The Best Antivirus Apps for Your Android Phone

There is 6.37 billion smartphone users in the world. This represents 80.69% of the world’s population. Among these smartphone users, Android is the most popular operating system worldwide.

The android operating system has 2.8 billion active userswhich are mainly present in countries like Brazil, India, Turkey and Vietnam. Samsung is the most used Android manufacturer on the market, followed by Huawei and Xiaomi.

The growing number of Android users has become a frequent target of cyberattacks. 98% of mobile malware attacks are often perpetrated on Android devices.

These attacks are not due to the incompetence of the manufacturers but to their popularity. Cybercriminals prey on brands or operating systems that are popular or have many users in order to have more targets than ever before.

If you are using an Android phone, you need to strengthen its security. There are multiple ways to protect your device from threats. But the first step to protecting your device is to use antivirus software that will meet your needs.

Protect your Android phone with these antivirus apps.

The best antivirus software for your Android phone

Bitdefender Mobile Security

Bitdefender is one of the leading trading names in the industry. They have a wide range of antivirus software for individuals or businesses. They can also support different operating systems.

Bitdefender Mobile Security software is a mobile device protection application designed for Android users. It offers more than threat analysis.

Mobile security by Android also provides a VPN, so you can go online while protecting your identity. However, you don’t get unlimited data, only up to 200MB per day.

Another additional feature that you will enjoy from Bitdefender is the performance tool. You can improve battery and system life by managing power and moving the device away from depleting resources.

The latest update from Bitdefender is the spam alert. It can detect spam messages with link-based attacks to avoid being a victim.

You get real-time threat protection and browser protection too.

This is not a free app. Bitdefender offers a free version, but it is limited to scanning devices and recommending solutions to detected issues.

Avira Antivirus Security

It has the ability to protect against millions of known mobile and online threats. Additionally, Avira brings additional features to secure your Android phone from spies, advertisers and scams.

It scans the entire device, web and Wi-Fi network. Avira checks your Android device for existing threats and issues. It also checks for phishing sites and blocks them immediately if suspicious activity is detected.

Besides protection against malware and phishing attacks, Avira also offers additional protection.

You can enjoy anonymous browsing with the limited VPN offered. It only has 100 MB of data, less than Bitdefender’s. But Avira offers a limited VPN, while it is another paid tool.

It can protect phone and personal data with an App Lock. Other security tools in Avira are protection against spies by keeping the microphone and camera secure. It even allows users to manage permissions on apps.

Avira is free to download from the Google Play Store, but it does not include webcam, microphone and web protection. Most of these features are available in the Pro version.

McAfee Mobile Security

McAfee offers great features to protect your Android phone. It analyzes online and offline activities. It checks your phone for issues or threats and protects your online browsing from malicious sites, third-party trackers and scams.

When you lose your phone, the anti-theft tool can help you locate it using GPS. There’s also the CaptureCam which will take a photo of someone trying to enter three wrong PIN codes into your phone.

You can also backup your data to the McAfee cloud and recover the content at any time. Additionally, it includes a Wi-Fi scanner to check if it is secure or if someone has hacked the network.

There is no free VPN for McAfee. You will have to purchase it for $47.99 per year. Additionally, the free version contains advertisements and promotional offers. If you buy the paid version, you will get better technical support and no ads.

BullGuard Mobile Security

This is a free antivirus software that comes with tools for protecting your Android device. However, using the paid version offers additional features that can protect your device.

When scanning for threats, BullGuard uses a cloud-based engine for faster and more effective protection. There are several scanning options, such as on-access scanning or when you need to check the device. It provides security against adware, ransomware, scams, trackers, etc.

The anti-theft features impressive components like remote data wipe, device locator, and audible alarm to locate a missing phone.

There is also free cloud storage to back up your data on your mobile device, or you can even back up to the web.

Unfortunately, BullGuard does not offer VPN data for anonymous analysis.

The paid version offers protection for more than five devices and parental controls.

Panda Dome Antivirus

Although there is a Panda Dome for Android, the Panda Dome Antivirus is a better option, and it offers protection for both Windows and Android devices.

Panda Dome’s real-time scanning can detect the presence of malware like ransomware and spyware without any impact on the device. It can also scan your phone’s memory card.

Other features include:

• Permission to audit your applications,
• Optimizing your phone’s performance
• Maintaining battery life
• Get real-time tracking of missing phone.

The free version also offers 150MB VPN per day for anonymous browsing, remote data wiping, and automatic phone lock if lost.

The only downside to Panda Dome is that the free version only offers limited features. If you need other security tools like antispam, app lock, remote alarm and more, you’ll need Panda Dome Pro Packs.

Kaspersky Antivirus

Kaspersky offers AI-powered antivirus protection to prevent ransomware, viruses and malware. This is a free app that you can get from your Google Play Store. There are other features offered by Kaspersky Antivirus that are also free.

The free version only offers manual scanning. If you want automatic scanning of apps and devices, go for the premium version.

Other free tools you can get with Kaspersky:

• Anti-theft: If your phone goes missing or is lost, the anti-theft feature allows you to erase data remotely and take a selfie when someone tries to enter the wrong PIN. Find My Phone feature helps to check the location of the missing phone.
• Call Filter: You can filter or block calls from unknown or custom numbers.
• Anti-stalkerware: Detect apps that spy on your activities and social media accounts.

If you want to enjoy real-time threat scanning, you will need to get the premium version. Additionally, other premium features of Kaspersky are,

• Anti-phishing: scans websites, texts, links and emails.
• App lock: It makes apps, calls and text messages more secure.

Norton Mobile Security

Norton is rich in premium tools that can provide android devices with the most remarkable protection. There is no trial or free version of Norton Mobile Security.

For just $30 per year, you get proactive protection for your device against mobile threats including adware, malware, ransomware, privacy leaks, and more.

It scans Wi-Fi networks before you can connect to them to avoid connecting to dangerous networks. In addition to scanning Wi-Fi networks, it can detect fraudulent links and websites.

You’ll get a summary of what you need to focus on to repair or protect your device and information. It even tracks where your photos are sent by apps and scans apps automatically.

Norton 360 is the free version that you can use on your Android device.

Sophos Intercept X for Mobile

The best thing about Sophos Intercept is that it is a free tool, and there are no annoying ads or pop-ups. But that’s not the only impressive feature of Sophos.

Like other antivirus apps, Sophos also leads the AV test for detecting malware and other threats. It uses cloud-based analytics to prevent device slowdown and to better recognize threats. You can set when you want to scan devices, apps or internal storage.

In addition to the analysis, you will receive a report on the problems and their solutions.

Sophos can also detect the activities of your applications by checking whether they are accessing data and transferring it to another server.

It offers a unique way to secure your accounts and devices. You can generate time-based TOTP or meter-based HOTP and use the Google Authentication enabled app.

Other features that Sophos offers to Android users are,

• QR code security analysis
• Mobile Threat Defense: Use to restrict company data or based on your device’s compliance status.
• Scans links, Wi-Fi networks, websites and applications.
• Monitors incoming data

Security Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes does a fantastic job of removing malware that has already infected your phone. It detects adware or harmful programs that track your application usage and online activities. Malwarebytes then deletes them, giving you more free space on your phone as well as a little more privacy.

It even detects ransomware and phishing programs and notifies you if they are identified on your device.

Like Sophos, Malwarebytes is free and contains no ads.

Additionally, it scans apps and checks their activities and whether they send your personal information and location to any third party. It can even detect apps that have hidden fees or costs.

If you want to browse online safely and benefit from real-time ransomware tracking, you’ll need to upgrade to the premium version.

Conclusion

Protecting your Android phone is crucial. With the emergence of many online threats, you cannot risk letting them access your information. Whether your Android device is intended for remote work or for personal use, antivirus software can protect its contents. Discover the features you need to start protecting your data and your device.