There’s little you can do to keep your Android mobile phone away contracting malware and viruses. There are infinite ways how hackers can install trojans, malware, and other types of spyware on your phone. However, the ways millions of users happen to be infected involve simple methods. Such as installing an app from the Google Play store that bypassed Google’s security. Rooted devices and users that download APK files are exposed to a higher risk. But you can still have your mobile phone infected with malware by visiting an infected website or downloading a file from the Internet.
Contents
- 1 Do you need antivirus on Android?
- 2 Bitdefender Mobile Security and Antivirus
- 3 Norton mobile security and antivirus
- 4 Security Master (former Clean Master or CM Security)
- 5 AhnLab V3 Mobile Security
- 6 Avast Mobile Security
- 7 Eset Mobile Security and Antivirus
- 8 AVG Antivirus for Android
- 9 Malwarebytes for Android
- 10 Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus
- 11 McAfee Mobile Security
- 12 Tencent WeSecure Antivirus for Android
- 13 Trend Micro Mobile Security and Antivirus
- 14 Antiy AVL Antivirus for Android
- 15 Sophos Mobile Security
- 16 Alibaba Mobile Security and Antivirus
Do you need antivirus on Android?
Google preloads its Android OS with malware detector and antivirus software that protects Android-powered in device level and as well as on the cloud. Google Play Store is the first and recommended place for users to download apps. Thus Google invests most of their efforts in maintaining a secure environment there.
The idea of installing a third-party antivirus on your Android do sounds overkilling. Most of these Android antivirus apps slow your machine and also attend to dry out its battery quickly.
You can provide your self with some sort of Android security by always using Play Stor for app downloads and always avoid downloading apk files of apps from insecure sources (anything but Play Store is considered a secure source). But Play Store has proved of being a lousy virus repellent. Check Point tracked the FalseGuide virus that was pre-loaded with some apps downloadable through Play Store that in two years infected over than 2 million devices. The same team discovered a next-generation HummingBad virus that bombarded millions of devices with advertisement and made its developers over than $300,000 per month. Thus, funding them with a sufficient budget for improving their spyware technology.
Some extra security will compensate for battery loss and if your phone isn’t equipped with latest overclocked processors, some lagging when playing heavy games. It’s not worth the risk of having yourself spied on your phone. Your personal files, social media accounts (a massive database of your privacy), and even your financial accounts to fall into the hands of hackers.
These are the best Android security and antivirus apps that enable you a general protection against viruses and also clean your phone from viruses if you are in doubts of being affected by any.
Bitdefender Mobile Security and Antivirus
The mobile antivirus app in charge of your phone’s protection should only be specialized to handle and prevent installation of phishing, malware, and spyware software but should as well be capable of preventing others that have physical contact on your device from stealing your sensitive data or even stealing your phone whole. Bitdefender comes with a two-week trial and is free to download, after the trial period you may choose to upgrade or stick with the Bitdefender free version.
The best-paid antivirus for Android you can find is Bitdefender. The Bitdefender Total Security for mobile instantly requests you to scan your phone for malware and asks for permissions to do so. The malware scanner is very fast, and the entire scanning process ends within a minute or two. The Bitdefender mobile security for Android comes with a web security feature that will protect you against malware installs on Chrome, Firefox, Opera browsers, Facebook, and Messenger. A spammer will have to try harder to get into your privacy with phishing emails, messages, or website links.
Bitdefender makes a good app manager that lets you lock applications on your device with a passcode. Your friends and family will not be able of accessing your conversations or anything else you want to keep private without having to enter a password when launching apps you selected on the app lock.
Bitdefender Anti-Theft feature helps you remotely locate your lost smartphone on a map, lock it with a passcode that prevents it even from being turned off. You can then force it to ring or in case you see no hope of having it returned, erase everything that’s in its memory.
Norton mobile security and antivirus
Not everyone wants or can afford to pay for a mobile security and antivirus application. If you’re one of those people that like free stuff, then you have no better freemium option than Norton Android antivirus.
Norton has it all on the free version, although the premium Norton antivirus for mobile involves app scanning for unusual privacy violations, security against fraudulent websites, and expanded reports regarding your privacy, you still have on free Norton security app a considerable amount of features you can’t find elsewhere even on paid subscriptions.
Norton Android security features an anti-malware scanner that looks for malicious software all over your phone, helps to create a secure online environment for you by blocking sites suspected of violating your privacy or those that force you to install something on your device, and also takes a closer look on what installed apps do with your privacy. Norton has a built-in find my Android service to help you relocate your lost phone.
This free Android security app lets you block spam calls and create backups of your contacts. Norton comes with a one-month free trial when you download it for the first time.
Security Master (former Clean Master or CM Security)
Clean Master prides its self on being the best antivirus software for Android. While that might be debatable, it certainly is one of those security apps with most supported features that serve various purposes.
The CM Security does scan your device for malware threats at an enormous speed just like any other antivirus. But what makes Security Master different and a potential candidate for becoming your favorite antivirus for Android are some other supports that go beyond phone protection at the software level.
CM Security antivirus for Android comes with a junk cleaner that removes unwanted cache files, boosts the performance of your device by erasing unnecessary files, and also boosts battery lifespan by optimizing and disabling background apps that are drying it off. Unless you have a feature-rich gaming phone with a built-in cooling system, this app also cools the CPU of your phone by measuring its temperature. It will usually stop playing apps that force your machine to work harder.
Something coming with this app that you will love is its app lock support. You can select the apps you don’t want anyone to access but you and lock them with a passcode. It even has a built-in VPN app for anonymous browsing through the Internet.
AhnLab V3 Mobile Security
V3 Mobile Antivirus by AhnLab Security is ranked as best Android Antivirus by the Independent IT-Security Institute. It also is one most recommended multi-functional antivirus for smartphones. V3 Mobile Security performs scans for finding malicious spyware on files and folders, installed apps, and as well as on the cloud. A reliable network connection is required for cloud scanning.
The privacy advisor on this AhnLab antivirus tells you precisely what kind of information every installed app is collecting from your device. These requests are all categorized, and you can easily see which of the apps you’ve installed is accessing your location, contacts, messages, or your user account. You can use this information to remove apps you believe are violating your privacy.
V3 antivirus also lets you lock applications with a passcode, block calls, clean unnecessary junk files, and it even creates a secure environment for you to upload your most sensitive photos.
You will see the V3 security icons at the top of your notifications bar. It has a flashlight and an instant section where you can access the privacy filter to adjust app permissions. You can also scan direct URL’s QR codes of products via this app.
Avast Mobile Security
Avast is since long one of the most popular options for computer and mobile security. Its security features from the PC version are added to mobile phones, and you’ll really have to struggle to find a better option than Avast antivirus.
Avast Antivirus for Android has most of its features offered for free (in return for display ads), and it will not downgrade you after a trial period. Its premium features are more related to advanced security walls in case your phone is stolen, such as photoshoots and audio recordings of the thief, permanent protection on your images, and automatically registering the device as stolen when SIM card is changed. If you never lose things, the free Avast antivirus will serve you as well as the premium version.
Besides keeping your device clean from viruses, Avast also scans and connects you only to safe WiFi network, adjusts apps to save the most of the battery, blocks calls, checks and adjusts app permissions, and for rooted devices it comes with a full firewall protection (you know that rooted devices are more vulnerable to become prey of hackers). Avast also has a network speed test that tells you your Internet download and upload speed.
Avast supports downloadable extensions that will create an encrypted and secure connection when you access public WiFi networks, extend battery life by stopping unwanted apps, and a cleaner to remove leftover files and unused apps.
Eset Mobile Security and Antivirus
Eset is another famous and amazing Android antivirus app. It will not take your concentration by forcing you into extras such as battery saving or junk erasing. It has a neat interface and focuses primarily on your security.
It scans your device for malware and prevents you from installing them in the future. Its Anti-phishing feature will prevent you from accessing via your browser on any unsafe website and prevent hackers from installing anything on your device under your radar.
It also has a well-equipped anti-theft service for you in case you lose your phone or you have it stolen. You can localize your device on a map, automatically lock your device when your trusted SIM card(s) is removed, and wirelessly control your device via SMS text commands.
AVG Antivirus for Android
AVG is yet another famous name in the industry. Its Antivirus app for mobile phones goes beyond malware protection and creation of a safe networking environment for its users. The Android AVG antivirus comes with a 14-day free trial of its premium features upon installation.
AVG antivirus for Android scans all files, folders, and apps on your phone for malware, it also takes a look at public WiFi networks and analyzes them for security threats before you connect to any. There’s a network speed testing tool embedded within the app to let you know the real speed of any network and let you choose the fastest.
Rooted phones that choose AVG the antivirus of their choice have the opportunity to compensate for security loss upon rooting and enjoy a full firewall protection against malicious sites and apps. AVG also lets you adjust app permissions, create filters to block spam calls, and is capable of digging deep into your apps stop those that consume too much memory and power to adjust RAM and power.
Malwarebytes for Android
Malwarebytes is the life-saving virus cleaner of all times. When your device suddenly begins showing you pop-up ads, your browser homepage is changed to a website you have no idea exists, and you can’t change that, you have no idea what’s happening with your device (be that a desktop computer or a mobile phone) the only tool that can save you from formatting your computer or wiping all data on your phone is Malwarebytes app.
There aren’t enough words to thank makers of the Malwarebytes and is really a blessing to have a freemium Malwarebytes app for Android.
Malwarebytes is best at doing one thing in particular. Finding malware and removing them from your device. There’s no competitor to Malwarebytes in that particular field. The Android Malwarebytes version has some extra features pre-loaded with the app. It scans all apps and files before installation, protects you from installing malicious software from your browser, applies regular scans, offers anti-phishing protection, and shows you scheduled security audits.
Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus
Kaspersky is one of top antivirus software of all times for desktop, and the whole lot of Internet security the company offers is brought to Android. The mobile protection of Kaspersky hands you protection against malware, text phishing, web viruses, and helps you locate your device when you misplace it.
Kaspersky Internet Security for Android shields your phone or tablet from viruses, and it lets you surf the web without worrying about risks of virus-infected pages, spam emails that push you to install something on your device. The call and message filters will allow you to stop receiving useless advertorials via SMS or phone calls from call center guys that always are named John or James. You can as well block any annoying friend from texting or calling your number.
But Kaspersky for Android doesn’t stop there. It has an anti-theft support that lets you lock down your phone in case it’s stolen or lost. You can as well locate it on a map and proceed with other steps based on how the situation develops.
McAfee Mobile Security
McAfee has offered protection via its computer security software for 30 years. Besides being one of the earliest companies to focus on security technology, it also is the largest in the world. If you don’t like experimenting but instead want an antivirus for your phone that is trusted by the millions, McAfee antivirus for Android is what you are looking for.
McAfee Security for mobile scans files on your device for viruses and as well creates a barrier against malware on your mobile browsers. It scans apps and files for both malware and privacy violations that will keep you safe from spyware and annoying spam emails. You can also lock apps with a password through this antivirus.
It also has a find my device feature to locate and remotely access and control your lost phone, has a built-in battery optimizer that lengthens your phone’s uptime, and lets you back up text messages, call logs, contacts, and files (McAfee backups your multimedia on premium version only).
For quick use, McAfee creates a widget on the right side of your phone’s screen from where you can instantly access most of its features and supports. The widget is removable, but it also is placed in the middle of the screen to avoid accidental openings.
Tencent WeSecure Antivirus for Android
Tencent is a new name in smartphone protection industry, but it indeed has a fantastic mobile antivirus. It scored a whopping 99.9% score on detecting latest malware on the AV-Test results.
Tencent WeSecure antivirus is a solid phone protection app with a user-friendly interface that protects your Android from viruses during app and file installations and as well as during browsing. It has a built-in ant phone-harassment, and fraud calls interceptor. It is one of the best free Android antivirus apps that ignores everything unrelated to your security.
Trend Micro Mobile Security and Antivirus
The free-to-download Android antivirus by Trend Micro is one of the best Android security apps of all time. The Trend Micro antivirus also has the much more phone protection features than any of its competitors. It gives your device antivirus protection, lost device protection, call blocking, network protection, and parental control features. Trend Micro is an all-in-one protection app.
This antivirus is the app that can replace your battery booster and file manager app. Besides protecting and shielding your device from malicious apps and files, it also protects you against malicious links on WhatsApp and Line messengers. Besides, it also lets you analyze your Facebook account from any privacy risk from authenticated apps. Safe social networking is something you really need.
Mobile Security by Trend Micro prevents fraudulent callers from ringing your phone, helps you find your lost Android and also lets you filter websites and apps on your children’s phone. Antivirus protection, social media security, battery booster, file manager, and parental control in one place.
Antiy AVL Antivirus for Android
AVL Antivirus for Android is a light-weight virus protection app that doesn’t slow down your phone and doesn’t have any impact on battery consumption. AVL is a robust antivirus that scans every installed file on your phone and also monitors any malicious change on phone’s system files.
AVL Pro antivirus is free to download from the app store, and it lets you run security scans on your device and as well as on every installed app. Its System Detection feature can be enabled for continuous monitoring of any system file modified maliciously.
Sophos Mobile Security
Sophos security is yet another feature-rich popular app that covers everything around your smartphone security. Sophos antivirus for Android brings multiple mobile protection tools under one app to ensure guarding any sensitive information on your phone.
Sophos encrypts data on your device that makes information inaccessible in case your phone is stolen or lost. It continuously scans and protects your phone against malware programs and websites, and besides preventing malicious apps from ending up on your phone’s storage, it also lets you password-protect particular apps you want nobody to have access at.
Other interesting features coming with Sophos Android antivirus are its call blocking, phone loss and anti-theft protection, and its ability to make a good password manager app by allowing you to store passwords within your profile. Sophos also lets you scan QR code on products and provides you with detailed security reports at daily basis.
Alibaba Mobile Security and Antivirus
Alibaba antivirus for Android may have little popularity and just a few thousand downloads on the Play Store (probably as part of pre-installed apps on Alibaba-powered Chinese smartphones), but this Android security app has everything you need to secure your sensitive data, boost mobile performance, and even record calls.
The Alibaba Master app is a junk cleaner app with a built-in antivirus. It speeds up your device by removing unwanted junk files and unused applications and other files. The app comes with a simple design that lets you swap through services with ease. By tapping the Antivirus icon, you will instantly run a malware scan on your device which will look for viruses on any app and file installed on your phone. The call recorder feature coming with the Alibaba smartphone antivirus will record and store your phone calls whenever you want them to be recorded.
