Considering the use we make of smartphones in everyday life, it was only a matter of time before the attackers developed viruses capable of attacking our smartphones running the Android operating system, with the aim of stealing our personal data, sending infected SMSs , to intercept chat messages and to show random advertising windows during use; the most dangerous can also permanently damage the operating system and steal money from the SIM card or by using the passwords saved on the device.Even if the level of infection is not at all comparable to that of Windows, for many novice users or inexperienced users of the Internet, installing an antivirus could save the device from the most common infections.
If we are among the users at risk and we don’t know what to install, we’ll see in this guide the best antivirus for Android that we can install for free or with a free trial period, so as to obtain additional protection.READ ALSO -> Google Play Protect Antivirus to protect Android on phones and tablets
Should you install an antivirus on Android?
The antivirus for Android is to all intents and purposes the app that will be placed in memory and will start automatically to check every file and every other app that will be run on the device; this inevitably involves a consumption of resources in terms of RAM and CPU (the internal memory consumption is negligible as it is a medium-sized app).
In order to carry out their task we will, therefore, have to be willing to give up something in terms of performance, particularly if our smartphone is over 2-3 years old: with a recent smartphone perhaps the antivirus will not even be heard, but on a device Android with only 2 GB of RAM (or even less) the presence of the antivirus could severely limit the performance of the device.
So we recommend installing an antivirus on Android under certain conditions:
– The smartphone is recent: at least 3 GB of RAM and octa-core processor;
– Many external apps will be installed: if we do not only use the Play Store to add apps but we use many APKs (maybe with paid apps), better have an antivirus installed;
– We do not know the dangers of the network well: if we browse and click on any link we receive from social networks or via chat, better install an antivirus immediately to avoid unpleasant surprises;
– We exchange many files with other smartphones: if we exchange music, APKs or images continuously, it is better to protect ourselves with a good antivirus;
– We often connect to free WiFi networks: viruses and threats to our device can even reach public hotspots, so it’s better to be equipped.
If none of the points mentioned above are part of your daily habits, the antivirus is superfluous for you; if we have an old smartphone and we also reflect one of the other points, it is better to take into consideration the purchase of a new, more powerful smartphone to install the antivirus as well;
The best antivirus for Android; finally, if we have a recent smartphone and we reflect one or more of the points listed, it is better to install one of the antiviruses for Android recommended below.
The best antivirus for Android
Let’s find out in this part of the guide which antivirus app for Android should be installed on our device; We will, of course, prefer antiviruses that are fairly light on memory, easy to use and with an excellent level of protection from all threats that can affect the Android environment.
1) Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus
From one of the leaders in the field of computer security for PC, comes a complete and effective antivirus!
We can download Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus from here -> Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus.
This antivirus offers effective protection thanks to the control in the background of every activity carried out on the device, with an effective scanning engine against any threat for Android and not only (if we accidentally download some executable for infected Windows, it blocks it before we can transfer it by mistake on Windows PC).
There is also an excellent filtering system for Web links (in order to block infections from unknown links received via SMS or chat), the call barring system, the anti-theft system and the app lock (Applock) so as to protect the privacy in the apps we don’t want to be spied on.
2) Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus
Another great antivirus coming from the world for PC is BitDefender which offers all the protection we need on an Android device; we can download it from here -> Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus.
Bitdefender for Android is one of the lightest antiviruses that we can install, with a very low consumption of RAM and CPU that will adapt to any type of smartphone without unduly affecting the performance of the device.
The scanning engine and the real-time protection system are very good, capable of blocking all types of viruses and threats before they can do damage.
As additional features, it offers a system for evaluating the privacy of the app, an access lock system for the indicated apps and a system to find the phone in case of loss and theft.
3) Avast Mobile Security
Among the free antiviruses could not miss Avast Mobile Security, the mobile counterpart of a famous antivirus also available for PC and downloadable from here -> Avast Mobile Security.
The app is presented as one of the best in terms of graphics with clear menus and settings that are easy to use, without however giving up protection (very good both in scanning and in real-time).
In addition to the antivirus offers a free cleaner of unnecessary files on your smartphone and an app lock system, so as to protect our privacy for chat apps or any other app that we don’t want to be open to strangers.
4) AVG Antivirus
Another good antivirus imported from the PC world is AVG Antivirus, which offers a free solution with everything you need to stop threats for Android.
We can download the app from here -> AVG Antivirus.
The app in the free version (it also has a complete paid version) scans immediately every app added to the system, optimizes the speed of execution of the apps already installed, protects the app and the device through a PIN system and also saves battery on the device with the dedicated menu.
5) ESET Mobile Security & Antivirus
One of the best antivirus for PC (especially in the business field) is definitely ESET, which offers its free antivirus for Android, downloadable from the following link -> ESET Mobile Security & Antivirus.
With this antivirus, we will not have to fear any threat, thanks to the innovative proactive protection system that can also block threats not yet recognized worldwide (0-day threats), so that you always have your smartphone free from any danger.
The trial version is active on any Android smartphone for 30 days, after which you must purchase a Premium license to continue to benefit from the protection offered by the ESET solution.
6) Another antivirus for Android
We have tried to report all the antivirus that reflect certain requirements in terms of performance, lightness, and effectiveness in blocking any type of infection on Android; in reality, there are dozens of antivirus apps in the Play Store that we can try, among which stand out definitely:
- Norton Antivirus and Security
- Convenient Mobile Security
- Malwarebytes: Android Antivirus & Anti-Malware
- McAfee Mobile Security
- Free Panda Antivirus and VPN
- Zoner AntiVirus Free
- Cheetah Security Master
- Sophos Free antivirus and protection
Even these antiviruses (some more or less) are effective against threats but may present some other shortcomings such as not to make them comparable to the antiviruses already treated, which remain without a doubt the best we can try on Android devices.
READ ALSO: How to protect Android from malware