ISSUE 44 • ANDROID ADVISOR 89HOW TOIf this fails a factory reset should remove the bug
once and for all, though you would prefer not to have
to do so if your Android isn’t backed up.
Before we begin, it’s worth pointing out that your
Android phone or tablet probably doesn’t have a virus.
What you’re more likely to be seeing is an ad that
wants to convince you the device is infected and that
you need to download an app, or sluggish behaviour.
To prevent further threats, you might also want
to install an antivirus app for your phone or tablet.
You’ll find our pick of the best in our round-up of
the best mobile antivirus.
If you are convinced that malware is at large, read
on for instructions on removing it from your device.
Where do Android viruses come from?
The number-one way an Android virus finds its way on
to your phone or tablet is on the back of an app.
This is true of all the biggest Android viruses to hit
the headlines over recent years: Gunpoder, Ghost
Trojan, Googlian and Godless all came to be in this
manner, while Mazar sneaks in via a text message
prompting you to download the Tor browser (guess
what: you’re not downloading the Tor browser).
More recently, Checkpoint has alerted Android
users to the FalseGuide botnet malware, which gets
on to user devices through dodgy walkthrough apps
for Pokémon Go and FIFA found in Google Play, then
turns them into silent botnets used for adware.
These apps get around Google’s defences due to
the non-malicious nature of their first component,
says Checkpoint, but users should immediately