What Android antivirus do you use? (2021)

Internet Security
1

This is a poll for anti-virus/anti-malware (AV) apps running on Android devices.

Important: GlassWire or myself are not recommending any publishers or their products in this poll.

Click here to see why you should be careful about Android AV products

You should be careful when you are choosing an Android antivirus because there are Fake and bad Android AV apps. Google Play store does have active protection in Play Protect which scans for malware and other issues with uploaded apps but it doesn’t stop all unreliable apps.

  • Don’t rely on download and review numbers. The most downloaded AV app has more than 100 million downloads but failed the AV software test.
  • For the same reason, don’t rely on ratings. Most people cannot tell whether their AV app is or is not protecting them. Some are paying for an app that doesn’t actually scan any files or downloads. I’d suggest that you check out the lowest (1-star on Google Play) ratings for the apps and you’ll see that they tend to relate to install and subscriptions problems for the major publishers whereas issues with incomplete or limited scanning tend to show up for less reliable scanners.
  • Many publishers have more than one app. They can be almost exactly the same or they can be quite different so different apps from the same publisher can be much less effective.
  • Some publishers are difficult to check because they only have an email contact and no website.

Please select up to three publishers:

  • Up to three votes because some people have separate personal and work phones or use more than one AV scanner.
  • Each vote remains public so others can see what you have voted for.
  • This poll will automatically close one day into 2022. You can change your votes at any time before that.
  • None - I don’t use Android AV software
  • 360 Mobile Security
  • AegisLab
  • AhnLab (V3)
  • Alibaba
  • AVAST
  • AVG
  • Avira
  • AVL Team
  • Bitdefender
  • Bsafe Labs
  • BullGuard
  • Check Point (ZoneAlarm)
  • Chili Security
  • COMODO
  • Doctor Web (Dr.Web)
  • DU Apps
  • Emsisoft
  • ESET
  • ESTsoft (Dr. Capsule)
  • F-Secure (SAFE)
  • Google Play Protect
  • Hawk App (Super Cleaner)
  • Hi Security
  • IKARUS
  • IntelliAV
  • K7
  • Kaspersky
  • Lookout
  • Malwarebytes
  • McAfree
  • MicroWorld (eScan)
  • mobimagicdevelop
  • MYMobile Security
  • Norton
  • Nox
  • NSHC
  • One Dot Mobile (One Security)
  • Panda Security
  • Phone Clean
  • Psafe (dfndr)
  • Quick Heal
  • REVE
  • Samsung
  • Securion
  • Sophos
  • STOPzilla
  • Super Cleaner Studio
  • Supermobilesafe
  • Symantec
  • Systweak
  • TAPI Security Labs
  • Tencent
  • Tencent (WeSecure)
  • ThreatTrack Security
  • Trend Micro
  • TrustGo
  • Trustwave
  • VIPRE
  • Webroot
  • Zemana
  • Zoner
  • Other - name it in a reply to this topic

0 voters

Thanks for participating.

2

None - None of them have delivered effective protection from any of the Trojan apps that have popped up in the play store in recent years, in addition they do zero to help with privacy.

This last part is the most damming for both the AV companies and Google, as it all comes down to Google Play Store publication policies - Any App that interferes with Googles or associated marketing and tracking is ripped from the play store.

This means the only way to get a level of system control and monitoring on an Android device, is too side-load it. So in order to get any level of security, you end up having to take an even bigger risk.

See here for a little light reading:
https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/mobile/mobile-a-v-worth-it-38990

Even WHICH using one of its “ad laden” guides shows mobile-AV is toothless, it can “Remote Wipe”, “Spot Phishing” (i.e. monitors the link in your browser)… Reality is, these are side-features… they are not the main intention of AV, which is monitoring applications (via signatures or behaviour) and monitoring Network traffic:

:astonished:

1 Like
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AdGuard with malicious malware blocklist; phishing/malware protection enabled.

1 Like
4

Another one I’ll add next year. Thanks.

5

I use Thor Mobile Security and have not, so far, experienced any problems on the devises that I have used it on. My VPN is provided by Glasswire and again I have had no problems in the years I have used it.

2 Likes
6

Thanks. I’ll add it for next year.

7

I use a multi-tiered anti-malware protection.
DNS is cloudflare malware 1.1.1.2

All Android APKs and Windows programs are downloaded on my Windows machine running glass wire with Virustotal activated and Kaspersky free AV.

Sophos intercept x, Resurrection Remix built from AOSP Pie. Other custom ROMs on my 4 tablets. All AOSP ** devices have all APKs side loaded. APKs sourced from APKpure,
APK combo or Evosi. All originally come from the Play Store. APKpure is first choice because they scan all files with AV that works, unlike Play Protect which detects ≤60% of malware.
All devices rooted, with AOSP security updates installed from a local server.

** That’s Android before Gargoyle adds all the spyware and tracking. Gargoyle only owns the copyright to the word Android NOT the OS which is open source. Yep, I’m a geek

3 Likes