How to Prevent Unauthorized Installation of Apps
How to Prevent Unauthorized Installation of Apps
Malware, viruses, and other malicious programs are a daily occurrence that affect hundreds of mobile devices and cause significant inconvenience to their users. And, while Google's operating system is more secure against these threats, the reality is that it is not impenetrable and may contain some vulnerabilities that cybercriminals or hackers can exploit.
One of the most common entry points for this type of malicious user is through the installation of applications, even those from the Google Play Store. Because one of the issues that can arise at any time is that they install themselves on our mobile device without our permission.
However, does this mean that our smartphone is infected? To accomplish this without having to be constantly vigilant, the best way is to have a specialized app, such as Virus Total, that will analyze our terminal in search of possible malware. As a result, it is prudent to use it to determine whether we are infected with a virus. However, if we have encountered the issue mentioned above, it is highly likely that it is infected; however, do not despair, as there are several possible solutions.
From where are they installed?
One of the first steps we must take is to determine the source of these programs' installation. These, however, may vary depending on the terminal model. To do so, we'll need to navigate to the mobile device's settings, select Applications and notifications, and then select Applications.
Once inside, we'll need to locate one of those that found their way into our smartphone on their own. Following that, we'll need to enter it to view its information, and certain details will need to appear that indicate from which location or store the installation was performed. Additionally, we will be able to determine whether it is running or not on our mobile device, where it will also allow us to perform an action that we will discuss later.
Prevent the installation of additional applications
When they are installed on our mobile devices without our permission, many users throw their hands up in frustration, as they have no idea what is happening on their devices. And, while this is not a good sign, there is no need to panic, as we will explain how to proceed in order to avoid damaging your smartphone.
Disable any applications they've installed
After implementing the aforementioned tips, it's time to take action against these apps. As a result, we'll need to navigate to Settings> Applications and look for applications that have been downloaded independently on our mobile device. When we enter them, we enter the application's information, at which point we must select the option to Disable or Disable. By utilizing this function, we ensure that it can run in the background, thereby consuming system resources or, in the worst-case scenario, compromising our data.
Prevent Android applications from being installed
We can attempt to prevent them from being installed on our mobile devices in two ways. The first step will be to disable them by going to Settings> Advanced settings> Special access> Installation of unknown applications. This will enable us to block APK-format apps that have been downloaded directly from the Internet.
The other option is to enable the Parental Control function, which is much simpler and will work for the Google store. To accomplish this, navigate to Play Store> Settings> Parental control. Once we've reached that section, we'll activate the switch at the top of the configuration page, which will prompt us for a pin code to protect this configuration from being deactivated.
How to uninstall applications and viruses
After analyzing our mobile device or determining that we may be infected with a virus or malware, the only way to remove it is to use one of the following techniques. Which we will demonstrate and leave you with all the necessary steps to take in order to resolve this issue. However, we will only need to carry out the following procedures if none of the previous solutions worked for you.
Utilize the Safe Mode
To eliminate these apps that are being downloaded without our permission from our terminal, we recommend using Safe Mode. To accomplish this, we'll need to press the power button on our smartphone. Following that, hold down the off button until the "Off" button appears.
When it appears on the screen, we'll click OK to restart the terminal in Safe Mode. When the terminal is turned on, the message "Safe Mode" appears in a corner of the screen, though the location may vary depending on the brand or model. When we are inside, we have access to application information and can gradually delete them.
Restore the phone to its factory default settings
While it may not be necessary to reset our terminal, if it is, you should be aware that this function will restore the device to the state it was in at the time of purchase. This will delete all of the terminal's configurations and customizations, as well as all downloaded applications and their data.
As a result, it is prudent to create a backup copy of the data we wish to save. To accomplish this, you must take the following steps:
- Navigate to Settings> select the System menu.
- Select Recovery Options or Reset Device from the menu. Once inside, select Reset phone or Erase all data.
- The mobile device's screen will then display a series of instructions. Following that, it will reboot and require reconfiguration when enciencia.
The final option is to perform a hard reset
This is the final alternative that we must consider if we have not been able to resolve the issue using the previous tips and solutions. And it is that, in most cases, when you need to perform a Hard Reset, it is due to a serious issue with the Smartphone.
And, while this is similar to factory reset, it also removes any virus or malware from the phone's internal memory. The steps to perform a hard reset on your Android phone are as follows:
• Turn off the phone and navigate to the Recovery menu. To accomplish this, we must simultaneously press the power and volume down buttons. Although this button combination may vary by manufacturer.
• Following that, we must retain them until the mobile's recovery menu appears.
• Once inside, use the volume keys to navigate through the menu until you reach the Wipe Data or Factory Reset options> then press the power button to initiate the action. This will ensure that our smartphone is virus-free.
