Can visiting a website infect your Android or iPhone

Simply opening a webpage in a browser rarely leads to smartphone infection — modern Android and iOS systems isolate websites in a "sandbox." However, in rare cases, attackers can exploit vulnerabilities, so it is important to keep your system up to date.

Novyny.LIVE explains whether it is possible to infect your smartphone just by visiting a website.

Can you get a virus just by visiting a website?

Websites in mobile browsers operate in an isolated environment, preventing direct interaction with device files or the system. Therefore, simply visiting a webpage almost never causes an infection.

"Almost never" — because occasionally bugs appear in browsers or operating systems. These can be exploited in so-called drive-by attacks, where hidden downloads and installations of malicious software occur without the user’s explicit consent. Such incidents are extremely rare and are usually quickly patched through updates. However, if a phone hasn’t received security updates for a long time or is very outdated, the risk increases slightly.

Much more often, the threat comes from social engineering: a site may display a popup saying, "Your phone is infected, install antivirus immediately!" or "Click here to continue." These scenarios require user interaction — clicking or confirming — which then opens the door to exploits.

The takeaway is simple: keep your system and browser updated, avoid downloading files from suspicious sources, and ignore scare tactics in banners. Simply visiting even a suspicious page is almost never dangerous on its own.

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