On an iPhone, there isn't too much that these pop-ups can do except scare you and then trick you into volunteering sensitive information like credit cards-they cannot access your private information, your files, or your phone's apps unless you grant them that access. This is a malicious advertisement–a popup ad–and clicking on it will infect your device (or more likely your browser) with malware. Sometimes a pop-up will appear on your screen that says something really official sounding-it may even claim to be from Apple! The pop-up is usually a virus warning like this, 'Warning! Your iPhone has been compromised by a virus! Scan now!' There's a button to tap, which will supposedly scan your iPhone for the offending virus, when in reality, there is no virus. This falls into the category of suspicious links below but is so sneaky and commonplace that it needs to be addressed right away. If you follow the tips below, it's very unlikely that your iPhone will be invaded by malware of any type.ĭoes My iPhone Have a Virus? Virus Warning Pop-ups While viruses are rare on iPhones, fake virus warnings are fairly common (see Virus Warning Pop-ups, below). The iPhone doesn't typically get viruses, but other kinds of malware do exist, for example, spyware, which sends your activity to a third-party, or adware, which shows you extra and unwanted advertisements. Viruses are a specific type of malware: malicious software programs that replicate themselves by modifying software with their own code once they've invaded. Anything that can harm your devices or steal your personal information is included in the malware category. Malware is short for malicious software and includes Trojan horses, spyware apps, and viruses. The term virus has entered the common vernacular to mean any unwanted invader of a computer or handheld device, but if we're technical, there is a difference between a virus and malware. What Is Malware on iPhone? What Is a Virus? What's the Difference?

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