Android is so common that it’s an enormous goal for cybercriminals that need your cash. They’ll get it any method they’ll, whether or not it’s utilizing ‘keyloggers’ to steal your passwords, or another malicious software program that spies in your exercise and sends the hackers private particulars.
There are many different methods, too, from phishing messages and different scams that try to trick you into handing over that info, together with tapping on hyperlinks to harmful webistes.
To guard your self, it’s best to set up and use a safety app. With out one, you actually are leaving the door open to those threats as a result of Android itself doesn’t provide a lot in the best way of safety.
The excellent news is that safety apps don’t value a lot and also you may even discover a free one does every thing you want.
What you are likely to should pay for are further options reminiscent of identification safety, a VPN and perhaps a password supervisor.
Our high choose is Bitdefender Cellular Safety & Antivirus. It presents wonderful safety from viruses but additionally has helpful anti-theft options, a built-in VPN, the power to guard particular apps with a PIN and rather more.
Greatest Android antivirus apps 2024
1. Bitdefender Cellular Safety & Antivirus
Execs
- Glorious malware safety
- A number of helpful further options
Cons
- VPN restricted to 200MB/day
- Free model consists of antivirus solely
Value When Reviewed:
$14.99
There are two variations of Bitdefender for Android. One is the fully free Bitdefender Antivirus app and the opposite is named Cellular Safety for Android, which isn’t free.
The previous does one job solely: protects your Android cellphone or pill from viruses. And it does a unbelievable job: in AV-Take a look at’s most up-to-date report, Bitdefender caught 100% of viruses thrown at it, all with out affecting the cellphone’s efficiency or battery life.
That may sound nice, however you get much more safety within the Cellular Safety & Antivirus app. Probably the most helpful is warnings of doubtless harmful hyperlinks in SMS and different messages and notifications that can assist you keep away from being scammed.
App lock is nice, too. Not solely does it allow you to forestall entry to particular apps utilizing a PIN, however you’ll be able to configure it so apps stay unlocked for 30 seconds after you shut them or swap to a different, or keep unlocked when your cellphone is on a trusted Wi-Fi community (reminiscent of your house’s).
There’s additionally Internet Safety which warns you of internet sites that could possibly be dodgy, whether or not you’re utilizing Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Edge or one of some different internet browsers.
Add to that the identification safety, which alerts you if any of your e-mail addresses are present in breaches, and a few helpful anti-theft options and it’s an excellent all-round safety app.
Sure, you additionally get a VPN, but it surely’s a restricted, cut-down model of Bitdefender’s full VPN service. It’s nearly okay for a little bit of internet searching, however you’re higher off with a separate VPN app. There are a couple of different limitations: it doesn’t to dam calls, again up knowledge or have any parental controls, however for every thing else it’s a superb bundle.
If you need safety for simply your Android machine, Bitdefender Cellular Safety for Android prices a really cheap $14.99 / £14.99 for the primary yr. The choice is to purchase Bitdefender Complete Safety which helps you to set up the app on as much as 5 units, together with PCs, laptops, Macs, iPhones, iPads and Android smartphones and tablets.
2. Norton Cellular Safety
Execs
- High-notch safety
- App advisor warns of harmful apps earlier than set up
Value When Reviewed:
$14.99 per yr
Norton used to supply free Android antivirus, however not does. This implies you’ll should pay, however there are numerous choices from the single-device subscription (Norton Cellular Safety) that prices $14.99/£9.99 for the primary yr, a Norton 360 for Cellular single-device subscription for $39.99/£24.99 and Norton 360 Deluxe which protects 5 units for £89.99/$119.99 per yr, however discounted to £29.99/$49.99 for the primary yr.
All the pieces is built-in right into a single app: there’s no must run separate apps for antivirus, VPN and ID safety.
Like Bitdefender Cellular Safety, it scored full marks in AV-Take a look at’s newest report, blocking 100% of threats and having no influence on efficiency or battery life.
In addition to malware safety you get warnings of doubtless harmful textual content messages, web sites and Wi-Fi networks. But it surely’s the App Advisor which actually shines, alerting you to probably dodgy apps within the Play retailer earlier than you even set up them, in addition to put in apps utilizing an excessive amount of knowledge or exhibiting suspicious behaviour.
Past this, as long as you’re subscribed to a model of 360 and never the fundamental Cellular Safety, you additionally get to make use of Norton’s no-limits VPN and its darkish internet monitoring service. All variations include name blocking and misplaced or stolen machine restoration.
Learn our full
Norton Cellular Safety evaluation
3. Avast One Important
Execs
- Good free model
- 5GB per week VPN
Cons
- Fixed nagging to improve
Value When Reviewed:
Free
One Important is the newest safety suite from Avast and it’s accessible for Home windows, Mac and iOS in addition to Android.
You need to use it free of charge and get loads of options with out paying. However you’ll see numerous messages to ‘Go Premium’, together with when ‘Superior points’ are discovered in the course of the preliminary scan. Actually, these are merely options you’re not getting as a free buyer, which is a bit cheeky.
The excellent news is that though loads of permissions are required for every thing that Avast can do, these are solely requested while you attempt to use that function, reminiscent of cleansing out junk information and ‘Internet Defend’ which warns you of harmful websites earlier than you go to them.
In addition to top-tier malware safety, there’s a built-in VPN that provides you a beneficiant allowance of 5GB per week. You possibly can’t select a location except you’re a paying buyer, however for privateness when searching the online or utilizing public Wi-Fi, it’s a real bonus.
There’s additionally the choice to test for any knowledge breaches, and you may enter an e-mail deal with to test even for those who’re utilizing the app with out having created an Avast account.
Paying clients get notifications when their e-mail is noticed in an information breach, however free customers should test manually.
There’s no call-blocking, no warnings about dodgy hyperlinks in textual content messages and no anti-theft options, however for those who’re simply after free antivirus, One Important is a good selection for Android customers.
Should you did need to improve, it prices $50 / £39.99 for the primary yr and $99.99 / £79.99 thereafter, however this covers any 5 units. You will get Avast One right here.
4. Eset Cellular Safety for Android
Execs
- Free model with wonderful antivirus
- A number of helpful options in Premium model
Cons
- No VPN or ID safety
- No password supervisor
Value When Reviewed:
From free (Premium $14.99 per yr)
Eset Cellular Safety is on the market in two variations. You possibly can obtain it from Google Play and use it fully freed from cost.
For no cash in anyway, it presents real-time monitoring and does a superb job of holding Android telephones free from malware. Actually, when famend impartial check lab AV-Comparatives put Cellular Safety by way of its paces not too long ago, it achieved an unbeatable 100% Safety score and gave zero false positives (in different phrases, it by no means flagged reputable apps as harmful).
Higher nonetheless, there are a great deal of different options, though for nearly all of them you’d must subscribe to Cellular Safety Premium. That’s truthful sufficient, and it’s nice worth at solely $14.99/£8.99 per yr. You can too reap the benefits of the 30-day free trial to see for those who just like the options first.
The primary dashboard breaks issues down into three sections, Safety, Privateness, and System.
Inside Safety you’ll discover each transient and detailed experiences, with an outline of your machine, in addition to shortcuts to Anti-Phishing instruments, Fee Safety and Community Inspector.
They’re all equivalents of their Home windows counterparts, which implies you’ll get warnings for those who’re about to go to a doubtlessly harmful web site, the power to scan your house Wi-Fi for threats and Fee Safety, which scans any finance-related apps for threats every time you utilize them.
Anti-theft options enable to you set your cellphone to lock mechanically if somebody removes the SIM or enters the mistaken PIN 3 times in a row. It may possibly additionally take a photograph with the front-facing digicam after the machine is locked so you’ll be able to see who’s utilizing it.
It’s doable to trace a misplaced or stolen cellphone through the Eset Dwelling portal in an online browser, which can present its tough location on a map. You possibly can add contact particulars which might be proven on the lock display screen, enabling a misplaced cellphone to be returned to you.
App Lock helps you to defend delicate apps with a PIN code and a name filter can be utilized to dam spam callers. Many Android telephones have this function already, although.
There’s additionally a function that does a phone-wide safety audit, offering perception into which apps in your cellphone have which permissions, for those who’ve enabled developer mode or different settings that aren’t nice for safety.
What’s lacking is a VPN, password supervisor and identification safety. You get these provided that you signal as much as Eset’s dear Dwelling Safety Final bundle which covers Home windows, macOS and iOS in addition to Android.
5. Avira Free Safety
Execs
- Filled with options
- Good malware safety
Cons
- A number of upselling free of charge customers
- Didn’t block 100% of malware
Value When Reviewed:
Free, Professional prices $11.99
Avira is well-known for providing free antivirus and Android customers can nonetheless profit from this. Actually, though you’ll should put up with fixed reminders that you simply’re not paying and due to this fact lacking out on some protections, you do get lots free of charge.
While you first set up the app you get the choice to check out the darkish mode and, though it takes you straight to the Profile faucet with a big Log In button, you don’t must create an account to make use of Avira Safety free of charge.
The Dashboard tab is one thing of a misnomer because it merely presents a Sensible Scan button together with an ever-present choice to improve to Safety Professional and get a week-long trial. It doesn’t, as you may moderately count on from a dashboard, offer you an outline of the present state of safety.
Within the Safety tab, there’s no antivirus to be discovered: you’ll see the Anti-Theft choices together with Internet Safety, which is locked free of charge customers. That’s a blow, as warnings of malicious web sites are a worthwhile function.
Privateness options are intensive, together with name blocking, ID safety, a VPN, Permissions Supervisor and App Lock (which makes use of a sample to stop entry). ID safety helps you to test if an e-mail deal with has been included in any breaches however you’ll be able to solely get steady monitoring (and alerts) for those who create an account – truthful sufficient. Different options reminiscent of App Lock are solely usable for those who create an account, too.
The password supervisor and microphone safety are reserved for paying customers, and the VPN limits you to 100MB per day and prevents you from selecting a location.
In AV-Take a look at’s most up-to-date report, Avira blocked 100% of threats, managing to cease 99.8% of the 3300+ samples used, however did detected 100% of widespread Android malware. When others reminiscent of Avast managed 100% in each assessments, you’d be forgiven for pondering Avira is finest prevented. However these are nonetheless nice outcomes and much better than working no antivirus in any respect.
To unlock most options, Safety Professional prices $11.99 / £6.99 per yr. That’s good worth, however to get limitless VPN use and the password supervisor requires an Avira Prime Cellular subscription which is $25.99 / £21.49 yearly.
FAQ
Is free Android antivirus any good?
Sure, it may be for those who select properly. One downside of sure free Android antivirus apps is a scarcity of real-time monitoring. This implies they’re not consistently watching out for malware. As a substitute, they wait till you open the app and press the ‘scan’ button to test for any issues.
Free antivirus, typically, doesn’t embrace all of the options you get while you pay, reminiscent of VPN, identification safety and extra.
What’s one of the best free Android antivirus?
Bitdefender Cellular Safety. It has real-time monitoring and has a superb monitor report in impartial assessments.
What’s one of the best antivirus accessible for Android?
Bitdefender Cellular Safety is one of the best total. There’s a free model, however in order for you further safety together with identification safety, a VPN and extra, it’s best to pay for the premium model.
Does Android want antivirus?
Not like Apple units, which solely enable downloads from the iOS App Retailer to guard customers from bogus apps, Android helps you to set up APK information (that are apps) from any supply as soon as you modify a easy setting in your cellphone’s Settings app. Downloading apps from unknown sources isn’t typically an excellent thought as they could possibly be contaminated with viruses and malware.
There’s additionally a less-strict approval course of for the Google Play Retailer than Apple’s App Retailer, and it’s no secret that apps contaminated with malware can seem on the Retailer now and again.
Should you’re searching for safety for all of your units together with Home windows laptops, PCs, Macs, iPhones and iPads see our suggestions for one of the best antivirus software program.
Android antivirus shopping for information: what to search for
Good antivirus software program will warn you of phishing emails, doubtlessly harmful messages (and the hyperlinks in them) and doubtlessly harmful web sites.
Along with virus safety, one of the best Android apps might need extra options reminiscent of anti-theft to help you lock and/or wipe knowledge from a stolen handset, and even take photographs or audio recordings of the thieves.
One other helpful function generally present in safety apps for Android is name blocking. In case your cellphone is consistently tormented by nuisance calls or spam texts, you may be capable to block the callers in order that they don’t interrupt your day.
Some apps embrace schedulers of their call-blocking amenities, so you’ll be able to divert all calls from the workplace to voicemail at evenings and weekends, for instance.
The power to password defend entry to particular apps might be invaluable for folks who routinely hand their cellphone over to kids to play video games and fear that they could stumble onto one thing they shouldn’t, or run up horrendous payments by buying apps. However this additionally prevents anybody from choosing up your cellphone (even when it’s not locked) and utilizing any app they like.
It’s vital to decide on an app you belief, as a result of assessments carried out by AV-Comparatives discovered that lower than a 3rd of all Android antivirus apps truly work. The positioning examined 250 apps and located that solely 80 of them managed to detect no less than 30% of malicious apps with none false alarms. And antivirus software program which doesn’t work correctly is of no worth.
For testing how efficient antivirus apps are, which is a specialist and intensely time-consuming course of, we use the outcomes from well-know safety software program check labs AV-Take a look at and AV-Comparatives. They consistently check these apps for cover, efficiency and usefulness. You possibly can learn these experiences your self to seek out out precisely how every app carried out in every check.
Whereas an app can present a great degree or safety from malicious software program, hackers are sometimes reliant on customers to make errors or be fooled into putting in the malware themselves with out realising what they’re doing. With this in thoughts, listed here are recommendations on learn how to defend your self on-line and eight methods to guard your self from cybercrime so that you simply don’t make it straightforward for many who would search to do you hurt.