Can Android phones (Galaxy S6) get viruses/malware?

[AstroBenny]

I understand that just by accessing a dodgy website a virus/malware can get installed on to your pc without you knowing but how does it work on phones? If I access the same website on my smartphone is it also at risk or does it have to be specifically programmed to function for the android platform?

And how come iPhones don't have anti-virus software/ no one uses them?

[Aytex]

yea.. I've gotten one b4

[Orangeator]

Yeah if you are an ignorant fool who downloads "free apps" from sketchy ass websites. <To put it kindly. 

 

Edit: Didn't read the post just responded. Honestly anything can get a Virus, your phone doesn't just "get" a Virus/Trojan. What happens is people install things to their phone from random websites then complain Android is unsecured because their phone is getting pop up ads and things of that nature. Also ads on websites can be harmful (again if you are on a sketchy site) so try to use a good ad blocker. Firefox in my personal opinion has the best, it is called Bluhell Firewall.

[Citadelen]

If it's not impenetrable, anything can get a virus or malware etc.

[CameronDSetty]

Im pretty sure any operating system can get viruses, malware and stuff like that. Some get more of than others mostly depending on who makes it/what percentage of market share they have.

[themctipers]

even iphones can get virusus, my friend.

 

[Brennan Price]

Yes they can. Just don't watch porn on it and you'll be fine

[flibberdipper]

Uh, yeah? Anything can get a virus.

[ZetZet]

5 minutes ago, Brennan_Price said:

Yes they can. Just don't watch porn on it and you'll be fine

you will be fine with porn too. just don't watch sketchy porn.

[beebskadoo]

As long as you are downloading apps from the Google Play store you will be fine. Stay away from 3rd party app stores and stay away from downloading apps that aren't common. 

[Brennan Price]

Just now, ZetZet said:

you will be fine with porn too. just don't watch sketchy porn.

Well, I mean I know that too. I'm just saying cuz mistakes have been made.

[MoonlightSylv]

Don't be stupid and you'll be fine, I've never had any problems with my S6. 

[Pnudran]

I do software support for Samsung, you can get viruses BUT like others have mentioned, just keep things legit and download apps from either google play store, amazon, or galaxy apps and you will be good. Of the thousands of phones I have looked at over my time I have only seen maybe 6 viruses. If you are scared that you may have a virus, run avast and malwarebyte as well as bring your phone to a local Samsung store (if you do not have one, there are ones in all Best Buys as well) and the Sam rep can run it though his computer and it will delete the ENTIRE OS and reinstall a fresh clean one on it (you lose none of your personal data and setting) and will reinstall a fresh and clean version of the OS to your phone, at that point you have validated that the OS is virus free as well as the user partition. If you find that you do get a virus/ransomware/malware you can boot your phone into safe mode (power off device, wait 2 mins, power on while holding the volume down and power key, once splash screen pops up let go of power button while still holding vol down until you get to the lock screen and you should be in safe mode.) once in safe mode you then could uninstall any apps. In safe mode it runs ONLY 1st party apps (samsung and google apps)

[annoyingmoments]

On 23.3.2016 at 9:29 PM, beebskadoo said:

As long as you are downloading apps from the Google Play store you will be fine. Stay away from 3rd party app stores and stay away from downloading apps that aren't common. 

Just a few weeks ago Google kicked some apps out of the Play Store because the devs were some sketchy people. They published a decent amount of later well rated games and people started to download their apps. After they reached a big user base, they updated teir app to bypass some security features and download more code in the background, without Google or users to know it happened. Turns out the apps downloaded malicious code. I will try to find the sources for this again, to offer a more reliable statement. I think it was arstechnica or german techsite golem.de.

 

And if I do not mix up anything, there was personal data transferred to some servers. But do not quote me on that.