Top 5 Best Android Antivirus Apps and Software In 2023
Besides giving security to your device from viruses, antivirus software also gives you a tool to find your device in case of theft, lock or format it remotely, browse securely through their VPN, and much more. In addition to excellent malware detection and prevention, the best Android antivirus apps and software also include privacy and anti-theft features. While most of these apps software have a free service tier that allow you to test them out before paying for a subscription, some are entirely free.
Besides giving security to your device from viruses, antivirus software also gives you a tool to find your device in case of theft, lock or format it remotely, browse securely through their VPN, and much more. In addition to excellent malware detection and prevention, the best Android antivirus apps and software also include privacy and anti-theft features. While most of these apps software have a free service tier that allow you to test them out before paying for a subscription, some are entirely free.
At the same time, some of the best Android antivirus apps software on this list will backup your contacts and other important data, track your phone or computer via GPS, take a picture of a thief using your device’s camera and even let you find your phone using your smartwatch.
We’ve rounded up the best offerings from the biggest names in the mobile antivirus business – Avast, Bitdefender, Lookout, McAfee, Norton and even Google itself – and rated their Android apps and software based on setup, interface, usability, extra features and of course, their ability to protect your devices from the latest cyber threats. Fortunately, almost every major antivirus maker has an Android app with the ability to keep your device secure, and some of them are even free. And by free we mean really free—not just 30-day-trial free. Some may have more restricted features (often the trade-off for not having to pay anything), but if you want to keep your device more secure without paying for a subscription you don’t otherwise need, these are the apps we recommend. These are the best Android antivirus apps and software you can install on your devices today. In this article, we will give you a list of the top 5 best antiviruses for Android. Go through this article to know their top features of them.
Q #1) Do Android phones need antivirus?
Answer: Since many of our important tasks, including financial transfers, are done through our phones, it is very important to keep our data secure. A virus can damage your important files and can even monitor your moves. Thus, getting antivirus for your android phone will always prove to be a wise idea.
Q #2) Which is the best free antivirus for Android?
Answer: Bitdefender is the best antivirus for Android, because of its usability, but it gives fewer free features, as compared to its alternatives. Thus, the best free antivirus app for android includes Avira, Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus, and Avast Mobile Security.
Q #3) Which is better: Avira or Bitdefender?
Answer: Bitdefender offers the cheapest prices for the range of features that it offers. If you want the highest number of useful features at comparatively lower prices, then go with Bitdefender.
But if you want an unlimited VPN, then you should choose Avira. The VPN offered by Bitdefender can be used for browsing 200 MB per day only.
Q #4) Does Android have built-in virus protection?
Answer: Yes, Android phones give you free, in-built virus protection.
It is Google Play Protect, which keeps unwanted apps and malware away from your device. It keeps on screening the apps from time to time and even gives you anti-theft tools and much more.
Q #5) How do I check for malware on my android?
Answer: If you want to check for malware on your Android device, follow these steps:
- Open Google Play Store on your mobile.
- Open Menu by clicking on the green icon having the first letter of the registered Google account.
- Then select ‘Play Protect’.
- Click on ‘scan’.
- Then the Google Play Protect app scans the downloaded apps on your device and gives you the results.
Q #6) Can Androids be hacked?
Answer: Yes, androids can be hacked and someone can even spy on you, through your camera or microphone, and can even steal your confidential information.
Following are the major signs that occur if a device gets hacked:
- The battery and data drain too fast.
- You find your device is rooted (it requires basic technical knowledge to root a device and get access to it).
- You hear some background sound or echoing noises.
- Your device behaves weirdly.
- You notice apps on your device that you did not install – This can be a major sign as a hacker would need to install an app on your device, for rooting it .
What are the best Android antivirus apps?
for free and do fairly well in malware-detection tests. However, Avast’s anti-theft and call-blocking tools didn’t work well and the free versions of both apps show a lot of ads.
Lookout Security & Antivirus was one of the first mobile antivirus apps and has a compelling identity protection option. Still though, there’s little third-party lab testing data on the efficiency of Lookout’s antivirus, so we don’t really know exactly how well it protect against malware.
Google Play Protect on the other hand is pre-installed on every Android phone with Google Play. Unfortunately, It’s not the best at protecting against malware but it has certainly improved over the years.
For malware protection on other platforms, be sure to visit our pages on the best antivirus software and the best Mac antivirus.
The best Android antivirus app you can get
Bitdefender's Android security app has nearly flawless malware protection, a very light performance impact, Android Wear watch integration, a VPN client and a malicious-website blocker that works with most Android browsers.
It also has robust privacy-protection tools, including an app lock, a Wi-Fi scanner, anti-theft features and data-breach notifications. A newly added feature, Scam Alert, flags possibly malicious links in SMS text messages, messaging apps and screen notifications.
Bitdefender Mobile Security offers a 14-day trial period, but this is not a freemium app. The separate Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Android app (which is indeed totally free) only scans for malware.
The built-in VPN client gives you only 200MB of free data per data — just enough to check your email while traveling. If you want more data, you'll have to pay $7 monthly or $50 yearly.
But at $15 per year, Bitdefender Mobile Security is well worth the expense. It's our choice for the best Android antivirus app.
