- Generally, you don’t need an antivirus app for Android if you play it safe.
- But with crooks, hackers, and cyber-criminals spending countless hours trying to take advantage of your smartphone, it’s time you raised your guard!
- We tested numerous free antivirus and mobile security apps available on the Internet. Bitdefender and Kaspersky came at the top!
5 Best Free Antivirus & Internet Security Apps For Android
Contents
1. Bitdefender Antivirus Free
2. Kaspersky Internet Security For Android
3. Avira Antivirus Security
4. AVG AntiVirus Free For Android
5. Malwarebytes Mobile Security
How We Tested? We evaluated all the top free security apps for Android in terms of reliability, ease-of-use, features, and performance on our test device. We then obtained the data from trusted sources to come up with Android’s best free antivirus and Internet security apps list.
Important! There are a number of fake antivirus apps available in the market. It is recommended to use one of the below free antivirus apps that have been personally tested and will guarantee your safety.
1. Bitdefender Antivirus Free
There’s a reason why Bitdefender has been installed tens of millions of times to date.
- Bitdefender has an award-winning anti-malware engine with an impressive 100 percent detection rate.
- It’s the best set-it-and-forget-it option among free antivirus apps for Android smartphones.
- Simple to use, just install and run with zero configuration.
- It has minimal impact on your phone and doesn’t drain the battery.
- Uses Cloud Technology to arm your Android device with the latest industry-leading malware detection.
- The Autopilot feature automatically scans new and updated apps as you download them from the store.
- The paid version offers real-time scanning of web pages you’re viewing online, app lock, anti-theft, and other features.
- No customization options. Advanced users may want more control.
2. Kaspersky Internet Security For Android
It’s a no-nonsense free Android antivirus app that offers protection against all the major cyber-security threats.
- It is designed to defend your Android phone from a variety of malware threats like Trojans, ransomware, stalkerware, and adware.
- Kaspersky had 100% threat detection rates in the recently concluded tests done by independent security labs.
- It can scan your installed applications in a click using advanced cloud capabilities.
- Its Anti-theft feature can remotely locate, lock, and wipe your phone if lost or stolen.
- It can show a preset message to the person who found your lost phone. Furthermore, it can trigger an alarm and even capture photos from the front-facing camera.
- Kaspersky frequently updates itself with all the latest threat information.
- The paid version of the app features real-time threat protection, app lock, anti-phishing, and an advanced web filter.
- The free version doesn’t auto scan the new apps. A full scan usually takes more time to complete.
3. Avira Antivirus Security
Avira is an award-winning antivirus and Internet security app that provides premium features for Android devices free.
- This free Internet security app scans, blocks, and removes all kinds of malware in real-time.
- It has a smart system of categorizing installed apps on a privacy scale to help you easily decide how much they can be trusted.
- The Phone Locator and Tracker feature helps you find, track, and recover your lost or stolen phone.
- Network Scanner tool can discover other devices connected to the same Wi-Fi and identify vulnerabilities if present.
- Avira regularly checks if your email addresses have been involved in any major data breaches.
- It comes with the built-in ability to block unwanted calls and texts. Also, there is a free VPN and System Optimizer.
- The premium version includes better support, automatic blocking of malicious websites, app lock to PIN protect your sensitive apps and more frequent updates.
- Beginners may feel it to be a little overwhelming.
4. AVG AntiVirus Free For Android
AVG AntiVirus Free is one of the more feature-rich free antivirus apps for Android you can find on the Play Store.
- Scans your device for malware, analyzing apps, games, services, and files.
- Can clean junk files and caches that you don’t need in order to free up disk space. Can boost the speed of your device by shutting down unwanted apps.
- Has a Wi-Fi Scanner to check your network for encryption and password strength. It comes with a built-in Internet speed test tool.
- You can hide your private photos in a password-protected vault and prevent others from seeing them.
- It shows you the permission levels of installed apps and helps you find potential privacy threats.
- AVG Free Antivirus lets you remotely locate your lost or stolen phone via Google Maps. You can wipe the data and trigger a loud siren.
- The paid version has a camera trap, device lock, app lock, no ads, VPN protection, app backup, and more features.
- It has lots of ads. It is very annoying and seriously affects usability. Previously, AVG has had data privacy concerns.
5. Malwarebytes Mobile Security
As the name implies, the app’s first priority is protecting your phone from malware threats.
- Malwarebytes aggressively scans and removes adware, spyware, stalkerware, ransomware, PUPs, and others.
- Allows you to run scans at any time of the day.
- It conducts privacy audits on your installed apps, tracking which ones monitor your location, calls, and have the potential to compromise your personal information.
- There is very little impact on phone performance. Besides, it’s ad-free.
- Malwarebytes is simple and easy to use. It can greatly improve the safety of your device.
- The paid version of the app offers real-time protection, anti-phishing and more features.
- Some features are limited in the free version.
An Antivirus Is Recommended
Those are our picks for the best free antivirus for Android. They offer superior protection to the default Google Play Protect and come with more features.
Some essential safety tips to follow on your Android device are:
- Download apps only from the Google Play Store and not from other sources.
- Use two-factor authentication.
- Always keep both Android and apps installed on it updated.
- Do not connect to unsecured and unknown Wi-Fi networks.
- Put a lock on your phone with a strong password.
- Be careful about opening links in emails and SMSes.
- If you don’t use an app, uninstall it.
Are you using an antivirus on your Android device? Let us know in the comments below.
Add Comment