How to Fix a Virus Warning Pop-Up on Android

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to protect your Android from viruses, you may eventually see a virus warning pop up on your Android device. Unfortunately, when you really have a virus on your Android device, you won't see any warnings unless you're running antivirus software.

The Virus Warning Pop-Up on Android

In most cases, Android users only see a fake virus warning pop-up when using the web browser to visit a malicious website.

The pop-up window warns you that your Android is infected with a virus and invites you to tap a button to run a scan and remove the software from your device.

The most important thing you can do is not tap any button on the website.

If the virus warning pop-up on your Android appeared outside of the web browser, it's possible that the browser itself was infected with a malicious add-on that needs to be removed.

The good news is your Android likely isn't infected by any virus yet, so long as you haven't tapped any button on the website.

Removing a Fake Virus Warning Pop-Up on Android

Removing the malicious browser code that launched the pop-up window is easy.

1. Close all of the open browser windows that you can. It's possible that you won't be able to close the antivirus pop-up window, but don't worry about that for now.

2. Go to your Android Settings and tap Apps.

3. Scroll down to the browser you were using just before seeing the fake virus warning pop-up. Tap that app to open its settings.

4. Tap Force Stop to force the browser application to stop running.

   You may see a warning pop-up that if you force stop the application, it'll misbehave. This won't be a concern in this case. Just tap OK.

5. In the App Info window for your browser, tap Storage & cache.

6. Tap Clear Cache.

7. Now that you've stopped the browser and cleared the cache, the fake virus pop-up window should be gone.

Block Pop-Ups in Your Android Browser

Even though you've shut down the fake virus pop-up window, there may still be settings in your browser that will allow the fake virus pop-up to appear again.

Take the following steps to prevent this from happening again.

1. First, update the Chrome app. Open the Play Store app and go to your Profile icon > Manage apps & device > Update all.

2. In the Chrome app, tap More (the three dots) > Settings > Site settings.

3. Tap Pop-ups and redirects.

4. Turn off Pop-ups and redirects so that it says Block sites from showing pop-ups and redirects (recommended).

5. Tap the back button on your phone to return to Site Settings, then tap Ads.

6. Turn off Ads so that it says Block ads on sites that show intrusive or misleading ads.

7. Tap the back button on your phone to return to Site Settings, then tap Automatic downloads.

8. Turn on Automatic downloads so that it says Ask first.

Once you've finished updating all of these settings, your browser will be better protected from malicious websites that attempt to launch the fake virus warning pop-up on your Android.

Removing Android Viruses

If you've never rooted your Android, getting a virus is unlikely. However, it is always possible, and it could be a virus or some other form of malware that caused the fake virus warning pop-up.

Follow the steps below to ensure your Android is clean of any malware.

1. Go into your Android Settings, tap Apps, and scroll down the list of apps. Uninstall any apps you don't recognize or have recently installed. To uninstall, tap the app and select Uninstall.

2. Install the Malwarebytes app from Google Play. Once installed, update the database and run a full system scan on your Android. If Malwarebytes finds malware, have it clean the virus from your device.

3. Install CCleaner from Google Play. Follow the instructions to provide the app with the required permissions. Then select Run the scan to run a full scan, select Start Cleaning, and select Finish Cleaning to clean all junk files from your Android.

Once you've completed the steps above, your Android should be clean of any malware that may have caused the fake virus warning pop-up on your Android.