Our electronic devices are often the target of malicious attacks, be it with viruses, trojans, phishing, ransomware, spyware, and all other sorts of malware and unwelcome content. Android devices are no exception.
They are exposed to threats coming from diverse sources – unsecured public networks, malicious apps, or infected websites. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you have a good antivirus installed on your Android device(s). Read on to find out which are the best.
The free Android version not only provides scanning and monitoring against malware and vulnerabilities, but it also offers a bunch of other useful features. For instance, you can filter out unwanted calls and verify your Wi-Fi’s security. There’s also an anti-theft toolkit that you can use to lock your device or erase its content if you lose it or it gets stolen. Stalkerware detection is there as well.
Paying for a premium version will not only remove ads, but will also add some extra features to make it worth your while. One of these is in-app locking which places a PIN/pattern/fingerprint block on certain apps, effectively preventing malware from launching them automatically. Another one is secretly taking photos or audio from your phone when it goes missing.
If you’re willing to pay the extra cost, you can even go for the premium ‘Ultimate’ bundle option, which is accompanied by a VPN, password management tool, and a system cleanup option.
This handy app will provide malware protection and cloud scanning capabilities that parallel those of Bitdefender Mobile Security. Apps are automatically scanned upon installation and it doesn’t require any special configuration.
It’s main selling point is its light weight – the fact that it doesn’t encumber your system resources as it doesn’t run in the background all the time. In other words, you only run it when you need it or schedule the scans yourself.
If this offering isn’t enough, Bitdefender Mobile Security might be the one for you. And we have good news – there’s a 14-day free trial to see if you like it. Do note that this version provides anti-theft tools, privacy advisor, real-time protection for Chrome, and WearON technology that sends alerts to your smartwatch when you leave your phone behind.
There’s also a scanner feature for the Wi-FI network you’re trying to connect to, as well as performance enhancement for your battery that kills off processes that are hampering your resources. There’s also stalkerware detection.
You can block unwanted calls and there’s even a VPN if you’d like to have additional privacy when browsing.
The anti-theft tools include phone tracking via Google Maps, remote locking and wiping of your data, taking a selfie photo or recording audio of the thief and emailing it to you, as well as activating a loud siren if you think your phone has been stolen.
The free tier provides antivirus scanning for your network, apps, and files, a privacy check tool which allows you to see how much personal info your apps access and share, as well as the anti-theft measures that include locating and locking down your device. It does, however, have in-app ads.
The battery and memory boosters and storage cleaner are there to make your device more efficient, while the safe Wi-Fi option instantly warns you if you’re connecting to an unsafe or unprotected Wi-Fi network. Additionally, you can keep track of apps that waste your data.
As for the paid Standard version, it offers all this and more – protection against suspicious websites, media backup, secure app lock, guest mode that hides your private apps when you share your device, 24/7 phone support, as well as no annoying in-app ads.
The free option offers enough for most users – malware detection rate of 99.9%, on-demand scans, as well as anti-theft features such as locating and locking your Android device if it goes missing or wiping any data from the device to keep it from getting into the wrong hands. This version also supports Android Wear.
On the other hand, the premium version comes with plenty more. Opting for it will get you anti phishing protection, the app lock feature which also hides calls, texts, and logs from everyone who isn’t you, automatic real-time scanning, blocking malicious URLs before you even click through to them, as well as call/text filtering.
You can schedule it to periodically scan your apps, storage media, and folders for viruses and inappropriate content, and it can also scan apps for malware during their installation. The malware database is updated every day.
The product will also block any websites that contain malicious, illegal, or undesirable content, as well as checking the links you tap in non-browser apps. Speaking of your apps, Sophos Intercept X will allow you to protect them with a password. The privacy advisor tells you which apps are accessing your personal data or could incur additional costs.
Another useful option is the QR code scanner that allows you to check your contacts, Wi-Fi connections and URLs you visit. The app is also accompanied by an authenticator that creates one-time passwords for 2FA. Your passwords can all be stored in a KeePass-compatible passwords database.
With years of experience in providing antivirus protection on PCs, it should be no surprise that Norton has a worthy contender for this game as well – the Norton Mobile Security and Antivirus.
The app prides itself with a 100 percent detection rate for all malware targeting Android devices and has plenty of professional features besides the antivirus scanning. Powered by Norton Mobile Insight, it also checks the apps for intrusive behavior, high battery and data usage, even before they’re downloaded.
It also protects against man-in-the-middle attacks when you’re connecting to public Wi-Fi and keeps you safe from visiting malicious and phishing websites. Even better, thanks to its in-app search engine that connects to NortonLifeLock’s global threat database, it can flag unsafe websites in your search results.
Additional features include call blocking from specific, unknown, or hidden phone numbers, system advisor that scans your device’s OS for vulnerable areas, as well as privacy report interactive map with locations where apps send personal information and photographs.
The role of the platform’s Web Guard is to protect you from harmful websites, be it in terms of fraud, phishing, or other malicious content, regardless of the browser. In an event that your Android device goes missing, the app will help you locate it, lock access to it, erase its content, or snap a picture of whoever tries to use it.
This app can also monitor the URLs you receive in text messages, Facebook, WhatsApp and Line, warning you of risks before you even click on them. New apps are scanned before installing and Wi-Fi networks are scanned to alert you if they’re unsecured. There’s also an integrated Facebook privacy scanner to alert you if your profile settings are revealing too much to outsiders.
Additionally, Pay Guard MobileTM keeps you safe from fake financial, banking, and shopping apps that could be stealing your sensitive information. Parental control measures can be used so that your kids never see content unsuitable for them, based on the level of protection you choose.
AhnLab is a South Korean Internet security company that has an outstanding Android protection product called V3 Mobile Security. According to AV-Test, it has shown exceptional detection rates – 99.6%, guaranteeing you won’t be sorry if you choose to download it. You can get the app for free on the Google Play Store, just know that there are ads.
In addition to real-time monitoring and scanning of your apps, OS, rooting, and permissions, V3 enables you to do more. With it, you can create a hidden gallery for personal photographs, prevent phishing websites from opening, as well as securely delete all your browsing history and app cache with its privacy cleaner.
Users can also lock apps, scan QR codes, filter out calls from unwanted or unknown numbers, check which apps are leaking your sensitive information, and prevent malware from erasing the V3 Mobile Security app. Your device’s speed and performance can be increased by optimizing memory usage.
Those with older Android models will be happy to learn that V3 runs smoothly on them as well.
It blocks all sorts of threats, including ransomware, and alerts you if your email is leaked in a data breach. Interestingly, it even detects all smart devices in your home network and scans them for vulnerabilities.
Beyond these scanning, blocking, and alerting capabilities, Avira’s mobile app can also help you optimize your memory, system, and app usage, increase your browsing speed, as well as clear cache, junk, and duplicate files.
If your phone gets stolen or misplaced, tools like location tracking, triggering a loud yell, remote locking and content wiping, can help you find it or at least mitigate the consequences.
Expectedly, the Premium version of the app – Avira Antivirus Security Pro – includes more advanced options, like camera and microphone protection, as well as blocking of infected or phishing websites.
