What to do if your Samsung Galaxy smartphone has been hacked!

If you are worried that your Galaxy smartphone has been hacked or you think it has already been hacked, there are steps you can take to keep it safe. For instance, you should only download apps using the Galaxy Store or Play Store and you should not click on malicious links in apps, texts or emails.

You can also keep your phone safe by running anti-malware apps and removing apps that cause problems. Also, look for signs you may have been hacked.

Check for pop-up ads when using apps or browsing the Internet. You should avoid clicking or selecting pop-up ads. To remove ads, you can use ad blockers on the Samsung Internet app and uninstall third-party apps with inappropriate pop-up ads.

Also, inspect messages you have not sent or called. Navigate to the Phone App or Messages app to check your recent outgoing calls and messages. Restrict for suspicious apps that you do not recognize, such as suspicious apps that you have not downloaded. To remove these apps, touch and hold the app icon and then tap Uninstall.

Correspond for high data usage by navigating to Settings and then tapping Connections. Tap Data Usage, and then review your currently available data amount. Review for battery drainage signs. For example, your battery may run out very quickly or you may need to charge your phone frequently.

Additionally, remove unrecognized or problem apps in Safe mode. If you have specific apps that cause problems on your phone, you can use Safe Mode to decide which apps to remove. In Safe Mode, your phone does not run any third-party apps. Uninstall any suspicious apps while in Safe Mode.

• Boot your device into Safe mode.
• Open Settings, then tap Apps.
• Check the list for apps with blank or random letters for the name, apps you don’t recognize, or apps you have identified as problematic.
• Uninstall any suspicious apps.

Block malicious ads and popups

Occasionally, while browsing the web an ad appears on the screen that tries to scare you that your phone has been hacked. You can use ad blockers on Samsung Internet to block pop-ups.

Navigate to Samsung Internet and open it, then tap the Menu (three horizontal lines). Tap Adblockers, and then select the services you want to use. Tap on the Download icon to start downloading.

Use the included anti-malware

Multiple Galaxy phones have anti-malware protection, however, you may need to turn it on to take advantage of it. The specific steps vary depending on your software version.

• Open Settings.
• Tap Battery and device care, or Device care.
• Tap Device protection, or Security.
• Tap Turn on.
• Some phones may have an additional prompt, if so tap Turn on.
• Your phone will now automatically monitor for malware, and you can also choose to perform a manual scan by tapping Scan phone on this screen.

Perform a Factory data reset

If your phone still hasn’t returned to normal, you can perform a Factory data reset to remove all installed apps and data from the phone.