadvertently given location and personal information access to them.
If you are getting a lot of pop-ups and redirects, you may need to clear your browser cache, history, and cookies after you scan for malware.
Swipe down from the top of the screen. Tap the Gear icon in the upper-right corner to open the Settings menu. Locate and tap Battery, Battery Usage, Device Care or something similar. Tap Battery. Tap Last 7 Days (Samsung Galaxy) or Phone battery usage (Stock Android). Scroll down and check which apps are using the most battery power. Be sure to check which apps are running in the background without need, as this will also consume more battery than usual.
Swipe down from the top of the screen. Tap the Gear icon in the upper-right corner to open the Settings menu. Tap Connections, Network & Internet,, Internet or something similar. Tap Data Usage. Tap Mobile data usage to see which apps are using mobile data or tap Wi-Fi data usage to see which apps are using Wi-Fi data. Look for apps that are using a lot of data but don’t need data to complete their function. Remember that more data usage isn’t always related to hacking. Your internet consuming habits might have changed recently, for instance.
Swipe down from the top of the screen. Tap the Gear icon in the upper-right corner to open the Settings menu. Tap Biometrics & Security, Security, Security & Privacy or something similar. Tap Other Security Settings. Tap Device admin apps, Device Administrators, or Phone administrators. Tap the toggle switch to turn off administrative privileges for any unknown or unwanted apps. Tap Deactivate.
Open the Google Play Store. Tap your profile picture in the upper-right corner. Tap Play Protect in the menu. Tap Scan. Tap the option to remove any detected malware.
Malwarebytes. MalwareFox BitDefender AVG Antivirus Free Avira Security Antivirus. Always check the user reviews before choosing an app to install.
You may be required to sign up for a new account. Most antivirus apps offer a free trial or possibly a free subscription tier. If asked to do so, pay attention to what your options are and select the subscription option that is best for you. Then follow the instructions to complete the sign-up process.
Press and hold the Power button until the Power menu appears. Tap and hold Power Off until the Safe Mode option appears. Tap Safe Mode. Wait until your device reboots.
Tap Biometrics & Security, Security, Security & Privacy or something similar. Tap Other Security Settings. Tap Device admin apps, Device Administrators, or Phone administrators. Tap the toggle switch to turn off administrative privileges for any unknown or unwanted apps. Tap Deactivate.
If you don’t see Uninstall at the bottom of the screen, tap Disable instead.
