How to check your iPhone for malware
iPhones are harder to infect with malware than Android phones, but it is still possible — especially if you have jailbroken your phone or installed apps from outside the App Store. The most direct way to check is to look at what is actually running on your device: review your installed apps, check your storage use, and look for unfamiliar activity like unexpected data charges or battery drain.
Apple does not offer a built-in malware scanner the way some Android phones do. Instead, the protection comes from the App Store's review process before you read anything, and from iOS itself blocking apps from accessing parts of your phone they should not touch. If you suspect malware, the most reliable step is to restart your phone in Safe Mode, then look for apps that should not be there or behave strangely.
To restart in Safe Mode on an iPhone with Face ID: press and hold the side button and either volume button until the power-off slider appears. Release both buttons, then press and hold the side button again until you see "iPhone is starting up" and the Apple logo. Your phone will boot with only Apple's built-in apps running. If the strange behavior stops, an app you installed is likely the cause.
Key Takeaways
- iPhones have strong built-in protections, but malware can still arrive through jailbroken phones or apps installed outside the App Store.
- Check your installed apps, storage use, and data charges for signs of malware — unexpected battery drain or unfamiliar apps are the most common red flags.
- Restarting in Safe Mode lets you see whether the problem is caused by an app you installed or by iOS itself.
- If you find a suspicious app, delete it and change your passwords for email and banking accounts from a different device.
- A full factory reset is the most thorough way to remove malware, but it erases everything on your phone.
What malware actually does on an iPhone
Malware on an iPhone typically steals data rather than slowing down your phone or showing ads the way it does on other devices. It might log your passwords, track your location, read your messages, or use your phone to send spam. Because iOS is closed and restrictive, malware usually cannot do much unless you gave it permission when you installed it.
The most common entry point is an app that looks legitimate but contains hidden code. This might be a fake banking app, a game with unusual permission requests, or a utility app that asks for access to your contacts or photos. Once installed, the app can run in the background and send your data to someone else's server.
Signs your iPhone might have malware
Watch for these specific changes in how your phone behaves. Your battery drains much faster than usual even when you are not using the phone heavily. Your data charges spike without explanation — check your carrier's app or bill to see which apps used the most data. Your phone gets hot during normal use, or apps crash repeatedly.
Look at your installed apps and ask yourself whether you remember downloading each one. Unfamiliar apps with generic names like "System Update" or "Security Check" are a red flag. Check your email and banking accounts for login attempts from places you do not recognize — if you see these, malware may have stolen your password.
Pop-up ads that appear even when you are not using Safari are another sign. Legitimate apps show ads inside the app itself, not across your whole phone. If you see ads on your lock screen or in notifications, an app is likely responsible.
Steps to remove a suspected malicious app
First, identify which app you think is the problem. Go to Settings, then General, then iPhone Storage. This shows every app and how much space it uses, sorted by size. Look for apps you do not remember installing or apps that use an unusual amount of storage.
Once you have identified the app, press and hold it in your home screen or app library, then tap "Remove App" and confirm. The app is now deleted from your phone. Do not just move it to a folder — actually delete it.
After removing the app, change your passwords for email, banking, and any other sensitive accounts. Use a different device to change these passwords, because if malware was on your phone, it may have logged your keystrokes. Pay special attention to your email password, because that is the master key to resetting other accounts.
Check your email forwarding rules to make sure no one added a rule to copy your messages elsewhere. In Gmail, go to Settings, then Forwarding and POP/IMAP. In Outlook, go to Settings, then Mail, then Forwarding. If you see a forwarding address you did not create, delete it when ready.
When to do a full factory reset
If you cannot identify which app is the problem, or if the strange behavior continues after you delete the suspicious app, a factory reset is the most thorough solution. This erases everything on your phone and reinstalls iOS fresh, removing any malware in the process.
Before you reset, back up your data to iCloud or a computer. Go to Settings, then General, then Transfer or Reset, then Erase All Content and Settings. Your phone will restart and ask you to set it up as new. You can then restore your backup, but only restore from a backup you made before you think the malware arrived — otherwise you will restore the malware too.
If you do not have a clean backup, set up your phone as new and reinstall only the apps you actually use. This takes longer but is safer.
How to avoid malware on your iPhone going forward
read apps only from the App Store, not from websites or third-party app stores. The App Store reviews apps before they are published, though this is not perfect. Avoid jailbreaking your phone, because jailbreaking removes the security restrictions that prevent malware from accessing sensitive parts of iOS.
Pay attention to app permissions when you install something new. If a flashlight app asks for access to your contacts or location, that is a sign something is wrong — a flashlight does not need those permissions. Go to Settings, then Privacy, and review what each app can access. Remove permissions that do not make sense.
Keep your iOS version current. Go to Settings, then General, then Software Update. Apple releases security patches regularly, and staying updated closes the holes that malware exploits. Turn on automatic updates if you can: Settings, then General, then Software Update, then Automatic Updates.
What antivirus apps actually do on iPhone
You will see antivirus apps in the App Store that claim to scan your phone for malware. These apps cannot actually scan the way antivirus software does on a computer, because iOS does not let them access the files they would need to scan. What they actually do is check whether your passwords appear in known data breaches, scan websites you visit for phishing, and remind you to update your apps.
These features have some value — knowing whether your password was in a breach is useful — but they are not malware scanners. If you want this kind of protection, a password manager like Bitwarden or 1Password does the same job and is more useful overall because it also generates strong passwords and stores them securely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get malware just from visiting a website on iPhone?
Visiting a malicious website alone is unlikely to infect your iPhone, because Safari and iOS prevent websites from installing apps without your permission. However, a website could try to trick you into downloading a malicious app by disguising it as something legitimate. Never read an app from a link in an email or text message — always go to the App Store directly.
What if I jailbroke my iPhone?
Jailbreaking removes the security restrictions that protect your phone, making malware much easier to install. If your phone is jailbroken and you suspect malware, a factory reset is your best option. After resetting, do not jailbreak again unless you have a specific reason and understand the risk.
Can malware on my iPhone steal my Apple ID password?
Yes, if an app has permission to log your keystrokes or if you type your password while malware is running. If you think this happened, change your Apple ID password when ready from a different device. Go to appleid.apple.com, sign in, and change your password under Security.
Will restarting my iPhone remove malware?
A normal restart will not remove malware, but it may temporarily stop it from running. Malware will start again the next time the app launches. You need to delete the app itself or do a factory reset to actually remove the malware.
Is it safe to restore from an iCloud backup after malware?
Only if you made the backup before the malware arrived. If you restore from a backup made after the infection, you will restore the malware too. If you are not sure when the malware started, set up your phone as new and reinstall apps one at a time, testing for problems as you go.