How to get rid of virus from your mobiles and laptops

Some lag on your phone, some copy sensitive data, while some send unusual messages to your contacts – there is no saying what a virus or malicious malware might be up to. Fortunately, once you notice something’s wrong, removing the virus from your mobile phones or laptops isn’t rocket science. Read on to know some ways in which you can get rid of the virus from your device.

Boot in Safe Mode

Whether you are using a Windows laptop or an iPhone, your gadgets have a Safe Mode aka a mode which loads your OS without any third-party software or application. Once you are in this mode, go through the installed programs or applications on your device and try locating the one that might be the source of the virus. It could be the software that you don’t remember installing or applications after whose download you started facing troubles. Uninstall said software and reboot your device in normal mode to see if the virus is gone.

Delete temporary files and cache

Remember that seemingly innocent personality quiz you took on a random website? It might have left a miscreant in your temporary files. Use your device’s built-in junk cleaner to remove temporary files. We’ll suggest you go the extra mile and also remove your browser cache and history to ensure that no trace of the virus is left.

Scan with an antivirus software

While all operating systems come with pre-installed security measures, opting for antivirus software might be a good idea, especially if you think your device is infected. Open the software and run the most complete scan option available. As per the software’s recommendations, you can either delete or quarantine the threats.

Factory reset

If all of the above steps seem to have no effect, it’s time to bring in the big gun – resetting your device to its default factory settings. While you can restore your data from a backup before your device got infected, you will lose data stored after the infection.

Once you’ve gotten your gadget virus-free, don’t forget to change all your passwords to protect yourself from a data breach. And yes, get your device a reputed antivirus software. Because like they say, precaution is better than cure.