AV-TEST The best antivirus software for Android: January 2025

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

In January 2025 we evaluated 15 mobile security products for Android using their default settings. When conducting our tests, we always used the most current version of all products. The products were allowed to update themselves at any time and query their in-the-cloud services. We focused on malware detection and usability, including performance and false positives. The products had to demonstrate their capabilities using all components and protection layers.

Test antivirus software for Android - January 2025

The current tests of antivirus software for Android from January 2025 of AV-TEST, the leading international and independent service provider for antivirus software and malware.

www.av-test.org

Excel file: https://www.av-test.org/fileadmin/Tests/Data/2025/avtest_summary_homeuser_android_2025-01.xlsx

 

[Zero Knowledge]

Again like Windows not much difference in between AV's. Go for cheapest key/subscription or find a AV company that bundles Android with Windows license.

Also I've found AV companies offer 50% discount on Google Play Store if your near the end of your subscription or don't renew. HODL for better price!

 

[Moonhorse]

Again like Windows not much difference in between AV's. Go for cheapest key/subscription or find a AV company that bundles Android with Windows license.

kinda depends, there are many differences in android antiviruses wich browser they support and wich does not. And when they dont support some browser there may be not phishing protection, wich is important nowadays since phishing is more common way to make money off people i guess ( to be honest i dont know how common banking trojans are in android and how they are used )

Antivirus component itself should score even but if you want advanced features like phishing protection , sms protection, safe kids stuff, or even scan for leaked passwords , emails, phone numbers etc. there may be differences, like free solutions dont offer these usually

so i would trial them before buying and see what they really offer and what not

 

[bazang]

Again like Windows not much difference in between AV's. Go for cheapest key/subscription or find a AV company that bundles Android with Windows license.

Also I've found AV companies offer 50% discount on Google Play Store if your near the end of your subscription or don't renew. HODL for better price!

AV for Android are notoriously unreliable (AV Test and any other Android tests are not a very good predictor of real-world protection). Android AV offer gimmicks that are not needed and provide a false sense of security to the phone user that results in them doing stuff that they should not and the AV cannot protect them against anyways.

AV-Test's job is not to inform users of all the times that AV fail to protect users under real-world conditions. The AV-Test test results are a marketing tool and not a reliable indicator of software protections. They will all tell the user "You are protected" when, in fact, that statement is untrue or does not meet the user's actual expectations.

 

[Zero Knowledge]

But doesn't all security software provide a false sense of security?

The aim is not to stop all attacks 100% of the time but make them much harder to pull off without some wild zero day chained together with 9 other different exploits.

 

[bazang]

The aim is not to stop all attacks 100% of the time but make them much harder to pull off without some wild zero day chained together with 9 other different exploits.

No AV is good at blocking zero days (exploits), zero day (misnomer) malware, and chained exploits. Even the best AV is only 40 to 60% effective, and the effectiveness is not robust. Threat actors will find ways to defeat the protections.

Exploits are best prevented by the software publisher security patches. The worst way to prevent exploits is relying upon AV.

 

[Zero Knowledge]

Well that proves my point, if you need zero day exploits, chained zero day exploits, loaders, droppers, TOR C2, domain fronting, E2EE bots, then it's become much harder to infect devices.

EDR/AV/NDR is very good and efficient in detecting attacks these days. 100%? No, but nothing is. But there is a reason attackers have pivoted towards hardware and file transfer & Vpn app's.

 

[bazang]

Well that proves my point, if you need zero day exploits, chained zero day exploits, loaders, droppers, TOR C2, domain fronting, E2EE bots, then it's become much harder to infect devices.

EDR/AV/NDR is very good and efficient in detecting attacks these days. 100%? No, but nothing is. But there is a reason attackers have pivoted towards hardware and file transfer & Vpn app's.

Android AV is terrible at preventing attacks. It is good as signature scanner. Your statements about Android AV are not correct at all.

Windows and Linux AV are not much better.

It is trivial to target any system with AV on it. It won't take much effort to get past it.

The AV marketers have done a great job at convincing users that they are getting value when, in fact, they are being fleeced.

 

[[correlate]]

No AV is good at blocking zero days (exploits), zero day (misnomer) malware, and chained exploits. Even the best AV is only 40 to 60% effective, and the effectiveness is not robust. Threat actors will find ways to defeat the protections.

Exploits are best prevented by the software publisher security patches. The worst way to prevent exploits is relying upon AV.

Are there programs for Android hardening?

 

[bazang]

Are there programs for Android hardening?

Yeap. They state "Do not do this" and "Do not install this" and "Do not use this".

https://www.360privacy.io/post/latest-android-hardening-guide

The best Android hardening guides - from authoratative sources - state to disable software and features/services, block the installation of apps, etc. In other words, they advise a full device default-deny lockdown to stop "users who want to use stuff" from using and doing stuff.

Android Hardening Guides – RunModule

This is a non-exhaustive list of Android Hardening Guides

• AOSP Security Documentation
• Android Enterprise Security Documentation
• Android Developers Security Guides
• CIS Google Android Benchmarks
• DISA Android STIGs
• NIST NCP
• CNN STICs
• OWASP MASVS
• Intune Security Baselines