Level 1

57 points

How do i get rid of a iPhone Virus?

I have now for the second time a strange virus on my Iphone 5, iOs 6.1.4 It opens randomly the pre-installed apple apps like Newsstand, Settings, Notes etc. and changes settings there. The first time I had it, it sent a message with "awkward" to one of my contacts. This time it changed my wallpaper. I haven't jailbreaked my iPhone. How do I get rid of this ****? It seems to help to switch the Wifi off. A reset of the settings did work the first time but not now. Thanks for your help!

iPhone 5, iOS 6.1.4

Posted on Aug 12, 2013 3:28 AM

Top-ranking reply

Lawrence Finch

Community+ 2026

Level 10

239,566 points

Posted on Sep 23, 2017 7:43 AM

gloriacap1371 wrote:

How do you do a clean version of iOS on your phone?

Do a DFU restore:

Note that you must have a computer running Windows 7 or later, or Mac OS 10.9.5 or later
Install the latest version of iTunes from https://apple.com/itunes on your computer if it isn't there already (12.7 as of this date)
Reboot your computer
Disable any antivirus and firewalls
Launch iTunes
Connect the device cable to a USB port on the computer (not to a USB hub), but DO NOT CONNECT TO THE DEVICE YET
Press and hold the HOME and SLEEP buttons (VOLUME DOWN and SLEEP on iPhone 7/7+) at the same time for 8 seconds, until the screen turns black, then release the SLEEP button but continue holding the HOME/VOLUME DOWN button. If an Apple logo appears while holding both buttons you held for too long; start over.
While still holding the HOME/VOLUME DOWN button connect the other end of the cable to the device
You should see a message in iTunes saying a phone in Recovery mode has been detected (it may take up to a minute for the message to appear). When you see that message release the HOME/VOLUME DOWN button and the device should restore. When asked DO NOT restore a backup; set up as a new phone.

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220 replies

Aug 12, 2013 9:31 AM in response to SuperNMY

SuperNMY wrote:

Thank you for this super valuable advice. I found that 5 million times in the Internet and if I didn't still have virus on my non jail broken iPhone 5 I wouldn't write here. So anybody has a proper solution other than "there are no viruses for iPhone" how to get rid of this ****?

So, how do you expect anyone to tell you to get rid of something that does not exist? The reality is there are no known virii (viruses ?) in the wild for unaltered, stock iOS.

Rudegar

Level 10

184,584 points

Aug 12, 2013 9:41 AM in response to SuperNMY

what makes you suspect you would have a virus?

many users when they exp some action cause by a bug or just new to the user

then many thing

1. they are being hacked

2. they have a virus

back in the day many people wrote off things they exp in real life

1. demons

2. later on as aliens

also many people in these forums thing there are people remote controllings their ios devices

when people "guess" their email passwords and can sendt mails from their account

Aug 12, 2013 9:45 AM in response to SuperNMY

Just restore your iPhone in iTunes. All iOS devices are manufactured to make getting viruses and stuff like that practically impossible unless the device is jailbroken. More and likely, its a software glitch causing your iPhone to do things on its own or its a touchscreen issue. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1414?viewlocale=en_US

pdroth

Level 5

5,181 points

Aug 12, 2013 9:53 AM in response to Destinie Harris

I'd restore the phone as a new device to eliminate any problem returning if you restored your backup file with corrupted data.

SuperNMY Author

Level 1

57 points

Aug 12, 2013 10:37 AM in response to SuperNMY

Thanks for your replies. I might go for a complete restore. As said, it's not jail broken and it's not referred to touch screen errors when it sends messages on its own saying 'awkward' to my contacts or changing the settings of the phone while I'm watching it ;-) maybe the myth of "iPhone cannot get viruses unless it is jail broken" is a bit old. Maybe it's not virus but somebody is remote controlling it. Makes it not really better, does it? Btw. when googling for this issue I found quite some input on how to build a virus and send it to the iPhone. But no solution on how to get rid of it or how to prevent getting it. Maybe apple should think about a solution here!?

Aug 12, 2013 11:15 AM in response to SuperNMY

Perhaps in the future, instead of making an assumption that it is a virus, simply describe the problem, when and how it occurs, and what steps you have taken to try to correct it, and the results of those steps.

Emotionalism has no place in a technical assessment.

I don't know where you found a guide to 'build a virus for an iPhone', but if you looked more closely, there was probably a disclaimer that it would only work on jailbroken phones. There are no reported viruses for non-jailbroken iPhones.

Aug 12, 2013 11:11 AM in response to SuperNMY

SuperNMY wrote:

But no solution on how to get rid of it or how to prevent getting it. Maybe apple should think about a solution here!?

Apple has already provided the solution in a very secure OS. As long as you don't jailbreak it, you won't get a virus and you won't need to get rid of it.

Nov 20, 2013 7:10 PM in response to SuperNMY

I have a similar situation on my iphone.. A black NYTimes icon appeaed on my screen, and it's like pre-installed. I cannot make it work or delete it. Weird side is, I also have NYTimes application on my newsstand. I uninstalled it, but no help. So, were you able to correct your phone? If yes, can you post how.

Also, to all other ignorant replies, this may not be a virus, but may be too. Anyone who rests in the strong arms of a very secure OS can google "Stuxnet" to have an idea about what's going on..

Thanks,

Nov 20, 2013 8:05 PM in response to fatih3009

What troubleshooting steps have you taken? Have you tried resetting your device by pressing and holding the Home button and power button until the silver apple appears? Have you restored the phone?

SuperNMY Author

Level 1

57 points

Nov 20, 2013 8:13 PM in response to SuperNMY

Hi all, I just wanted to report about the outcome of that issue. I reset my network settings - didn't help. I reset completely and restored from backup - no help. I restored completely and didn't use any backed up files (which sucked big times) - still, when my iPhone is connected to a power supply, in the wifi and I leave it alone without locking the screen, it does magic things like opening YouTube and playing random videos etc. I guess I will go for Samsung next time, at least the community there is helpful... Am really disappointed. And: no, my iPhone is not jail broken.

Nov 20, 2013 8:22 PM in response to SuperNMY

If you've restored it as new and you're seeing that sort of behavior, it may well be a hardware problem. You should make an appointment at the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store.

Nov 21, 2013 4:13 AM in response to SuperNMY

You have a warranty. Why not just take it to Apple and get it replaced? I agree with Meg, after all that you've tried, that behavior would indicate something seriously wrong with the device itself. Take it in and have Apple check it out - that's what the warranty is for.

At least, you must have been still under warranty when you first posted back in August since nobody had an iPhone 5 for more then 12 months then. By now, you may have waited too long and squandered your warranty period.

Dec 4, 2013 5:30 PM in response to SuperNMY

I'm having the same issue. Ive restored to factory settings and my phone is still acting like a schizo. appple needs to drop the we have no virus thing. Sure, and STD's dont exist in beverly hills

Dec 4, 2013 5:37 PM in response to evilass69

There are no iPhone viruses. If there's something wrong with your phone take it to an Apple store for analysis.

Dec 5, 2013 3:34 AM in response to evilass69

evilass69 wrote:

appple needs to drop the we have no virus thing. Sure, and STD's dont exist in beverly hills

It is not Apple saying that - it is all of the various security companies that track virus, trojans and malware who are reporting none in the wild for Apple iOS.

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How do i get rid of a iPhone Virus?