How to check a Samsung smartphone for viruses: a complete guide for Android

Owners of smartphones Samsung based on Android often encounter suspicions of a virus infection: the device begins to slow down, show strange ads, or quickly discharge. But how can you distinguish a real threat from ordinary system failures? In this article we will look at checking your phone for viruses - from built-in tools to professional antiviruses, and also learn to recognize hidden signs of infection that 90% of users miss. 7 working methods checking your phone for viruses - from built-in tools to professional antiviruses, and we will also learn to recognize hidden signs of infection that 90% of users miss.

The peculiarity Samsung is that the manufacturer integrates own security solutions (for example Knox), but they do not always cope with new types of threats. We will analyze when standard tools are sufficient and when third-party software is required. Important: some methods may conflict with each other - therefore, the article contains a checklist for tool compatibility.

If you notice that the phone itself opens the browser, sends SMS to unknown numbers, or overheats for no reason, this is a direct signal to action. But even in the absence of obvious symptoms it is recommended to check once every 2-3 monthssince modern viruses can remain undetected for years, stealing data or mining cryptocurrency in the background.

Signs of a virus infection: when to sound the alarm

The first step is to learn to recognize the symptoms. Viruses on Android rarely behave as obvious as in films. More often they are disguised as system processes or legitimate applications. Here are the key signs that should alert you:

• 🔋 A sharp decrease in operating time battery power (even after replacing the battery). Viruses often use phone resources to mine or send spam.
• 📱 Spontaneous actions: opening applications, clicking on ads, sending messages. This is the work of botnets or Trojans.
• 📡 Increased traffic in the background (checked in Settings → Connections → Data usage).
• 🔒 Access blocking k security settings or antiviruses. Some viruses disable protection to remain undetected.

Particular attention should be paid to Samsung Pay other payment services If you notice unauthorized charges or requests to confirm payments that you did not make, this may be the work of a banking Trojan. viruses are often spread through fake applications to optimize or “clean” the phone.

⚠️ Attention: Some symptoms (for example, overheating) may be caused by hardware problems, not viruses. If after checking with an antivirus the problem remains, contact a service center. Samsung.

Method 1: Built-in Samsung Knox protection

Knox is proprietary security system from Samsung, which works at the hardware level. It includes several components, but for checking for viruses we are interested in Knox Guard and Real-time Protection.

To start scanning:

1. Open the application Samsung Knox (if it is not there, install it). from Galaxy Store).
2. Go to the tab Device protection.
3. Click Scan phone.

The process will take 2-5 minutes. Knox checks not only installed applications, but also system files for changes. If threats are detected, the system will offer to remove them or roll back to a safe version.

It has a limitation: it does not recognize some types of spyware that do not make changes to system files. For example, keyloggers (apps for stealing passwords) may go undetected. In cases, additional verification is required. Knox There is a limitation: it does not recognize some types of spyware that do not make changes to system files. For example, keyloggers (password-stealing apps) may go undetected. In such cases, additional verification is required.

Method 2: Google Play Protect - hidden Android protection

Google Play Protect is a built-in antivirus from Googlethat works on all devices with Android. It automatically scans applications upon installation and periodically checks the device for threats. However, many users do not even know about it. existence.

To start a manual check:

1. Open Google Play Store.
2. Click on the profile icon in the upper right corner.
3. Select Play Protect → Scan.

The system will show results in 1-2 minutes. If malicious applications are detected, they will be removed automatically. Please note: Play Protect does not scan files outside Google Play (for example, downloaded APKs from the browser.

Tool	Scans APK	Checks system files	Works offline
Samsung Knox	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Google Play Protect	❌ Only from Play Store	❌ No	❌ No
Third-party antiviruses	✅ Yes	⚠️ Depends on the software	✅ Yes (with restrictions)

⚠️ Attention: In 2023 Google updated algorithms Play Protect, and now it detects better Trojans masquerading as optimizers. However, for Samsung with custom firmware (One UI), the effectiveness may vary.

Method 3: Checking through safe mode

If the phone behaves suspiciously, but antiviruses do not find anything, try running it in safe mode. Only system applications run in this mode, which helps identify malware.

To activate safe mode on Samsung:

1. Press the button Power until the shutdown menu appears.
2. Press and hold Turn off power.
3. Confirm switching to safe mode.

In this mode:

• 🔍 Check if suspicious symptoms (advertising, brakes) have disappeared.
• 📱 Remove recently installed applications (they are displayed with a gray icon).
• 🔄 Reboot your phone in normal mode.

If the problems disappear in safe mode, one of the installed applications is to blame. If not, deep system infections or hardware faults are possible.

Method 4: Third-party antiviruses - which one to choose for Samsung

Built-in tools do not always cope with new threats. In such cases, specialized antiviruses will help. For Samsung it is better to choose solutions optimized for One UI:

• 🛡️ Bitdefender Mobile Security - lightweight, with minimal impact on performance. Well detects spyware.
• 🔍 Kaspersky Internet Security - powerful. scanner, but may conflict with Knox. It is recommended to disable Knox during the scan.
• 📱 Malwarebytes - specializes in ad viruses and Trojans. The free version scans on request.

Before installation. antivirus:

1. Check compatibility with your model Samsung (some antiviruses do not support older versions One UI).
2. Disable Play Protect during the scan (to avoid conflicts).
3. Do not install more than one antivirus at the same time.

After installation, run deep scan (not fast!). It takes 10-30 minutes, but checks all files, including system ones. If the antivirus finds threats in /system/ or /data/, this may mean that the virus has received rights root —in this case, you will need a full reset.

What to do if the antivirus does not start?

If the antivirus is blocked during installation or startup, this is a sign of an active virus. Try:

1. Install an antivirus through another browser (for example, Firefox instead of Chrome).

2. Rename the antivirus APK file (some viruses block standard names).

3. Load the antivirus onto the memory card and install it through the file manager.

Method 5: Manually checking installed applications

Many viruses are disguised as legitimate apps. To identify them, you need to carefully study the list of installed applications. To do this:

1. Go to Settings → Applications.
2. Sort the list by installation date (⋮ → Sort by: Installation date).
3. Check applications with unfamiliar names or without icons.

Pay attention to:

• 📦 Applications with names like System Update, Android Services (often fake).
• 🔄 apps that you did not install, but they appeared "by themselves" yourself."
• 📱 Applications with administrator rights (checked in Settings → Biometrics and security → Other security settings → Device administrators).

If you find a suspicious application, delete it and restart your phone. If deletion is blocked, this is a sign virus with administrator rights. In this case:

1. Go to Settings → Biometrics and security → Other security settings → Device administrators.
2. Uncheck the suspicious application.
3. Uninstall it in a standard way.

Method 6: Checking the file system via ADB

For experienced users, there is a way to check via ADB (Android Debug Bridge). This allows you to scan system files that are not accessible using standard methods. Important: incorrect use ADB can damage the system.

Instructions:

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About phone → Software information → Build number (press 7 times, then return to Developer options).
2. Connect the phone to the PC and open the command line.
3. Enter the command to check for suspicious processes:

   adb shell ps -A | findstr "suspicious"

   (replace suspicious part of the name of the suspicious process).

You can also export a list of all installed packages for analysis:

adb shell pm list packages -f > packages.txt

Open the resulting file packages.txt and check it for unknown packages Viruses often use random sets of letters in their names (for example, com.axb123.xyz).

⚠️ Attention: Usage ADB requires caution. Do not remove system packages without being sure of their purpose - this may lead to the phone not working.

Method 7: Complete reset (last resort)

If all the previous methods did not help, and you are sure that the phone is infected, remain full reset (hard reset). This will delete all data, including viruses, but return the phone to its factory state.

Before resetting:

• 🔄 Make a backup copy of important data (photos, contacts) via Samsung Cloud or Smart Switch.
• 📱 Make sure you have access to your account Samsung i Google (will be required to restore after reset).
• 🔋 The battery charge must be at least 50%.

To perform a reset:

1. Go to Settings → General management → Reset.
2. Select Reset data (not Reset settings!).
3. Confirm the action and wait for completion (takes 5-15 minutes).

After reset:

• 🔒 Do not restore data from a backup if it was created after infection.
• 📱 Install an antivirus before restoring applications.
• 🔍 Check phone for viruses immediately after setup.

If after resetting the problems remain, this may indicate:

• 🔧 Hardware failure (for example, damaged flash memory).
• 📱 Virus in the firmware (extremely rare, but possible with manual updating Software).

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about viruses on Samsung

Can a phone become infected with a virus through an SMS or a call?

Modern viruses rarely spread through SMS, but can exploit vulnerabilities in the processing of MMS or links. For example, a Trojan was disguised as. messages from courier services. Do not open links from unknown senders, even if they look like system notifications. FluBot disguised as messages from courier services. Don't open links from unknown senders, even if they look like system notifications.

Why does the antivirus find threats, but after removal they appear again?

This is a sign of:

1. A virus with administrator rights (you need to revoke rights in the security settings).
2. Infections through ADB or Fastboot (flashing required).
3. Adware that is restored from the cache (try clearing your browser data).

How to check your phone for viruses without antivirus?

You can use:

• 🔍 VirusTotal (upload a suspicious APK to the site for analysis).
• 📱 Developer mode (checking active processes through adb shell top).
• 🔧 System logs (application Logcat to analyze suspicious activity).

But these methods require technical knowledge.

Can viruses damage the hardware of the phone?

Viruses cannot cause direct damage (for example, burn the processor), but can:

• 🔋 Accelerate battery wear due to constant load.
• 📱 Lead to overheating, which will damage the chipset over time.
• 💾 Fill the memory to capacity, causing malfunctions.

Which Are Samsung models most vulnerable to viruses?

The vulnerability does not depend on the model, but on:

• 📱 Version Android (older versions, for example Android 9 and lower, are more vulnerable).
• 🔄 Availability of security updates (check in Settings → Software update).
• 🔒 Security settings (disabled Knox or Play Protect increases risks).

For example, Samsung Galaxy S10 on Android 12 with the latest patches is safer than Galaxy A10 on Android 10 without updates.