Spy Apps from Your Android Device: Most of the time, people spend playing games, reading and replying to emails and messages, or downloading new apps. And even the most careful users can become victims of spyware that infect phones imperceptibly. Spyware is a malicious app that enters your phone, gathers your personal data such as your passwords, credit card details, passport, and social security number without your consent, and sends them to a third party. Then, these cybercriminals use the stolen data for their personal gains. Luckily, there are spyware removal apps for Android to help you with this issue.
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How to Detect Spy Apps on Your Android Phone
Spyware enters your phone undercover, which makes it extremely hard to notice. But even though you can’t see the app on your screen, you’ll feel its disastrous effect on your Android device. Here are the symptoms your infected device will experience:
- Your phone shuts down suddenly or restarts without any command.
- Your phone runs out of battery fast. The spyware works in the background incessantly, which requires a lot of battery.
- New apps appear on your phone that you don’t remember installing.
- Spyware causes phones to overheat. Usually, devices get warm when used for a long time, but only spyware can cause overheating.
- The appearance of pop-up ads can indicate that your drive is infected.
- Spyware causes unnatural background noise in phone calls. If it’s not a ubiquitous network problem, it’s probably a spy app.
5 Ways to Remove Spyware From Your Android Phone
If you suspect that your Android device may be infected, don’t delay the spyware removal process. It should be done ASAP before it can spread, corrupt your files and gather your personal data. Check out the following five ways you can remove the harmful app from your phone.
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Uninstall Suspicious Apps
Most spyware infects the phone when users download apps from unauthorized sources. Think of the apps you recently downloaded, after which your phone started having the symptoms described above. Here is the first option of how to detect spyware on Android phone and remove it:
- Open the “Settings” and tap “Apps.”
- Check out the full list of your apps. If you don’t remember installing any of them, google them to see what they are.
- Then, uninstall suspicious apps from your phone.
- Some apps may have administrator rights that can prevent users from deleting them. In this case, you should first remove the administrator rights and then uninstall the sketchy apps.
- Don’t forget to restart your device.
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Update Your Phone’s OS
Usually, the operating system updates of phones contain security patches and new features. By upgrading your OS to the latest version, you enhance your Android device’s security system, which can discover and remove viruses and spyware.
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Reset to Factory Settings
The third option for cell phone spyware detection and removal is restoring the factory setting of your device. Though it’s a drastic measure that can cause losing all your data, it’s highly effective. It will remove all files and apps on your phone, including the spyware, if any. Here is how to perform a factory reset:
- Open phone “Settings” and select the “System” option.
- Then, tap “Reset,” read the message that says all your internal data, apps, setting, files, photos, and music will be erased, and confirm the reset.
Before performing the factory reset, don’t forget to backup your data. After the reset, you can restore your files from the backup or start new. Make sure to restore the backup made before your phone begins facing issues. Otherwise, you risk restoring the spyware alongside your files.
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Use a Spyware Removal Tool
If none of the options listed above helped, a spyware removal tool is your best option. These apps are designed specifically for detecting spyware on Android apps and removing all the traces. But it’s not recommended to go to Play Market and download an unfamiliar app. They can be spyware in disguise and do your phone more harm than good. For example, XNSpy, Spyera, and Mobile Spy are the most common spy apps that allow tracking your drive in real-time, accessing your location and your phone’s media files, etc. Check out the best free undetectable spy app for Android, installation and usage.
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Remove Affected Files Manually
After you help the Android to detect spy mobile apps and remove them, you should also delete the affected files. The process can be harder than you imagine since no file contains an “affected by malware” label. You should go through all your files and detect which ones don’t open or work properly. Be careful because while removing the infected files, you may mistakenly delete the healthy ones.
Conclusion
Spyware can cause a lot of damage if not discovered and removed on time. According to CellTrackingApps.com, it can steal your personal data and send it to cybercriminals. Luckily, they can be detected and deleted due to anti-spyware apps and procedures.