If you're not running some kind of anti-malware app on your Android smartphone or tablet, you're putting yourself at risk of infection from corrupted apps and other kinds of malware.
The best mobile antivirus apps offer not only top-notch malware detection and prevention, but also a range of privacy and anti-theft features. These include the ability to back up your contacts and other data, track your phone or tablet via GPS, snap a picture of a phone thief with the device's camera, and even use your Android Wear smartwatch to locate your phone.
Based on our testing, the best paid Android antivirus app is Bitdefender Mobile Security ($15 per year), which offers flawless malware protection with a wide assortment of other features. The freemium Norton Mobile Security has similarly excellent protection, and doesn't hold back much from users who don't want to pay the premium-subscription price of $30 per year.
Avast Mobile Security proves you don't have to pay anything at all to get a rich assortment of features, including the best anti-theft features we've seen. Avast's malware protection wasn't as good as that of some other apps we reviewed, but many of its best features are stand-alone apps and can be used in conjunction with other software.
The other three apps we reviewed — CM Security, ESET Mobile Security & Antivirus and Kaspersky Internet Security for Android — are also pretty solid. Which of these six is best for you depends on your budget, how many devices you need to protect, and whether your greatest concern is malware infection, device theft or personal privacy.
How We Tested
To gauge security protection, we used the latest evaluation results from AV-TEST, an independent lab in Germany that rates major Android security apps every two months based on their ability to detect zero-day malware and other recent threats. Because some apps' results are inconsistent from one test to the next, we've also looked at the past year's worth of AV-TEST results.
To measure the impact these security apps have on overall performance, we used the Geekbench 3 benchmarking app on a Nexus 6P running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. For each app, we ran Geekbench several times with no AV app installed, then with one of the review apps installed, and finally during that app's full scan.
We also evaluated the number and usefulness of each app's features, took note of which features were reserved for paid users, and assessed the user interface and installation process.
Best Paid Option
8/10
TOTALLY WORTH IT
REVIEW
$14.95 Google
Bitdefender's Android security app offers flawless malware protection, minimal performance impact and robust privacy-protection tools while incorporating Android Wear watches into the app's anti-theft features. However, there are no scheduled malware scans, and there's no freemium option. (The separate Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Android only scans for malware.) But at $15 per year per device, Bitdefender Mobile Security is well worth the expense.
NORTON MOBILE SECURITY
Best Freemium Option
8/10
TOTALLY WORTH IT
REVIEW
FREE Google
Last year, we didn't like that Norton Mobile Security saved the best features for its expensive paid version. This year, the call/text blocking and the contacts backup are free for all users, and the $30 yearly license now covers up to 10 devices, a bargain for users with many devices to protect. Norton's best paid feature is the App Advisor, which inspects not only installed software but also apps in the Google Play store for security and privacy risks. Also good are a new app lock and a decent password manager, both of which are free, stand-alone apps.
AVAST MOBILE SECURITY
Best Free Option
7/10
VERY GOOD
REVIEW
FREE Google
The breadth and scope of the features in Avast Mobile Security & Antivirus still blow us away. The app is now completely free and includes everything from a privacy advisor to a customizable blacklist. But Avast has discontinued most of its options for rooted phones, while its malware protection is inconsistent in lab tests and its system impact is heavy during full scans. Still, this is our favorite free Android security app.
CM SECURITY
Best for Finger-Unlocking Phones
7/10
VERY GOOD
REVIEW
FREE GoogleThe first Chinese Android security app to be marketed to English speakers, CM Security brings an extensive set of features and options for the price of absolutely nothing. There's a network scanner; a clean, easy-to-use interface; and, best of all, support for fingerprint-unlocked phones. But CM Security's malware-detection rates fluctuated from month to month, while its anti-theft features offer little more than the built-in Android Device Manager, and it displayed a lot of ads.
ESET MOBILE SECURITY AND ANTIVIRUS
7/10
VERY GOOD
REVIEW
$9.95 GoogleESET is a dominant player in the European antivirus market, and its freemium Android app offers consistently good malware protection and robust anti-theft features. But the app reserves more features for the premium version than any other freemium app we reviewed, and its interface feels outdated. Still, the $15 yearly premium license covers up to five devices if bought through Google Play, so ESET Mobile Security might be a good option for users of multiple devices.
KASPERSKY INTERNET SECURITY FOR ANDROID
7/10
VERY GOOD
REVIEW
$49.99 KasperskyA powerhouse in PC security, Kaspersky Lab brings its excellent malware-detection engine to mobile devices with Kaspersky Internet Security for Android, which costs $14.95 per year for the premium version, with discounts for additional devices. The app has terrific anti-theft functions and now supports Android Wear smartwatches. But the app's user interface feels clunky and unfinished, even as its rivals have updated to match Google's Material Design aesthetic, and its privacy-protection features feel half-hearted.
Read Entire Article: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-antivirus,review-2588-7.html
The best mobile antivirus apps offer not only top-notch malware detection and prevention, but also a range of privacy and anti-theft features. These include the ability to back up your contacts and other data, track your phone or tablet via GPS, snap a picture of a phone thief with the device's camera, and even use your Android Wear smartwatch to locate your phone.
Based on our testing, the best paid Android antivirus app is Bitdefender Mobile Security ($15 per year), which offers flawless malware protection with a wide assortment of other features. The freemium Norton Mobile Security has similarly excellent protection, and doesn't hold back much from users who don't want to pay the premium-subscription price of $30 per year.
Avast Mobile Security proves you don't have to pay anything at all to get a rich assortment of features, including the best anti-theft features we've seen. Avast's malware protection wasn't as good as that of some other apps we reviewed, but many of its best features are stand-alone apps and can be used in conjunction with other software.
The other three apps we reviewed — CM Security, ESET Mobile Security & Antivirus and Kaspersky Internet Security for Android — are also pretty solid. Which of these six is best for you depends on your budget, how many devices you need to protect, and whether your greatest concern is malware infection, device theft or personal privacy.
How We Tested
To gauge security protection, we used the latest evaluation results from AV-TEST, an independent lab in Germany that rates major Android security apps every two months based on their ability to detect zero-day malware and other recent threats. Because some apps' results are inconsistent from one test to the next, we've also looked at the past year's worth of AV-TEST results.
To measure the impact these security apps have on overall performance, we used the Geekbench 3 benchmarking app on a Nexus 6P running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. For each app, we ran Geekbench several times with no AV app installed, then with one of the review apps installed, and finally during that app's full scan.
We also evaluated the number and usefulness of each app's features, took note of which features were reserved for paid users, and assessed the user interface and installation process.
Best Paid Option
8/10
TOTALLY WORTH IT
REVIEW
$14.95 Google
Bitdefender's Android security app offers flawless malware protection, minimal performance impact and robust privacy-protection tools while incorporating Android Wear watches into the app's anti-theft features. However, there are no scheduled malware scans, and there's no freemium option. (The separate Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Android only scans for malware.) But at $15 per year per device, Bitdefender Mobile Security is well worth the expense.
NORTON MOBILE SECURITY
Best Freemium Option
8/10
TOTALLY WORTH IT
REVIEW
FREE Google
Last year, we didn't like that Norton Mobile Security saved the best features for its expensive paid version. This year, the call/text blocking and the contacts backup are free for all users, and the $30 yearly license now covers up to 10 devices, a bargain for users with many devices to protect. Norton's best paid feature is the App Advisor, which inspects not only installed software but also apps in the Google Play store for security and privacy risks. Also good are a new app lock and a decent password manager, both of which are free, stand-alone apps.
AVAST MOBILE SECURITY
Best Free Option
7/10
VERY GOOD
REVIEW
FREE Google
The breadth and scope of the features in Avast Mobile Security & Antivirus still blow us away. The app is now completely free and includes everything from a privacy advisor to a customizable blacklist. But Avast has discontinued most of its options for rooted phones, while its malware protection is inconsistent in lab tests and its system impact is heavy during full scans. Still, this is our favorite free Android security app.
CM SECURITY
Best for Finger-Unlocking Phones
7/10
VERY GOOD
REVIEW
FREE GoogleThe first Chinese Android security app to be marketed to English speakers, CM Security brings an extensive set of features and options for the price of absolutely nothing. There's a network scanner; a clean, easy-to-use interface; and, best of all, support for fingerprint-unlocked phones. But CM Security's malware-detection rates fluctuated from month to month, while its anti-theft features offer little more than the built-in Android Device Manager, and it displayed a lot of ads.
ESET MOBILE SECURITY AND ANTIVIRUS
7/10
VERY GOOD
REVIEW
$9.95 GoogleESET is a dominant player in the European antivirus market, and its freemium Android app offers consistently good malware protection and robust anti-theft features. But the app reserves more features for the premium version than any other freemium app we reviewed, and its interface feels outdated. Still, the $15 yearly premium license covers up to five devices if bought through Google Play, so ESET Mobile Security might be a good option for users of multiple devices.
KASPERSKY INTERNET SECURITY FOR ANDROID
7/10
VERY GOOD
REVIEW
$49.99 KasperskyA powerhouse in PC security, Kaspersky Lab brings its excellent malware-detection engine to mobile devices with Kaspersky Internet Security for Android, which costs $14.95 per year for the premium version, with discounts for additional devices. The app has terrific anti-theft functions and now supports Android Wear smartwatches. But the app's user interface feels clunky and unfinished, even as its rivals have updated to match Google's Material Design aesthetic, and its privacy-protection features feel half-hearted.
Read Entire Article: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-antivirus,review-2588-7.html