How to Check for Viruses on iPhone? (Complete Guide for 2025)

Is your iPhone’s battery draining too fast, showing strange pop-up ads, and performing poorly? You need to scan iPhone for malware. 

While Apple’s security game is the strongest in the world, no device can be completely immune to digital threats. This means that adware, spyware, and viruses can sneakily enter your device via any shady app or website and corrupt your data.

Thus, it is vital to know how to check for viruses on iPhone before things go wrong. We will walk you through the signs of iPhone Malware Scan, methods to remove threats, and preventative measures in this blog.

How to Check For Viruses on Iphone

A virus invasion on an iPhone is a rare case, but there will definitely be signs telling you that there’s something strange going on with the device. The key is to be proactive, take necessary steps to spot the problems early on. 

Here’s how to check for a virus on iPhone in settings:

• Battery Drain: If your battery is unexpectedly depleting much quicker than normal despite not using any heavy applications, it might indicate that malware is operating in the background. These threats suck up the power of the device for the wrongdoings. 

• App Crashes and System Issues: App crashes are quite normal; however, if you see multiple apps crashing or freezing or acting abnormally, it could be because of malicious software or corrupted apps running in the background. 

• Unnecessary Overheating: The devices heat up while using heavy apps or websites. However, if you find your iPhone heating up even when it’s not in use, there is a high chance that your device is infected with spyware. Once you see this symptom, you should simply jump to the solutions for how to check for viruses on iPhone.

• Too Many Pop-up Ads: iPhones are highly protected devices. If in case yours is showing multiple pop-ups from unfamiliar websites and redirecting to websites while browsing Safari, there can be something fishy. Some kind of glitch that might have occurred due to adware or hijacked browser sessions. 

• Privacy Warnings: If Apple sends you security alerts of someone logging into your device from an unknown location, you must take action then and there. Someone might want to breach your data while compromising your Apple credentials. 

• Sudden Lagging and Poor Performance: Screen stuttering and slow loading can be due to a storage issue or something draining your system resources. You need to check for the underlying cause. 

So, what can you understand from this? If your iPhone is showing more than one sign, you need to act immediately. As you now know the signs for how to check iPhone for viruses, let’s go ahead and learn the steps to investigate and clean the problem from its root. 

How to Deal with Viruses in Iphone?

Whether you suspect malware, spyware, or adware on your iPhone, don’t worry, as it can be cut off. Though virus invasion is quite rare for Apple devices, you still need to thoroughly deep cleanse your device to remove any underlying threat. 

Here’s how do you check for viruses on iPhone and clean it off easily:

Delete Unknown Apps

We often tend to randomly install apps on our devices, only to never use them again. These apps can bottle up cache and corrupt the system. So you need to start reviewing the apps you have downloaded or delete what you no longer need. In case you see an application that you don’t recognize or haven’t deliberately downloaded, remove it from the device instantly. 

Here’s how to check for viruses on iPhone and delete suspicious apps: 

1. Launch your iPhone and long-press on the app. 
2. You’ll see a pop-up. Here, click on Remove app.
3. Lastly, tap on the Delete app option to permanently get rid of that application. 

   

You should also block the websites from your iPhone settings that seem to appear suspicious to prevent pop-ups and ads. 

Clear Browsing Data 

Malicious scripts can enter your device if you browse through suspicious websites. The cache still gets stored up even if you have removed the webpages. You need to clear out your Safari history and browsing data promptly to remove the virus. 

These are the steps for how to check for viruses on iPhone by clearing out browsing data:

1. Launch your iPhone and go to the Safari browser.
2. Remove all the webpages.
3. Now go to the Settings app and search for Safari. 
4. Here, locate the Privacy and Security section and turn on the toggle button for each of the options. 

   

This will reset your browsing activities and remove all the cache and cookies for a fresh start. 

Remove VPNs and Extensions 

We keep on hoarding VPNs and third-party extensions without checking their credibility. Another issue with these plugins is that they need to be updated, or else they can load up cookies and become prone to threats. 

If you don’t install the VPNs from credible sources, chances are spyware and adware can masquerade as slowdowners on iPhone, reroute traffic, and inject malicious files. 

Thus, you can either update the extensions or follow the steps below to remove them:

1. Go to the iPhone’s Settings app.
2. Locate the general and tap on it.
3. Here, scroll down to open VPN & Device Management. 
4. Check the list of your VPN extensions you have and remove them one by one. 

   

Note that if you use third-party extensions like Chrome other than Apple’s own App suite, remove them all as well. 

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Update iPhone Timely 

Apple regularly releases software updates that address security vulnerabilities and resolve bugs. If you are using an older version of iOS, your device could be at greater risk of being affected by the threats. 

To keep your system security at top-notch health, follow these steps:

1. Launch the iPhone and go to the Settings app.
2. Here, tap and open the General section.
3. Click on Software Update, and it will open the tab where any new updates will be displayed.

   

If you see the new iOS version, click on Update software to initiate the process. 

Restart and Reset All Settings 

A quick restart can immediately solve the software glitches and eliminate small bugs running in the background. To restart the iPhone: press the volume up button and the power button together >> then turn the slide to the power off button to the right. 

Turn it back on after a few minutes, and if your iPhone continues to misbehave, you might need to reset all the settings of the device. 

Steps for how to check if your iPhone is hacked in Settings and reset:

1. Launch iPhone and go to the Settings app.
2. Now, locate and open the General section.
3. Here, scroll to find and tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Click on Reset, then Reset All Settings.

   

That’s it, all the preferences, network settings, and bookmarks will be deleted, and you will have a phone, free from all glitches and threats. This process does not touch your photos and other files, so you can stay tension-free in that regard. 

Perform Factory Reset 

This should be your last resort, as a factory reset wipes out your entire phone, deletes all photos, leaving no data. However, if your iPhone is still sluggish and shows signs of the virus, you can continue with this method. But first, make sure to back up the data and files to another device or in iCloud.  

Here’s how to check iPhone for virus in Settings using a factory reset:

1. Launch iPhone and go to the Settings app.
2. Now, locate and open the General section.
3. Here, scroll to find and tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Click on Erase All Content and Settings.
5. You’ll be redirected to a new page. Here, tap on Continue to initiate the process. 

   

Once the process is completed, you will have a brand-new phone in your hand. 

Use Security App 

Even though iOS does not allow using any antivirus applications because of its sandboxed design, there are reliable tools you can lean on to check for security risks or vulnerabilities. You can find many third-party apps, such as Certo AntiSpy or Norton’s Mobile Security, notifying you about the underlying problems. You can be protected from jailbreaks, unapproved tracking, misuse of Apple ID, or alterations in configuration.

Just make sure to always download these tools from the official App Store and refrain from using third-party websites or links. Now that you know how to check for Malware on iPhone, let’s learn the prevention steps in the next section. 

How to Prevent and Scan iPhone for Malware?

iPhones are built with top-class security features, however, no device is 100% invincible. Thus, it becomes the duty of the user to be proactive and keep sneaky threats like malware and viruses at bay. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

• Make sure to only download apps from the App Store.
• Do not click suspicious or unknown links in emails and messages, as they can corrupt the system.
• Do not jailbreak your iPhone, as it may give you access to features and apps other than the App Store, but it will also compromise the security walls. 
• Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication to guard your device.
• Update your device as soon as the new iOS version is launched. Running the outdated version makes it prone to bugs and system-level vulnerabilities. 
• Use Apple’s screen time feature religiously to monitor app usage, set restrictions, and hunt for suspicious activities. 
• Use private browsing on Safari to hide your IP address while surfing through suspicious sites. 

iPhones are the most secure smartphones on the market. However, it is important to follow the above-given pointers for preventing Apple Virus Scan. 

Wrapping Up!

As we have explained “How Do You Check for Viruses on iPhone” and clean it thoroughly, you now need to pay attention to the unusual behavior of the device and take action. While there’s no comparison to iPhone’s built-in security, nothing is 100% protected in this highly exposed internet world. 

The only way out is to learn how to scan iPhone for Malware and save your data. Make sure to regularly update your device and read this info again to find the solution for your future iPhone virus-related problems.

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