Is Your iPhone Slow Because Of A Virus Or Something Else?

Despite popular sayings and old track records, virus infections can happen to iPhones. If you want your information to be safe and your phone's performance to stay up to par, you'll need to know the difference between virus problems and other system slowdown issues that can plague your smartphone. A bit of insight into iPhone performance can help you figure out what to do when the problem is a virus and how to tell if it's not.

It Isn't Easy To Get A Mobile Virus

No matter what version of the iPhone you use--or even what smartphone you're using--it's simply hard to get a virus on a mobile device without nearly going out of your way. Unlike desktop and laptop computers, the world of mobile computing is still infantile and the selection of viruses, spyware and malware is still fairly sparse.

If you were infected, it was because of an intentional installation. Especially with jailbroken iPhones (iPhones that were unlocked to allow unlimited access to root/administrative functions), you could browse around a wealth of apps on marketplaces other than the official iTunes selection. Even then, the amount of malicious apps that went unchecked by developer community members is low.

The few viruses in existence have fairly specific goals, such as stealing information from your phone to allow access to your private information. Some are nuisance viruses that can slow down your phone with advertisements, but you'll be able to identify the iconic popups fairly easily.

A factory reset can usually solve virus problems, but if a virus developer was given access to the administrative depths of your phone, it's possible that the factory image (the template used to create a restored, like-new version of your phone) could be corrupted as well. If the problem returns, hand your device to an iPhone repair professional.

App Overload, The Likely Culprit

If viruses aren't likely, then why would a phone be moving so slowly? Barring wear and tear from old age, your device could be overloaded with apps or running poorly-written apps.

Is your iPhone the newest version on the market? If not, you could have downloaded an app that was designed for a newer, faster device. Newer iPhones have faster processors and more memory to operate better, and some developers may take advantage of the new capabilities to create even more powerful apps.

Although the direction of professional programming should be to do more with less, not all app developers are professionals. Some apps on the app store are made by enthusiastic amateurs--after all, programming can be seen as an art form and a science at the same time. If your app was made by a more creatively-inclined developer who lacks formal training in what not to do with an app, there are other problems to watch out for.

Some apps may not close properly, and may have other actions called processes running in the background even if you think you've closed the app. These issues can be as bad as a virus, and may take a lot of skill to remove properly. 

If you're not sure about certain apps and would like advice on keeping your iPhone efficient, or suspect that your device may have something physically wrong going on inside, contact an iPhone repair professional as soon as possible.


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