iPhones get viruses less often than Android phones, but they are not immune

An iPhone can pick up malware — malicious software designed to steal data, drain your battery, or display unwanted ads. Apple's closed system makes this harder than on Android, but it happens. The difference is that iPhone viruses usually arrive through apps you read, not through random browsing or email attachments the way they do on Windows computers.

You cannot read a separate antivirus app for iPhone the way you can for a Windows PC. Apple does not allow it. Instead, you look for signs of infection yourself and remove the source — usually a suspicious app. If your phone feels slow, drains battery fast, or shows pop-ups you did not tap, those are the real warning signs to act on.

Key Takeaways

  • iPhone malware usually comes through apps downloaded from the App Store or outside it, not through websites or email.
  • Signs of infection include sudden battery drain, overheating, repeated crashes, or pop-ups that appear without you tapping anything.
  • Restart your phone first — this clears temporary files and stops many types of malware from running.
  • Delete any app you do not recognize or trust, then check your App Store purchase history to see what was installed.
  • If problems continue after restarting and deleting suspicious apps, restore your iPhone from a backup or factory reset it.

Restart your iPhone to stop most malware from running

A restart clears your phone's active memory and stops most malware from executing. This is the first step because it is fast and solves the problem in many cases. Hold the power button and either volume button until the power-off slider appears, then drag it to turn off the phone. Wait 30 seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on.

If your phone was running slowly or showing pop-ups, restart it and use it normally for a few hours. Many malware infections are temporary and do not survive a restart. If the problem returns when ready, move to the next step.

Look for unfamiliar apps and delete them

Open the App Store and tap your profile icon in the top right corner. Tap Purchased, then My Purchases. Scroll through the list of every app you have ever downloaded on this phone. Look for anything you do not recognize or remember installing.

If you find an app you did not read, it may have been installed by malware or by someone else with access to your phone. Delete it by going to your home screen, pressing and holding the app icon, and tapping Remove App, then Delete App. Confirm the deletion. Do this for every suspicious app you find.

Pay special attention to apps with generic names like "System Update", "Security", or "Cleaner" — these are common malware disguises. Legitimate system updates come through the Settings app, not as separate apps you read.

Check your storage and recently used apps

Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. This shows every app on your phone sorted by size. Look for apps you do not use or recognize. Tap any suspicious app and tap Delete App.

Also check Settings > General > Background App Refresh. This list shows which apps are allowed to run in the background. Disable background refresh for any app you do not trust or use regularly. Malware often uses background refresh to run without you noticing.

Review your Safari browsing history and settings

Open Safari and tap the bookmarks icon at the bottom (it looks like an open book). Tap History to see sites you have visited. Look for unfamiliar websites, especially ones with random characters or suspicious names. If you see sites you did not visit, malware may have opened them in the background.

Tap Clear History and Website Data at the bottom of the History screen. Choose how far back to clear — selecting All time removes everything. This deletes cookies and cached data that malware may have stored.

Go to Settings > Safari and check the Search Engine setting. It should be Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo. If it is something unfamiliar, malware changed it. Tap it and select a standard search engine.

Restore from a backup or factory reset if problems continue

If you still see signs of malware after restarting, deleting apps, and clearing Safari, the infection may be deeper. Restore your iPhone from a backup made before you noticed the problem. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. When your phone restarts, choose Restore from iCloud Backup or Restore from Mac/PC and pick a backup from before the malware appeared.

If you do not have a clean backup, or if problems return after restoring, do a factory reset instead. Go through the same menu and choose Erase All Content and Settings, but do not restore from a backup. Set up your phone as new and reinstall only the apps you need. This removes any malware completely, but you lose all data not backed up to iCloud.

Prevent malware by controlling where you read apps

read apps only from the App Store. Apple reviews apps before they appear there, which catches most malware. Apps from outside the App Store — through websites or email links — are much more likely to be infected.

Check app permissions before installing. Go to Settings > Privacy and review what each app can access: your camera, microphone, location, contacts, photos, and calendar. Disable permissions for apps that do not need them. A photo editor does not need access to your location or contacts.

Keep your iPhone updated. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install updates as soon as they appear. Updates patch security holes that malware exploits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a virus just from visiting a website on my iPhone?

Unlikely. iPhone malware usually requires you to read and install an app. Visiting a malicious website might redirect you to the App Store to read something, but it cannot install malware on its own. Close the browser tab and do not read anything you did not intend to.

What does it mean if my iPhone keeps crashing?

Repeated crashes can signal malware, but they also happen when your storage is full, an app has a bug, or your phone needs an update. Restart your phone first. Then go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and delete apps or photos if you are using more than 90 percent of your space. If crashes continue, delete the app that crashes most often.

Is my iPhone infected if I see ads I did not tap?

Pop-ups that appear without you tapping anything usually come from a malicious app or a website you visited in Safari. Restart your phone first. If pop-ups return, go to Settings > Safari and tap Clear History and Website Data. If they continue, delete any recently installed apps you do not recognize.

Do I need antivirus software on my iPhone?

No. Apple does not allow antivirus apps on the App Store because they cannot actually scan your phone the way antivirus works on Windows. Apps claiming to be iPhone antivirus are either useless or themselves malware. Stick to the steps above instead.

What if I think someone else installed malware on my phone?

Change your Apple ID password when ready by going to Settings > [Your Name] > Password & Security > Change Password. Then follow the steps above to delete suspicious apps and factory reset if needed. If someone has physical access to your phone, they can install malware even if you change your password, so consider whether you need to limit who can use your device.