Best antivirus for Android The best free and paid for apps to keep you safe from viruses and scams Your smartphone is a little computer and just like a regular computer, its vulnerable to viruses and other sorts of attack. Thats especially true of Android Googles mobile OS is more versatile and customisable than i. OS, but that means it affords more opportunities for the bad guys to get inside your system and cause trouble. While its impossible to say for certain just how much mobile malware is out there, researchers agree that the overwhelming majority of it targets Android. Sorry, you cant stay safe by simply sticking to the straight and narrow. Malicious code can be hidden inside legitimate looking apps on the Google Play Store security researchers recently estimated that one particular piece of malware may have snuck onto as many as 1. And once such software gets onto your system it can do all sorts of things weve seen malware that can pester you with advertisements, steal information from your email accounts and run up huge bills by silently accessing premium rate text and phone services. The answer is to install a reputable mobile antivirus app that can identify such behaviour and shut down the malicious process. Typically, these tools also include a range of personal security features, to limit the damage someone can do if they steal your phone or illicitly borrow it. And while some features may need to be unlocked with a paid subscription, most apps will provide basic malware protection for free so theres no excuse for going unprotected. Heres a rundown of our favourite Android antivirus apps, with real world malware detection scores courtesy of av test. A man in east London was expecting a package from Amazon but the special delivery on his driveway was not what hed ordered. 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Kaspersky Create Standalone Installation Package Activate' title='Kaspersky Create Standalone Installation Package Activate' />READ NEXT The best free and paid for antivirus software for Mac and PCHow to choose the right antivirus for you. How does malware get onto my phone in the first place The most common way to pick up malware on your smartphone or tablet is to sideload software that is, to install apps via APK files downloaded from locations other than the Google Play store. When you do this, youve no way of knowing whats inside the code youre installing. Most antivirus apps will scan new software as soon as its installed on your phone, and warn you immediately if its recognised as malicious. The same applies to installations from Google Play in principle these should be more trustworthy, but there are plenty of instances of viruses being distributed via Googles own app store. As well as on installation scanning, many antivirus apps will also carry out real time scanning, to keep an eye on software as it runs. Behavioural detection is another feature that can keep you safe, by alerting you when an app even one that hasnt thrown up any security flags is doing something that looks dodgy. Finally, most Android antivirus apps will carry our periodic or on demand scans of your whole phone, including downloaded files. This can warn you if, for example, youve downloaded a file that could be harmful if you were to launch it. Kaspersky Create Standalone Installation Package Activate' title='Kaspersky Create Standalone Installation Package Activate' />Taken together, these measures make it much harder for malware to sink its teeth into your smartphone. What can I do to reduce the risk You can do your bit by keeping an eye on what permissions your installed apps are requesting if a simple game is saying it needs to be able to read your email and make phone calls, thats a red flag. Some apps, such as Bitdefender Mobile Security Antivirus, will automatically audit permissions on your phone and warn you which apps have the potential to do bad things. As well as checking the software on your phone, some Android security apps also offer protection against malicious websites these might try to trick you into downloading malware, or they might be used in phishing attacks which imitate banking sites and try to con you into entering your personal details and passwords. Kaspersky Create Standalone Installation Package Activate' title='Kaspersky Create Standalone Installation Package Activate' />Such attacks can be particularly effective on mobile platforms, because you cant always see at a glance whether the URL is pointing to a legitimate banking server, or recognise whether the overall page design isnt quite right. What if I lose my phone or it gets stolen Several apps have features that help protect your data should you lose your phone or have it snatched. Most Android security apps let you PIN protect applications and settings, so even if someone manages to unlock your phone, they cant get into your email or make phone calls without knowing your secret code. This is also helpful if you have little ones who like to borrow your phone to play games. Many mobile security suites also include anti theft features that can track down the location of a stolen phone and silently report it back to you via the web console. To be fair, you can also do this via Googles Android Device Manager web page, as well as remotely locking and erasing a missing device. These suites often go further, however for example, you can silently capture a photo of whoevers using the phone, to identify the thief, or receive a warning if the SIM is replaced, so you know if someones trying to claim your phone as their own. Mc. Afee Security Power Booster An effective, free antivirus tool with a good set of additional features. Price when reviewed Free premium subscription 2. Mc. Afee Security is a rather weird proposition the free app gives you a strong feature set, but upgrading to an expensive premium licence adds very little of substance. Subscribers get access to telephone support and a cloud backup function for photos and other media files that latter feature might sound useful, but its limited to a miserly 2. GB. The overall package is impressive. You can PIN protect as many apps as you want, and set up secure profiles in which certain apps dont appear. Theres web protection for Chrome, and the usual anti theft measures that allow you to track your phone over the internet or via SMS. You can also remotely take a photo, and receive an alert if a different SIM is inserted into your phone you can even set up a PIN that makes it impossible for a thief to uninstall Mc. Afee without resetting the phone. Theres also simple but smart integration with Android Wear. Not only can you set your smartwatch to warn you when your phone loses contact, you can also set up an alarm on the phone itself to spook thieves and automatically lock the handset. Mc. Afee scored an impressive 9. AV Tests latest real time protection test, and the same for general malware detection. It doesnt make any sense to pay for Mc. Afee, but if youre looking for a free antivirus option its a great choice. Download Mc. Afee Security Power Booster from Mc. Afee now. 2. Bitdefender Mobile Security Antivirus Excellent security for those willing to pay the modest price. Wic Reset Key Serial on this page. Price when reviewed 9. Bitdefender doesnt offer a free edition of its Mobile Security app. If youre counting the pennies then that may immediately put it out of the running but a subscription isnt expensive, and it does mean you dont have to put up with adverts or tolerate crippled features. On installation, youre invited to scan your device and configure your app locking settings. Theres nothing very novel about the idea of PIN protecting selected apps, but Bitdefender offers some thoughtful features you can choose to automatically disable app locking when youre connected to your home Wi Fi, and optionally capture a photo of anyone who tries to guess your app lock PIN.