Often you won’t be able to tell if your smartphone is under
threat, or if you are about to download something potentially harmful. What's
worse is that, once you are affected, you frequently won't even know it, unless
an unusually high credit card bill comes in or your phone starts acting
strangely. Besides installing an Android antivirus app and running a scan, there's
not much more you can do.
Antivirus apps for Android work in a similar way to the
antivirus software you would find on your PC. Once installed, you can use them
to scan the files on your phone for sneaky software you may have inadvertently
downloaded, and the antivirus app will highlight any problems. Unlike Windows
or Mac-based antivirus software, however, Android antivirus apps do not
automatically remove harmful software for you – you have to do this manually
once they have been identified.
Not all virus definitions are up-to-date and not all
antivirus apps have the same features. The good news is that they quite often
provide a lot of added features that can be really useful, such as backup
solutions and remote wipe features. We've made a list of our recommendations
for the best Android antivirus apps, which considers both free and paid
solutions.
Our picks for the best Android antivirus apps
Though they can't replace common sense, Android antivirus
apps can prevent, detect and eradicate malware infections. They do have their drawbacks,
though. If you do choose to install an antivirus app, be aware that they
commonly consume a lot of battery, take up disk space, annoy you with
notifications and reduce processing speed. Naturally, how they affect your
system depends on how you use them, but most Android users will probably never
encounter any security threats or see any need to clog up their system with
antivirus apps, especially given that Google Play Protect is built into Android
and its malware protection scans your device and apps already. Whether you
should use an antivirus app or not depends on your risk tolerance.
Do you have an antivirus app on your Android? Have you ever
been affected by malware? Share your experiences in the comments.
androidpit.com/is-antivirus-software-necessary-for-android
Comments
Post a Comment