Yes, a software virus and other malware (Malicious software) can cause your phone to become slower.
Although this is one possible reason, there could be other factors that could cause a phone to become slow. I will also cover some of those possible reasons in this article.
How likely is it?
Historically speaking, Android devices are more likely to be infected by malware than IOS devices like the iPhone and iPad, but Android as well as IOS devices could be infected by malware.
As phones get more sophisticated, we now use it more often to perform tasks that in the past we could only do on computers. Because of this, phones are now also becoming targets for malware and hackers.
We will first look at how malware, including viruses, can possibly slow a phone and then we will look at other possible causes.
What noticeable effects can Malware have on a Phone?
The phone is slower.
Although there are different types of Malware that can slow a phone down, if they are slowing the phone, they generally have one thing in common. This is that they run in the background. This means that it is doing something without the user’s knowledge and are using the phone resources. Due to this, resources that should only be dedicates to perform functions for the user, is now partially dedicated to operating the malware.
Drain the battery quicker.
Because malware can run in the background or when you are not using the phone, one of the phone resources that it will use is battery power. This will then cause the battery to drain faster than usual.
A combination of a slower phone and the battery draining faster could be a good indication that malware is present.
Heating the device up.
You may have noticed that when you use your phone for long periods while doing things like watching movies, or playing games, that the phone heats up. This is normal. If this happens when you are not using your phone, then this could indicate that malware is running on the phone.
You may also notice that even during normal use, the phone is hotter than usual.
Increased data usage.
Malware is often designed to steal data and to multiply, it will often use your internet connection to do so. This can then lead to an increase in your data usage.
Are there Anti-Virus programs available for mobile phones?
Yes, there are Anti-Virus programs available for Android devices and for IOS devices like the iPhone and iPad.
These are available from, but not limited to Norton, McAfee and Bitdefender.
By installing and Anti-Virus on your phone, you will be able to scan for and remove any viruses and malware that you may have on your phone.
It will also protect you against getting viruses and malware on your phone in future.
What else can cause a Phone to be slow?
Firstly, try to see when the phone is slow. Is it only on the internet, or perhaps or only when you are opening or using Apps?
By narrowing it down will assist you in getting a better idea about what could be causing it.
Phone is Slow on the Internet.
Phone needs to be restarted.
You may have heard that when you are having issues with a computer, it can often be rectified by simply restarting the computer. Because a smartphone is like a computer in many ways, the same often works for a phone. Restart your phone by either selecting Restart or turn your phone off and then back on after a minute, or so.
Too many Tabs open
Sometimes when you are on the internet and you click on something on a page to view something else, it opens a new tab, but keeps the tab open to the previous page that you were on.
In other words, there could be other website pages behind the one that you are viewing.
If you do not close these tabs regularly, you could end up with multiple open tabs. When multiple pages are open, it could cause your internet connection to slow down.
Check to ensure that you only have one tab open and test to see if it is still slow with only one tab open.
Location
You may have noticed that sometime when you are on a call, and you are getting bad reception, it helps to move to a different spot to get a better signal. The same is true for data signal.
Check your signal strength indicator on your phone or go to a different spot to see if your internet speed improves.
Also keep this in mind if you are making use of an internet router. The router could be located where there is a weak signal, or interference. Move the router, if possible, to confirm if this improves the speed.
Apps using Data.
Some Apps could be using data and causing a slower connection. Check for Apps that are using data.
You should have a function under your settings menu where you can see what Apps are using data.
On iPhones it is usually under Settings > Cellular
On Android, it is often under Settings > Network & internet > Mobile network > App data usage
If you cannot find it there, consult your user manual.
You may need to update or disable apps that are troublesome.
Data saving Mode
Smartphone have a function that you can enable to limit your data usage to save on data cost. Although this is a handy cost saving feature, it could cause a slower internet connection.
Check this setting to confirm if it is enabled. If it is, disable it and see if your internet speed improves. Once you have done this, you will have to decide if you want to enable it again to save cost, or if you prefer a faster connection.
On iPhone the setting is usually under Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings
On Android it is often under Settings > System > Advanced > Reset options > Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth
If you cannot find it there, consult your user manual.
Internet browser App
Check for updates on your internet browser App.
Try a different internet browser App to see if it improves the speed.
Slow Network
The problem may not be on your phone, but on the data network that you are using. It may be congested by too many users, or some users using high volumes of data. Before you take any drastic measures on your phone, first try to connect to a different network. This can be done by testing your phone on a different Wi-Fi network, like at your local coffee shop, or at a friend’s house.
Wi-Fi / Mobile Data function
Your phone may be set to prioritize one type of connection over the other. Confirm if this function is enabled. When a phone is set to prioritize one form of connection over another, it may be locked onto a weak Wi-Fi signal and prioritize that over a mobile data signal that may be stronger.
Disable this setting to confirm if the speed improves.
Slow Phone Apps
Phone to be restarted.
Just like with a computer, restarting a phone can often resolve issues. It is easy to do and worth trying.
Restart your phone by either selecting Restart or turn your phone off and then back on after a minute, or so.
Low Memory
Each Smartphone has different types of memory that performs different functions in the phone. Some of the types of memory inside a phone can slow the phone down when too much of the memory is used.
Cache
Cached data are files, scripts and multimedia that are stored on your device by Apps, or when you visit websites for the first time. This will then assist in improving load time when you the app again or visit a website again. Although the intension is to increase the speed, cached data can build up on a phone over time, as you use various Apps and visit multiple websites.
If your phone becomes slower over time, you may want to clear the cache, especially for Apps that you do not use very often.
You can go to the individual Apps on your phone and clear the cache for the desired Apps.
For website cache, you can go to your browser and clear the browsing data.
RAM (Random Access Memory)
RAM is a memory space where data that is stored temporarily by Apps while they are running on your phone. This is separate from the other storage on your phone that forms part of the design and specs of your phone. It is pre-determined size and cannot be increase by, for example, installing a bigger capacity SD card.
If you have multiple Apps running on your device, or if one of your Apps are hogging a large portion of the RAM, it can slow your other Apps down. Some social Media platforms are notorious for using large quantities of RAM.
If you phone is slow, close Apps that you are not using. Also keep in mind that some Apps may be running in the background, like your location app, messaging app and social media.
Phone Software upgrade
A software upgrade refers to a new version of phone software. Smartphone manufactures write new versions of software to improve the performance of phones. Checking for the latest software for your device and doing the upgrade could improve the performance of your device.
Outdated Apps
Most Software developers constantly work to improve software. Updates are then released from time to time to improve features and to remove bugs in the software. These bugs can cause an App to run slow. Updating to the latest version could improve the performance of the App.
Updating Apps could be a double-edged sword however, if you are using an older device. This is explained in the next point.
Incompatible Apps
If an app is completely incompatible to your device, you should generally be able to realize this immediately when attempting to install it.
Other Apps could seemingly be compatible but may be slow on your device.
The App development industry is highly competitive. Because of this, Software developers are constantly trying to outperform their competitors.
This brings about improved features, but often improved features bring about the need to use more of the phone’s resources for the App to run.
Software developers often neglect to consider how this will impact the performance on a phone. They also often do not consider the fact that phones usually have other apps and functions running at the same time.
Apps are also often written with the latest top of the range phones in mind, with little regard for older phones and entry level models. These Apps then strain the resources available on phones that have less resources available.
This can happen with App updates as well. You may have an app on your phone that was totally compatible and capable of running perfectly on your phone. Over time these updates could result in the App needing more phone resources to run.
If you do have an older phone, or a phone with less available resources, you may want to look for an alternative App that perform the functions that you need but require less phone resources.