Ransomware Virus has been around for over a decade, and with the explosion of smartphone technology, ransomware is becoming increasingly 'smart' and poses a threat to handheld devices.
High-tech software companies, including Google's Android operating system, have been continuously updating their security features to combat new forms of attacks and can 'contain' ransomware effectively.
However, in some cases due to vulnerabilities in software algorithms or user negligence, devices may become infected with ransomware.
If your device is also one of the 'victims' of ransomware attacks, you can apply one of the two solutions below to remove ransomware from your phone.
Boot your device into Safe Mode
Booting your device into Safe Mode ensures that no third-party apps are running on the device and only stores software that the device previously downloaded.
Since ransomware is present on third-party apps, safe mode will protect your device - preventing any third-party apps from running and accessing any part of the device.
Try uninstalling the malicious app in Safe Mode, then restart your device, this will help you resolve the issue. However, if you cannot boot into Safe Mode or the ransomware uninstallation is unsuccessful, you may consider another solution, performing a Factory Reset.
Perform Factory Reset
Factory Reset, also known as Hard Reset, can be performed by turning off your device and accessing Recovery Mode - on Android, a red exclamation mark will appear when in this mode.
Essentially, Factory reset formats your device, erasing all additional data on the device except for the built-in core software.
The advice for you is to back up the data on your device. This is to ensure that you don't hesitate before pressing the Factory reset button to remove malicious ransomware apps from your device.
Performing Factory reset varies for each manufacturer, so you should check the manufacturer's instructions before initiating the process.
Follow the steps below to reset the factory of your Android One device in Recovery Mode:
Step 1: Back Up Data
Before proceeding with the factory reset, it's advisable to back up the data on your Android device.
Step 2:
1. Open the Settings app on your device.
2. Under Personal , locate and tap on Backup & reset. You may be prompted to enter a pattern, PIN, or password.
3. Under Personal data, select Factory data reset.
4. Read the information and tap Reset phone.
5. If your screen is locked, you'll need to enter a pattern, PIN, or password.
6. When prompted, tap Erase everything to delete all data in the device's internal memory.
7. Once the erasing process finishes, select the option to restart the device.
8. Upon booting up the device, you'll see the Welcome screen.
9. After completing the setup process, you can restore the previously backed-up data.
Note: If you're unable to access the Settings app, you can try performing a factory reset on your Android One device using the Power and Volume buttons.
Deleting Ransomware on your phone helps eliminate a potential threat, avoiding threats to the data stored on your phone. Through this article, you can see the importance of backing up data for phones or any other devices. If you don't know how to back up a Windows computer, Mytour also has a guide on backing up Windows 7, 8, 10 for you.
Not only on mobile devices but also on computers, PCs, users need to protect their data from millions of current dangers. To do that, you need to download and use the most effective antivirus software nowadays like KIS or AVAST ... choose one from the top antivirus software we've compiled. Wishing you the safest computer usage.