You're probably staring at your screen right now, frustrated because you can't find a "Scan" button in your settings. It's annoying. You feel like your phone is acting janky—maybe it’s overheating while you’re just scrolling TikTok, or perhaps your battery is draining faster than a leaky bucket. You want to know how to run malware scan on iPhone because that’s what we do on PCs and Macs. We open a program, hit a big green button, and wait for the results.
But here’s the kicker: iOS doesn't work like that.
Apple’s ecosystem is built like a fortress with very thick, very annoying walls. Because of a process called "sandboxing," one app cannot peek into the data of another app. This is great for privacy, but it means a traditional antivirus app can't actually "scan" your system files to find a virus. If an app tells you it’s performing a deep system scan on your iPhone, honestly? It’s probably lying to you or just checking its own files.
The truth about iPhone viruses and why "scanning" is different
Most people use the word "virus" as a catch-all for "my phone is acting weird." In the world of cybersecurity, true viruses—self-replicating code that hijacks your OS—are incredibly rare on iPhones. Unless you’ve jailbroken your device. If you've bypassed Apple’s software restrictions to install custom themes or pirated apps, you’ve essentially left the front door unlocked and invited the neighborhood over.
For everyone else, the "malware" you’re worried about is usually something else entirely. It’s often a malicious calendar subscription that spams you with "Your iPhone is infected!" notifications, or a shady profile installed by a work-around app.
Instead of looking for a single scan button, you have to perform a manual audit. Think of it like checking the locks on your windows rather than hiring a security guard to stand in the hallway.
How to run malware scan on iPhone by checking for red flags
Since you can't just hit "Go," you have to be the detective. Start with your Settings.
Go to General and then VPN & Device Management. This is where the real nasties hide. If you see a profile here that you don't recognize—maybe something labeled with weird characters or a company you’ve never heard of—that is your "virus." These profiles can redirect your internet traffic or steal your data. Delete them immediately.
Next, look at your battery usage.
Settings > Battery.
Scroll down. Look for an app that has high background activity but no name or icon. Or maybe an app you haven't opened in weeks is somehow using 40% of your power. That’s a massive red flag.
The Calendar "Virus" Scam
A lot of people think they need a malware scan because their Calendar app is screaming at them. You’ll get pings every ten minutes saying "System Warning: Virus Detected!" or "Click to Clean iPhone."
Relax. You aren't hacked.
You probably just accidentally clicked a pop-up on a streaming site that subscribed you to a spam calendar. To fix this, open the Calendar app, tap Calendars at the bottom, and look for any suspicious categories. Tap the "i" next to the weird one and hit Delete Calendar. Problem solved. No scan required.
Why third-party "Antivirus" apps are mostly smoke and mirrors
If you go to the App Store and search for "antivirus," you’ll see big names like Norton, McAfee, and Avast. They are legitimate companies, but on an iPhone, their "malware scan" is limited. They mostly focus on:
- Web protection: Blocking you from visiting phishing sites.
- Identity theft: Checking if your email was in a data breach.
- Photo vaults: Hiding your private pictures.
They cannot dig into the iOS kernel to find a sophisticated Trojan because Apple won't let them. It's a trade-off. You lose the ability to scan, but you gain a system where it’s remarkably hard for malware to take root in the first place.
👉 See also: That Grainy Picture of the First Phone: What You’re Actually Looking At
Advanced steps for the truly paranoid
If your phone is genuinely behaving like it's possessed—apps opening on their own, random outgoing calls, or data usage spiking into the gigabytes while you sleep—you might be dealing with something more serious like Pegasus or similar spyware. This is extremely rare and usually targets journalists or political figures, but if you're worried, Apple introduced Lockdown Mode.
This is the nuclear option.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode. Turning this on turns your iPhone into a digital bunker. It blocks most message attachments, disables certain web technologies, and stops incoming FaceTime calls from strangers. It’s not a "scan," but it is the ultimate "cleanse."
The "Force Restart" and Update combo
Sometimes, what looks like malware is just a memory leak or a buggy iOS update.
- Quickly press and release Volume Up.
- Quickly press and release Volume Down.
- Hold the Side Button until the Apple logo appears.
Once it reboots, go to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple’s "malware scans" actually happen during these updates. They include "Rapid Security Responses" that patch vulnerabilities in the background without you even knowing. If you're behind on updates, you're vulnerable.
Actionable steps to secure your device right now
Instead of searching for a non-existent scan button, follow this checklist to ensure your iPhone is clean.
Check your App Store subscriptions and "Purchased" list. If you see an app you don't remember downloading, delete it and report it. Malicious apps sometimes slip through the review process by masquerading as simple calculators or flashlight apps that then "phone home" to a remote server.
Review your Privacy settings. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check. This feature was added to help people in abusive situations, but it’s a brilliant way to see exactly who and what has access to your location, photos, and microphone.
Clear your Safari data. Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. This kills any malicious scripts or "tab-napping" code that might be lingering in your browser's cache.
Reset your Location & Privacy. If you feel like an app is spying on you but you can't find which one, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy. This forces every single app to ask for your permission again. You'll be surprised how many "zombie" apps start asking for your GPS data.
Keep your biometrics active. Ensure FaceID or TouchID is required for everything. Malware often relies on "social engineering"—tricking you into tapping something. Requiring a physical scan or a complex passcode stops most automated attacks in their tracks.
The best malware scan for an iPhone is a manual audit of your installed profiles and an up-to-date operating system. If you do those two things, you're safer than 99% of smartphone users.
Stay off the jailbreak sites, keep your iOS updated to the latest version, and stop clicking "Allow" on every pop-up that appears while you're trying to watch a movie for free. That’s your best defense.