What are the best security apps for Android?

[Pubudu Kodikara]

Im searching for a good security app for my device (Note 3). There are many great apps and I did some research and narrowed down my list to 3 apps... Avast, CM Security and 360 Security. What do you think is the best option?

[chenarani11]

Im searching for a good security app for my device (Note 3). There are many great apps and I did some research and narrowed down my list to 3 apps... Avast, CM Security and 360 Security. What do you think is the best option?

Norton is the best

[Daedroth]

I've used both Avast and AVG on my Nexus 5 (Lollipop) and they both worked well, though I have preferred AVG over Avast.

[+InsaneNutter MVC]

You dont need any security apps, i'd be more worried about what legit apps are doing with your data / contacts than anything else.

[dipsylalapo Supervisor]

^ Unless you're visiting dodgy sites and allowing permissions to the phone or installing apps not from the Play store you should be fine. I don't get the obsession with installing AV/security on phones.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

I have 360 installed on my phone and I haven't found any issues with it. However, I also haven't found any virus attempts unless I'm actively trying to test the software. As a general rule I think the setup of the OS makes it pretty secure, whereby only human error could cause something to infect you. And you could have as many antivirus programs running as you like, they cannot prevent human error.

Out of the three I voted for 360 security. But it might help to learn what you're planning on doing with your phone in order for us to make a better suggestion. For example, if you have rooted your phone then your priority should be something like SuperSU, which will pause an application before it runs because it is asking for root access. Those are the situations you need to watch out for.

[Pubudu Kodikara]

I have 360 installed on my phone and I haven't found any issues with it. However, I also haven't found any virus attempts unless I'm actively trying to test the software. As a general rule I think the setup of the OS makes it pretty secure, whereby only human error could cause something to infect you. And you could have as many antivirus programs running as you like, they cannot prevent human error.

Out of the three I voted for 360 security. But it might help to learn what you're planning on doing with your phone in order for us to make a better suggestion. For example, if you have rooted your phone then your priority should be something like SuperSU, which will pause an application before it runs because it is asking for root access. Those are the situations you need to watch out for.

 

Actually my devise is not rooted :-) But one question... Can we turn off memory boost, junk file cleaning and all those optimization stuff in 360? Heard that those stuff will only reduce the performance.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

Actually my devise is not rooted :-) But one question... Can we turn off memory boost, junk file cleaning and all those optimization stuff in 360? Heard that those stuff will only reduce the performance.

They don't happen automatically - or at least, you can stop them from happening automatically. When I was first pointed towards 360 I was told to ignore those options and only use it for the antivirus function that was provided. So yes, you'll be getting an app with features that you won't use, but as you point out the general consensus seems to be not to bother with those functions in the first place.

[Anibal P]

Security apps are a waste, just like "battery saving" apps, you are better off with common sense and not using dodgy apps from random websites 

[greenwizard88]

Switching to iOS or WP

[Nick H. Supervisor]

Security apps are a waste, just like "battery saving" apps, you are better off with common sense and not using dodgy apps from random websites

I would argue the battery saving apps, if for no reason other than they give you a better rundown of your battery's consumption over the built-in option. Some of the battery apps can even stop things from restarting even once you close the bad apps down, although this is a root ability and you need to know what you're preventing from running.

But yeah, as I said above there is no substitute for common sense. Unless I'm actively trying to test 360, it hasn't thrown up a single warning since installing it. The moderation of the Play store is better than it was, and a phone that isn't rooted can't have too many bad things happen without the user forcing it to happen.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

ESET has an Android Security suite and I use it. As already pointed out the best security is being smart about things, but it does do some nice features and barely uses any System resources as well. I would strongly recommend checking it out if you want Security for your Android device.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

ESET has an Android Security suite and I use it. As already pointed out the best security is being smart about things, but it does do some nice features and barely uses any System resources as well. I would strongly recommend checking it out if you want Security for your Android device.

Having just moved to ESET on my computer, I may consider looking in to the mobile variation as well. Although that wasn't one of the options in the poll.

[Pubudu Kodikara]

Having just moved to ESET on my computer, I may consider looking in to the mobile variation as well. Although that wasn't one of the options in the poll.

 

The main reason I didn't include it is that it don't even have a basic free plan :-)

[Nick H. Supervisor]

The main reason I didn't include it is that it don't even have a basic free plan :-)

Link

Android offers it for free, at least. Not sure what the difference is between the free and premium version though. We should get Goretsky to tell us.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

Yeah truth be told, I did not even see there was a poll.

[Pubudu Kodikara]

Oh my... I did some research and found this http://androidforums.com/threads/be...ters-data-collection-and-your-privacy.919363/ To be honest CM Security is what I used... Just removed it!

Link

Android offers it for free, at least. Not sure what the difference is between the free and premium version though. We should get Goretsky to tell us.

 

Ah sorry.. Yes they have a free version but a bit limited :-(

[Nick H. Supervisor]

Ah sorry.. Yes they have a free version but a bit limited :-(

Can you tell me more? If ESET offers me 100% antivirus and warns me beforehand, I would say that it could be better than 360 which - as we discussed - comes with a booster option and a cleanup option, neither of which I care to use. But again, I would probably end up testing it [ESET] for a bit before giving a definite opinion.

ESET is great on the computer, I don't know enough about it's mobile variant to comment.

[Pubudu Kodikara]

Can you tell me more? If ESET offers me 100% antivirus and warns me beforehand, I would say that it could be better than 360 which - as we discussed - comes with a booster option and a cleanup option, neither of which I care to use. But again, I would probably end up testing it [ESET] for a bit before giving a definite opinion.

ESET is great on the computer, I don't know enough about it's mobile variant to comment.

 

ESET have kept browser protection as a permium feature which is a drawback but they have 100% protection according to AV-Tests. Im also testing Avast

[Pubudu Kodikara]

Avast seems to be doing fine... Even though people say it consume more resources in my phone it took less ram than CM security. At least for now. Need more testing :-) 

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

 

A quick (and very incomplete) listing of security apps for Android OS:

 

• Ahn Lab V3 Mobile Security
• Alibaba Mobile Security
• Anguanjia Security Manager
• Antiy AVL
• Avast! Mobile Security
• AVG Antivirus Free
• Avira Free Android Security
• Baidu Mobile Security
• BitDefender Mobile Security
• Bullguard Mobile Security
• CheetahMobile CM Security
• ESET Mobile Security
• G Data Internet Security
• Ikarus Mobile Security
• Kaspersky Internet Security
• Intel (formerly McAfee) Mobile.Security
• NSHC Droid-X
• PSafe Total 2.1
• Qihu 360 Antivirus
• Quick Heal Total security
• Sophos Mobile Security
• Symantec Norton Mobile Security
• Tencent Mobile Security Manager
• Trend Micro Mobile Security
• Webroot Secure Anywhere

 

I think it might be a good idea to restart the test.  Focusing on just three products in this space is somewhat limiting.  You could maybe just pick free ones, or only ones with certain feature sets if you don't have the resources to test all of them.

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

 

 

 

[Stonkwell Bogtrotter]

You didn't put "Not needed" in the poll.