Help What is the best antivirus for Android 2020?

[shan syed]

If you are reading this thread then must help me to find best antivirus for Android 2020?

 

[Steven58]

Since I must help you, I will obey. Here is a link to antivirus ratings for you! Welcome to Android Forums!

 

[Hadron]

Being careful about what you install (check permissions are reasonable - though that requires some understanding - avoid apps with lots of fake-looking reviews), be careful where you install it from (don't go downloading from random sites, or anywhere that hosts "cracked" apps), and keep your Google account secure (strong password, not re-used on another site, and two-factor authentication).

Those 3 steps are more important than any "antivirus" (sic) software.

(If you wonder about the quotes, it's because there are no android viruses. A "virus" is a piece of malware that can propagate itself to other devices. The malware you need to worry about is the type known as a "trojan", i.e. malicious code hidden inside an app that the user downloads without knowing it is malicious. That is the reason for the first 2 of my suggestions above. The third is because having your Google account hacked is the biggest risk for most people, and hence taking measures to secure the account is important).

 

[svim]

I would suggest that you don't bother and just pay more attention to applying common sense when doing anything involving online access. There is no anti-virus/anti-malware utility in existence that can protect you from yourself, despite all the magical promises most of the developers of those utilities claim. If you do feel compelled you have to install one, (a common syndrome of Windows and ex-Windows users) be very, very judicious about selecting one but keep in mind it's something that will be intrusively using up system resources as it constantly runs in the background, taxing the battery, using CPU cycles, and occupying RAM that would otherwise be used for apps and services that you do use and need. Ask yourself just how much of this is just for your own peace of mind as opposed to it actually being an effective deterrent. Again, you're the most vulnerable aspect when it involves your own phone's security and privacy.

 

[ocnbrze]

i have never used an antivirus app on any of my phones. it was only back in the day when i had the original evo 4g that was rooted, did i have lookout as my antivirus app. since then, i have never used one, nor do i plan to. just use common sense and follow @Hadron and @svim great advice.

 

[Riya Patel]

We actually don't need any antivirus app for mobile. It will only slow down your phone by continuously searching your phone for virus. Also, it drains a lot of battery of your phone.

So if you want to remove virus from phone use my simple trick. Reset your phone from time to time. And never install third party applications. Use applications available in play store only because they are play-protected.

 

[Hadron]

So if you want to remove virus from phone use my simple trick. Reset your phone from time to time. And never install third party applications. Use applications available in play store only because they are play-protected.

Applications that you install from the Play Store are third party applications. That's what the term means: anything that didn't come pre-installed on the phone is a "third-party application".

So what do you do when you reset your phone? If you restore your apps and data afterwards you will also restore any malware that was removed by the reset.

I've been using Android for a decade, the only time I've reset a device is when installing a new custom ROM, and I don't use any "antivirus" app. I have installed hundred of apps, but all from trusted sources (Play Store, F-Droid, a couple from apkmirror or direct from developer). I do follow the precautions I listed in my previous post in this thread. I have never had a hack or a malware infection

 

[The_Chief]

I would respectfully disagree. Sadly, there is no shortage of malware for Android devices. Google Play would not screen apps for malware content if that were not true. Perhaps not a "virus" in the technical sense: but keyloggers, data miners, ransomware; and even Windows malware that is designed to email itself to contacts as an attachment for them to open.

I use Malwarebytes. There is a free version, but I use the paid version.

EDIT: If malware installs itself as a system app (and it will), a reset will not remove it. A factory reset deletes user data, user apps and cache. It does not touch the /system partition: so no system apps would be removed.

 

[svim]

When any discussion comes up about any alleged 'Android virus' issue, it's often muddied by the fact that there is an established definition on what a 'virus' actually is and how it works:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_virus
The topic becomes even more vague and misleading since the term 'malware' was later introduced and it's now devolved into a catch-all term that can apply to a variety of different compromises and/or exploits. It's now easier to just use malware as a generic substitute.

The whole anti-virus utility matter is just a legacy carry-over from Windows PCs anyway, so any Android app with 'anti-virus' in its naming is a bit of misnomer. But it's all just semantics and the more confusion there is about even basic terminology, the more difficult it becomes to actually determine what is and isn't a threat, or what is or isn't the actual cause of some problem. This makes it that much easier for the black-hats to just keep doing their dirty work.

 

[mrphil101]

Anti-virus ain't gettin ya much of anything at all. Play store has had numerous occasions where apps have been found to have issues where info/data is at risk and removed them from the store. Did anyone ever receive notification that they had installed a removed app so you can act accordingly? Samsung sold phones with preinstalled apps (remote for tv's) that were determined to contain some type of "spyware" on them. So it is all a flip of a coin, backed with a hope and a prayer. And how much of that really matters, most folks have given away most of their personal info signing up for facebook, twitter, google and numerous other apps where you just pushed the button and said YES, you have all the permissions you have asked for. Sure, all my contacts, where i go every day, what sites i visit, what banks i use, all the specs and info on my device id, my email addresses, phone number, carrier info, and it goes on. The U.S. needs to inact privacy laws (like the EU has), but them old farts in the senate just don't get it, the supreme court says a cop can pull you over and demand you give him your phone, and then be required to give them your unlock. Batteries in phone for the most part are internal and you can't remove them without a lot of hassle. You think all the different manufacturers decided at the same time that is how it should be without some prodding from whomever?
Now, if someone would pass me some cheese to go with my whine.....

 

[ocnbrze]

Now, if someone would pass me some cheese to go with my whine.....

here you go:

 

[Davdi]

If You're that worried about privacy, don't use any social media, have a Google account just for the phone and turn off location services (unless you use GPS).