The Lightest Av for Android

[SearchLight]

What would you say is the lightest AV in terms of CPU and RAM for Android v7.0.

I just want good protection and no bells whistles. Also that it is freeware.

 

[Arequire]

Bitdefender Free - Cloud-based so there's no signatures to download and the only option available is to do is initiate an on-demand scan. Obviously it also scans apps automatically after they're installed too.

 

[Deleted member 178]

You don't really need any AV on android if you don't install every crap you see.

 

[catjc]

What would you say is the lightest AV in terms of CPU and RAM for Android v7.0.

I just want good protection and no bells whistles. Also that it is freeware.

A few light ones and good protection : BullGuard Mobile Security and Antivirus, Bitdefender Antivirus Free .

 

[Janl1992l]

Eset, Norton-paid versions.

 

[SearchLight]

I ask this question bc I downloaded an attachment in an email that turned out to be spoofed. Wanted it to be scanned.

 

[DeepWeb]

Didn't Google post a statistic that only 0.09 % of Android phones have malware? The landscape is very different from Windows. Every app is sandboxed and anything that you accidentally install can be completely uninstalled. Just occasionally check which apps have access to Accessibility Services because that's how apps can spy on you and prevent themselves from being uninstalled.
Google Transparency Report

On top of that Google is working on a new OS that will be compatible with Android and Chrome apps called Fuchsia, it will be even more hardened.

 

[Pat MacKnife]

Bitdefender Free - Cloud-based so there's no signatures to download and the only option available is to do is initiate an on-demand scan. Obviously it also scans apps automatically after they're installed too.

All correct, but you have no webshield if you surf the web.
I use sophos mobile security which have webshield, free and no ads.... always among the best for android.

Test antivirus software for Android - September 2018

 

[Arequire]

All correct, but you have no webshield if you surf the web.
I use sophos mobile security which have webshield, free and no ads.

Test antivirus software for Android - September 2018

Malicious site blocking on mobile ain't too useful honestly. Phishing's ridiculously rare and malware-hosting sites can't install anything unless the user is tricked into allowing apps to be installed from unknown sources. Add to the fact it only works with a very limited number of browsers and most of the widely used mobile browsers already include Google Safe Browsing or some equivalent.

 

[ForgottenSeer 58943]

What would you say is the lightest AV in terms of CPU and RAM for Android v7.0.

I just want good protection and no bells whistles. Also that it is freeware.

Norton. Very nice product.

Also it scans ALL websites, not just from particular browsers.. Lightweight. No battery drain, and with advanced features you can scan and validate system apps. (among other things)

 

[Paul.R]

I like Dr. Web Security Space, I like thier firewall approach
Пользователи рекомендуют Dr.Web

Also I like Bitdefender Mobile Security, like they integrate VPN
Antivirus pentru Android - Bitdefender Mobile Security

Both have good features, protection and no battery drain, no "usefull ads" or something like that(like avast paid dose)

 

[HarborFront]

Get Sophos Mobile Security.

Maybe not the lightest but its's free, ads free and offers real-time protection.

Full features, no advertising, all free
Sophos is an IT security leader for companies and governments worldwide. This app comprehensively protects your Android device and your privacy without impacting performance or battery life.

Malware Protection
• Scan apps and storage media for malicious or inappropriate content, using up-to-the-minute intelligence from SophosLabs.

Loss & Theft Protection
• If your device is lost or stolen, remotely lock or wipe it to safeguard your data.

Web Filtering
• Block web sites with malicious, undesirable or illegal content.

App Protection
• Protect apps with a password.

Wi-Fi Security
• Check your connection for man-in-the-middle attacks.

Privacy Advisor
• List apps that access your personal data or that could create costs.

Security Advisor
• Get advice on how to improve device security.

Call Protection
• Block unwanted phone calls.

Secure QR Code Scanner
• Check URLs for malicious or inappropriate web sites.
• Add contacts to your address book.
• Set up Wi-Fi connections and warn of insecure encryption.

Password Safe
• Store all your account data in a KeePass-compatible password database.

Authenticator
• Generate time-based (TOTP, RFC 6238) and counter-based (HOTP, RFC 4226) one-time passwords for multi-factor authentication.

Managed Mode
• Managing Sophos Mobile Security using Sophos Mobile or Sophos Central lets your IT department monitor the health of your device to ensure company-wide protection.

Permissions
• Permissions are required to monitor incoming data, and to detect and stop threats. See more here: http://sophos.com/kb/117499
• This app uses the Device Administrator permission.

Battery and data usage
• Malware definitions update once a day to keep you protected. This uses a small amount of data.
• The initial full scan of every installed app causes a one-time increase in battery usage.

This app uses Accessibility services.

Support Information
• Knowledgebase: Mobile Security Articles - Sophos Community
• Support forum: Sophos Mobile Security for Android - Mobile - Sophos Community
• Use our SDK for premium antivirus in your app: http://www.sophos.com/AndroidSDK



Alternatively, you can use IntelliAV which is free and ads free. However, it only offers on-demand and upon installation scanning. No real-time protection. BitDefender AV free is also the same as IntelliAV

 

[nishaddesilva]

What is a free light Android AV that scans apps before they are installed too?
Just looking for basic malware protection...

 

[Pat MacKnife]

Bitdefender free scans every downloaded app, very simple av for android.

 

[maanastr]

Norton is best. Tried and tested on my previous 1Gb, 8GB android phone.

 

[nishaddesilva]

Bitdefender free scans every downloaded app, very simple av for android.

Read somewhere that it only scans apps after installation. Not sure if it's true though. Also it's heavily cloud based AFAIK.

 

[RXZ6Q]

Bitdefender Free - Cloud-based so there's no signatures to download and the only option available is to do is initiate an on-demand scan. Obviously it also scans apps automatically after they're installed too.

Agreed. Avast is also pretty light in my experience (I actually measured it - consumes only about 1% of battery).

You don't really need any AV on android if you don't install every crap you see.

There are thousands of malware on Google Play masked as legitimate software, so your premise is wrong, sir.

Didn't Google post a statistic that only 0.09 % of Android phones have malware? The landscape is very different from Windows. Every app is sandboxed and anything that you accidentally install can be completely uninstalled. Just occasionally check which apps have access to Accessibility Services because that's how apps can spy on you and prevent themselves from being uninstalled.
Google Transparency Report

On top of that Google is working on a new OS that will be compatible with Android and Chrome apps called Fuchsia, it will be even more hardened.

Given how much information our smartphones collect, AV is a MUST, especially if you pick a good one which consume only about +-1% of your battery.

All correct, but you have no webshield if you surf the web.
I use sophos mobile security which have webshield, free and no ads.... always among the best for android.

Test antivirus software for Android - September 2018

That's true - but he can always add extension to his browser, there are plenty of them.

 

[Digmor Crusher]

Why would anyone prefer "lightest" over "best protection:?

 

[Vasudev]

What would you say is the lightest AV in terms of CPU and RAM for Android v7.0.

I just want good protection and no bells whistles. Also that it is freeware.

If you're willing, you can flash Custom ROMs with oreo or Pie which are very secure than 7.x
I still think if you're sticking with Play store with apps then you're pretty much safe.

 

[roger_m]

Why would anyone prefer "lightest" over "best protection:?

For the same reason Windows users do. So it doesn't slow down their devices. Although, unlike on Windows, most Android antiviruses are very light, as the realtime protection just scans apps when they are installed, rather than continually monitoring the device.