Our phones are gradually becoming as powerful as our computers. A modern smartphone can run most basic computer tasks and packs enough wallop to outshine older computers. With these growing mobile performance gains, our phones are becoming viable replacements for our computers. While this is useful to us in our day to day activities, it also makes our phones more prone to attacks. The internet is a pool of various malware programs, some of which are tailored to infect smartphones.
Luckily, defending against malware is just as easy as it is on computers. By simply avoiding suspicious sites and installing a proper antivirus program, we can keep our phones safe from malware infections. In this article, I have brought together a list of some of the most popular and most effective antivirus programs to have on your device. I hope you find one that meets your needs here.
AVG Antivirus
AVG is a big name in the PC antivirus scene and, as of 2016, is owned by Avast. With AVG, you can easily scan your phone and find potential vulnerabilities. This antivirus also comes with key unique features like anti-theft tracking via Google Maps and real-time malware shields. With AVG, you can be sure that your phone will be protected around the clock from all sorts of negative programs.
360 Security
360 Security is another great antivirus and malware protection application for your smart android device. It is a decent Antivirus program that scans your apps for the potential malware activity and suggests which apps might be stealing your data for you to take action against. It also comes with a wide array of phone booster and phone accelerator features to make your device run faster.
Avast Antivirus
Anyone who has been in the computer scene for a reasonable amount of time has probably already heard of Avast. Avast Antivirus is one of the best and most widely used PC security programs. It only makes sense that they would transfer their expertise to a mobile platform. Like its PC counterpart, Avast Mobile Security is one of the most popular antivirus apps on android devices. As such, it has over 100 million downloads and tons of features. Avast boasts classic antivirus scanning, an applock, call blocker, anti-theft support, a photo vault, and even a firewall for rooted Android devices. These are just some of the major features of Avast. Install it now and find out the rest!
Bitdefender Free Antivirus
Bitdefender Antivirus is a free antivirus app, and because of this, it is straightforward and simple. With an easy to use GUI, Bitdefender offers a basic scanning feature, a simple interface, quick performance, and no configuration. And that’s about it for this app. These basic features are everything the average user will need, especially on lower end devices. Being free with no microtransactions, Bitdefender is a perfect choice for users who want something simple.
Avira
A newer antivirus app, Avira is growing steadily and can now stand with the rest of the apps on this list. As usual, Avira comes with all the basic features: device scans, real-time protection, external SD card scans, anti-theft support, privacy scanning, blacklisting, and even device admin features. Avira is a simple app and is a lot lighter than Avast level apps. Get this program if your device is lacking hardware-wise.
Norton Mobile Security
Norton’s Mobile Security app contains a slew of features, including the exclusive App Advisor, a system that checks apps for any possible privacy risks or other unwanted behavior like being overly taxing on your battery. With the app advisor, you can even check the status of apps before installing them, which is very handy in protecting your device. Call blocking, anti-theft, remote lock, and many others make Norton a worthwhile choice for your device.
McAfee Mobile Security
McAfee is another well-known name in the cybersecurity scene. The mobile version is also significantly powerful. It gives you all the features you would expect from a standard antivirus program. It scans apps and locks them if they leak sensitive information. McAfee Mobile Security also has several other features useful features that earn it its spot on this list.
Kaspersky Internet Security for Android
Kaspersky is up there with Avast and Norton. This app gives you top-notch malware detection and some heavyweight anti-theft capabilities, allowing you to find the location of your Android device if it has been lost or stolen. Kaspersky Internet Security is a top tier antivirus program and is highly recommended
Trend Micro Mobile Security & Antivirus
With an app scanner and even privacy detection settings, Trend Micro Mobile Security easily finds its way on this list. It boasts a great user interface and packs enough tools and services to make this little antivirus very much worth your while.
Sophos Intercept X for Mobile
Sophos’ antivirus app is a free antivirus app that gives you top-notch security features and, surprisingly, doesn’t contain ads. This app is great if you don’t want to spend large sums on the other antivirus programs on this list.