Advice Request Is Having A Antivirus Application Installed On An Android Phone Running Version 13 Really Needed ?

[Davy49]

I'm just trying to receive some informative input as to the following: (1) Is having some kind of antivirus application really needed on an android powered phone (2) And if so are there any 'reputable' totally free antivirus software applications available that can be trusted by an average user ? Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions and feedback.
David

 

[Bot]

As malware and other security threats become more prevalent on Android devices, having an antivirus application can help protect your device from potential harm. There are many reputable free antivirus applications available for Android, such as Avast, AVG, and Bitdefender. These apps offer real-time protection, regular scans, and anti-theft features. However, it's important to note that while having an antivirus application can help protect your phone, it's not a foolproof solution and it's still important to practice safe browsing habits and avoid downloading suspicious apps.

 

[Jengo]

Go for Avast, you will be secure and YES on Android you need any AV solution.

 

[Davy49]

Hello,
Thanks so very much for your response, for your consideration and possible comments have you ever heard of this offering ? Cybersecurity as a Service - Sophos Security Solutions

 

[ForgottenSeer 97327]

Are you looking for a business or consumer security solution?

 

[Davy49]

I'm just interested in a free & reliable solution for my lg velvet 5g android phone that's currently running version 13 of android. Previously I was using the free version of bitdefender antivirus.

 

[Ink]

Antivirus for Android has been discussed a countless number of times on the forum, and the web.

Real-time solutions will use more battery, data usage and request for additional permissions (ie. Location, Contacts etc.). All Android phones with Google services comes with Play Protect, unless disabled by the user. Improper security practises is risky.

Example — here’s the permissions and trackers found in your average AV app

• Avast Antivirus & Security for Android (Over 100M+ downloads)
• Avast One for Android (Newer, less ads/trackers)

For basic ad-free protection, Bitdefender Free Antivirus only contains crash analytic trackers and trusted 5M+ downloads.

Before installing any apps, review the Data Safety box on the Play Store for additional insights for any privacy concerns or use εxodus

Bottom line, there is no one correct answer.

• If you believe you need one, use one.
• If not, then don’t.
• If your line of work requires one under BYOD, use your work’s recommended solution.
• If not, then risk data theft and loss.

 

[Davy49]

Thanks so much for all of the replies, I surely wasn't trying to cause any issues by posting my inquiry. If I ever decide to post any further questions I'll make sure that I take the time to check for answers that have already been submitted beforehand.

 

[HarborFront]

Generally, free AV don't have real-time protection, web protection etc. You download or install an apk and it'll perform the scan. On-demand scan is there though

Real-time protection, web protection and other bells and whistles come with the paid version

Exception is the free Sophos Intercept-X which has real time protection, web protection and some other features

Note that web protection will depend on the browser(s) supported.

Keeping an app running in real-time or Always-on drains battery power. The phone do gets a bit warm if you use Sophos Intercept-X

 

[Moonhorse]

You should ask yourself :
- do you open spam email
- do you install apks outside of playstore
- do you purposely visit malicious sites
- do you use adblocker

Its user dependant if you benefit of using one

Instead of paying for antivirus i would go for adguard lifetime license and use it as system wide adblocker

But if you want to use free antivirus just go for free avast/avg ( disable all notifications) enable realtime protection + web filter and use something like firefox , where the web filter works best ( there is bug that lets you visit malicous site even the av blocks site, on some chromium browsers)

If you want to have best paid security av go for bitdefender


I just rely on adguard and google safe browsing/ smartscreen of browser im using even i have tried avast/avg/sophos/bitdefender/trendmicro/kaspersky/netcraft

 

[Davy49]

At least so far I'm satisfied with using Sophos Intercept-X which has real time protection, web protection and some other nice features. Besides as far as I can determine sophos is a pretty well respected security company.

 

[blue4774]

Hello,
I suggest you to go for Bitdefender Mobile Security which costs around 15$ per year(price depending on region). One of the best in the market.

For free atlernatives you can use Bitdefender Free Antivirus(which only have the scanner with 99,99%+ detection range) or Avast/AVG(but they will try to convince you to upgrade, almost everytime). Also Sophos is good but it uses a lot of battery

 

[ForgottenSeer 103564]

Im of the "whats the point" persuasion. Realtime scanners can not remove malware from android phones. You have to uninstall the infected app. Which leads to a simple, yet profound understanding. Dont install infected apps. Fairly simple.

I utilize my phone as a phone, phone calls and text. Stock apps, no need for a trillion 3rd party apps that may or may not be infected. I do all other things on a laptop/desktop, where it makes more sense to layer security.

 

[Ink]

Thanks so much for all of the replies, I surely wasn't trying to cause any issues by posting my inquiry. If I ever decide to post any further questions I'll make sure that I take the time to check for answers that have already been submitted beforehand.

Google recently upped Play Protect's security:

New Update - Google Play Protect: Real-time Threat Detection via Play Store v37.5 (September 2023 Update)

A quote from Google System Updates for September 2023 - FIDO2 support and more Google Play Store [Phone] Google Play Protect install-time protection now performs real-time threat detection for new apps. [3] [3] Available through Google Play Store v37.5 updated on 09/11/2023 Of course...

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