Its active scans are also slow and heavy. Like Avast, McAfee offers or used to offer a ton of useful features, but its free version is also full of ads and upsell suggestions. The malware protection is decent, if not fantastic. It's not really clear why this was done, other than to "adjust our product portfolio. You'll get some good stuff with the free version of McAfee Mobile Security, such as a way to track each app's data usage and a Wi-Fi security scanner.
You can get one of the best VPN services to cover all your devices for less. Read our full McAfee Mobile Security review. Google Play Protect comes built into every Android device that runs Google Play, and it would be great if it worked well.
Unfortunately, Google Play Protect's dismal malware detection makes the strongest possible argument for using a third-party Android antivirus app. We did like that Google Play Protect's interface is minimal, there are no ads and the system impact is light. Some of Android's other built-in features, including Find My Device and Chrome Safe Browsing, mirror what third-party antivirus apps do on the side.
Google Play Protect's best feature is that Google can use it to remotely disable dangerous apps. This stays the case whether you're running third-party antivirus software or not. We recommend you not disable Google Play Protect. But overall, Google Play Protect is awful at protecting you from malicious apps.
For your own sake, please use something else. Read our full Google Play Protect review. Ideally, to keep your Android device safe, you should keep its software updated. Each new version of Android is more secure than the one before, and each monthly Android security update fixes newly found flaws. But unless you've got a Google Pixel or Android One phone, you won't get those updates and upgrades right away.
Most device makers need time to make sure changes to Android don't break their devices or software. That lag time can be a couple of weeks, or it can be many months. Worse, some Android phone models stop getting Android OS upgrades after two years, and a few never get monthly security patches at all. That's where the best Android antivirus apps come in. They stop attacks that try to get around Android's built-in defenses, especially those that Google has patched but which your device doesn't yet or never will have.
They also stop new attacks that Google Play Protect won't catch, even on Pixel phones. Freemium apps let you choose between getting a limited set of features for free or paying to get a premium version that gives you all the possible features, similar to fully paid apps.
Apps that offer a lot of features for free may also show you a lot of ads. Such features might include anti-theft mechanisms, an "advisor" to help you examine and choose apps, a Wi-Fi network security scanners, or an app lock that requires a passcode to open specific apps. Some tack on a super-premium tier that gives you unlimited VPN service or an identity-protection-service, often at a pretty good price.
But the most important factor in deciding which Android antivirus app to use is malware protection. Norton and Bitdefender lead in this category, and Kaspersky is not far behind.
Avast is good but not great, while the built-in Google Play Protect is terrible. We're not sure about Lookout and Security because they haven't submitted their apps to recent lab tests. To gauge the security protection of the best Android antivirus apps, we used the latest bimonthly test results from AV-TEST , an independent lab in Germany that measures how well major Android security apps detect zero-day malware and other threats.
Because some apps' scores are inconsistent from one test to the next, we also looked back at the previous two years of results. We also used some results from AV-Comparatives , a lab in Austria that once a year tests nearly all the Android antivirus apps in Google Play, even those that don't cooperate with testing labs. But these tests are less detailed. To measure the impact antivirus apps have on overall performance, we used the Geekbench 4 benchmarking app on a Google Pixel 3 phone running Android 9.
For each app, we ran Geekbench several times with no AV app installed, then with one of the review apps installed, and finally during that app's full scan. We also evaluated the number and usefulness of each app's features, took note of which features were reserved for paid users, and assessed the user interface and installation process. Kaspersky antivirus products have been banned from U. Because the company is Russian, its software would create an unacceptable risk for persons and organizations involved in national security and critical infrastructure.
However, we think Kaspersky software is perfectly safe for home users. I do think it's entirely possible that a malicious app might someday appear in the Marketplace, or that someone will find a hole in the browser security that could compromise an Android phone. But I don't see any evidence that it has happened yet.
Nonetheless, you can find security software for your Android phone. PhoneGuard promises to defend against viruses, spyware, malware and emerging threats that target Android devices. Bottom line, I don't think it's time to run out and buy anti-virus protection for the smartphones widely available today. But with millions of new smartphones flooding the market, you can bet that Evil Hackers will be looking for any crack in the defenses.
And it wouldn't surprise me if I read tomorrow that a horrible virus was infecting iPhones, Blackberry or Android phones. For now, I recommend exercising caution when installing apps, and be careful where you go on the Web. You can also check the website of your phone's manufacturer, and your cellular service carrier, to see if they recommend anti-virus software for your specific phone.
Do you have something to say about antivirus for smartphones? Post your comment or question below This article was posted by Bob Rankin on 21 Apr Posted by: Lee Matthias 28 Apr Posted by: Stu Berg 28 Apr Posted by: riggarob 01 May Posted by: Gina 15 Apr I am curious I am sure there is a "cell phone spy" installed on my blackberry. Is there a way for me to know for sure and is there a program which will detect this on my phone and is spyware needed to get rid of it?
Posted by: Stacey 09 Dec I clicked on a link in an e-mail on my smartphone, and realized a second later it was most likely a malicious link and closed it before the page started to load, do you think I'm safe? I downloaded the Norton app and it did not detect anything. Posted by: Tammy Bland 06 Aug Or can you only get it by seeking these kind of sites? Just like you can get unsolicited emails.
Posted by: John 13 Aug One note to keep in mind when trying apps especiall free apps on an smart phjone be it Iphone, symbian or Android. Thats one way you can tell if an app is accesing your information on your phone just to even function, it's a catch 22! If I install an app that will not work unless the Data and or Wifi is own, it gets uninstalled and then I search for one that will work otherwise!
Posted by: Nikki 21 Sep I have had some interesting issues with my phone s --especially my iphone 3g. One issue was the the battery wouldnt stay charged even though i had a good battery. My data use was always very high, but i couldnt get things to load and my phone would lock up.
My emails, facebook, and myspace had been accessed numerois times by someone else. Eventually i gave up having my passwords, security questions, and alternate emails changed by someone else. My iphone basically "fried". Get it on Google Play. FREE Download. Over million downloads. Camera Trap. Android Antivirus Powerful mobile security used by millions Ours was the first antivirus app on Google Play to break million downloads, and is used today to secure phones and tablets across the globe.
Anti-Theft Phone Tracker Lost it? PRO Camera Trap See who's got your phone or tablet Now you'll know if an annoying brother—or master thief—tries snooping on your phone or tablet. Protect all your devices Unlimited devices, remote actions. Technical Specifications For personal and family use only. Not for business or commercial use. System Requirements. Why do Android phones and tablets need antivirus protection? What kinds of malware do Android devices get? How can I check my Android phone and tablet for viruses?
The battery drains faster than usual.
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