Two Warning Signs Your Phone May Be Infected With Malware

If you're concerned that someone with harmful intent may be trying to access your smartphone, there are a few warning signs worth watching for.

Although modern smartphones are not often infected with malware, it can still happen. That makes it important to notice both small and obvious changes in how your phone behaves, especially when something suddenly feels unusual. Below are two signs that could suggest your phone has a virus or malware.

1. Your Battery Starts Draining Far More Quickly

If your phone's battery suddenly begins running down much faster than normal, malware may be working in the background and consuming system resources. There are many harmless reasons a battery can drain faster, but an unexplained and obvious shift is worth checking.

"If you're seeing a spike in battery usage even when your phone is left idle, you can assume there is an app running excessive background processes," says tech expert and shop owner Steven Athwal.

2. You Keep Receiving Unexpected Security Alerts

Frequent or unexpected security warnings can also be a sign of trouble, especially if they claim your phone has been infected. Still, be careful before tapping any pop-ups, since fake security alerts are a common trick used to get people to install malicious software.

"Any Apple ID security alerts, repeated password reset emails, login alerts from unfamiliar locations, or if you've been locked out of iCloud, you've probably had your credentials phished," Athwal adds.