Many people believe that antivirus software is only needed on Windows PCs or laptops. However, it’s also essential on Android phones. Hackers are always creating new ways to infect your device with malware that can steal your identity, wreak destruction on your smartphone, and even turn it into an online spying tool for criminals. Google Play does its best to get rid of viruses, but a lot of applications remain undiscovered. A good antivirus app can scan your entire device and alert you to suspicious websites, text messages and Wi-Fi networks. It also comes with an anti-theft function that allows you to track down and erase information from a stolen device.
Bitdefender Mobile Security offers top-notch protection capabilities, scoring full marks in the latest AV-Test review and earning a high score from the AV-Comparatives (the other major independent lab for testing). It’s not just a malware detector: it also includes an App Advisor, which warns you about potential dangers of apps before you install them.
AVG’s free Android antivirus is a high-quality product which goes beyond the mundane scan of files and apps with a wealth of other useful tools like an anti-theft tool that can track your device, snap photos of a person who has stolen it and wipe its data remotely as well as a junk file cleanup and a how to prevent data leakage performance boost and a Wi-Fi scanner to ensure that you aren’t being hacked or overloaded by your wireless provider. It doesn’t have the slickest interface, but it’s efficient and has high security scores for detecting viruses.