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Android's increasing popularity has led to increased security threats, ranging from common malware to advanced Phishing and ID theft techniques. In order to help Android users to deal with these issues, many security software companies have launched their own security apps, but paying nearly 30 bucks a year for a complete mobile security app doesn't sound like a good deal, especially when there's a wide choice of free security apps that will cover all your needs including a group of complete security suites with Anti-Theft capabilities.
These are the aspects we consider when choosing and evaluating a security app:
- Anti-malware engine: The app’s ability to detect, clean and delete malicious apps and scripts. As a parallel test for the real-time protection capabilities, the EICAR Antivirus Test was used.
- Extra Protection: Some security apps may include a set of built-in extra protection against malicious websites (Secure Web Browsing), against spam or massive commercial SMSes (Spam filter) and against Potentially Unwanted Apps or PUAs (Application Protection). If one or more of these extra protection options are provided, they are evaluated individually to see how good they do their job.
- Privacy Advisor: The privacy advisor function must have the ability of listing all the installed applications and classify their risk based on the permissions they require to run, as some of these may be considered as a privacy and/or security breach.
- USSD Exploit Protection: USSD codes are special "dialled" commands that can be used to access a variety of phone functions. Some malicious sites use this USSD exploit to take advantage of certain devices' vulnerabilities through malicious links and QR codes. If this protection is included, we evaluate the app's ability to block this kind of attacks effectively.
- Extra tools: Many apps include a set of extra tools to keep you protected. Some of them may include Call & SMS filtering, App Blocking and Contacts Back-up & Restore among others. Their performance and usefulness help us to evaluate the app as a whole.
- System resources: No matter how the good a security app may perform, it cannot be considered a great app if it turns out to be a RAM hog or an adware flagship. After all, we do not want to kill apps just to keep our AV working or give away our expensive mobile data traffic to ads.
Previously, battery consumption rates were part of this review. However, they had to be removed due to the fragmentation of the Android OS and the vast variety of devices with different capacities and processor speeds which provide too many variables to account for and could result in inappropriate or misleading info.
Read also: Questions About Android Security at the end of this page.
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Other Security Apps Reviewed
Bitdefender Antivirus Free offers optimal protection against malware for your Android device. The scanning engine is good but cloud based, which means you will need an internet connection to make it work effectively. It will scan new apps as soon as they are installed and will consume less resources than other apps. Once installed, it will work on its own without any additional configuration, making it and an ideal antimalware app for the less experienced users. Sadly, the lack of any advanced options might pose a problem for intermediate and advanced users who like to tweak settings and be in control all the time.
AVG
Anti-Virus Free has a decent malware detection engine that will detect and block most of the malware that tries to get into your phone or tablet (there are dedicated versions for both kind of devices). The not-so-good part is that it could flag some legit apps and functions (such as root) as Potentially Unwanted Apps, which is not good at all and can lead you to uninstall perfectly good apps. Its secure web surfing protection does a good job and provides a hassle-free browsing experience. Sadly, the best tools are just 14-day trial versions. It also lacks protection against USSD attacks and the Anti-Theft capabilities are limited to online options.
Dr. Web Light v.7 is not a complete security suite (it lacks Anti-theft and Privacy features) but it does not promote itself as such. It is not a mediocre anti-malware app either, in fact, its detection rates are very good and the RAM usage levels are below the average. The scan speeds are fast even with the "Files on Archives" option enabled. To avoid further confussion, you must know there are 2 different versions available: v.7 (free, but will show ads in the notification bar) and v.9 (just a limited 14-day trial). If all you need is a basic and effective protection against malware and you can live without the Anti-theft and other extras, then Dr. Web Antivirus Light v.7 is a good choice.
TrendMicro Mobile Security & Antivirus has a sleek UI and a good anti-malware engine. It also includes a free privacy scanner for Facebook (it looks for unsecure settings on your account), 50 MB of cloud storage for data backup and that is where the free goodies end. Truth is TrendMicro is not an actual free security app because most of the key security functions (Secure Web Surfing, Device location, Anti-theft, Privacy Scanner, Call & SMS filtering) are available only in the paid version or available as a 30-day trial. In simple words, TrendMicro is worth installing only if basic protection against malware is what you are looking for.
TrustGo Antivirus & Mobile Security provides a good performance when it comes to malware detection. It also has a good Secure Web Surfing filter against malicious sites. Although it was our top-pick for this category some time ago, its latest changes introduced some permissions that required the camera to -supposedly- spot thieves and then mail it to you, but there was not such an option visible within the app and the picture never arrived to our mail. Besides, the 'Hot Apps' section recommended a lot of paid and ad-supported apps that other apps considered malware. Although good, TrustGo's methods to keep the app free are not the best ones.
NQ Mobile Security & Antivirus has a fancy interface and it appears to be free. Unfortunately, at some point it will try to charge you for updating the virus definitions and will flag your phone as "at risk" unless you have the premium (paid) features enabled. It has good detection rates and a cloud-based anti-malware engine as a support component for the real-time protection. It is a pity it losses its appeal and capacity to convince the user to keep it installed due to its deceitful strategy to generate income.
Security Apps Not Recommended After Review
VirusFighter Antivirus Free: This app is promoted as "free" but is just a glorified demo. The interface and menus use a simple though effective interface, which is not bad; however, most of the functions are limited or reserved for the Pro (paid) version. The app itself is small, but the RAM usage levels vary a lot without an apparent reason. It also failed to detect a lot of well-known malicious files, but due to its pretty and usable interface hundreds of users seem to like it.
Android Antivirus: 
Based on the name this app has, you would think it is the perfect companion for your device. Truth is that it is not. While the interface is clean and makes the app look good, the detection rates are not; only the most common threats are detected. Some of the permissions the app needs (full network access, read phone status and identity, find accounts on the device) have no reason to be there either.
Antivirus Free: It used to be an independent app but it has become a NQ Labs extension (you can read "NQ Antivirus Free" in the main screen). The virus definitions updates are free only during the first month; if you have an active internet connection it will show annoying full-screen ads every now and then and after performing a scan task. Do not let its 4.4 rating (!?) fool you, as it has poor detection rates and needs quite a lot of permissions for a merely basic anti-malware app. Definitely an app you should avoid.
Questions About Android Security
First things first. Can my Android device get infected with a "virus"?
The short answer is NO. Because, you see, Android apps work under a “sandboxed” security scheme. This is a technique that places “virtual walls” between apps and the rest of the device’s software, so that the only way an app can share resources and data is by declaring permissions which restrict what actions an app can perform on your Android device, what files it can reach, and whether it can get access to your personal data or not.
Sandboxing limits the virus' capacity to infect your device, as it cannot access data from the OS and other parts of the device without a specific user-granted permission, thus annulling its capacity to replicate itself and spread from one device to another without the user knowing about it (that is what viruses do).
However, viruses are only a fraction of the vast variety of malware types out there such as trojans, spyware, exploits and fake apps, many of which do constitute a big threat to your data, your privacy and your Android device as well.
If Android cannot be infected with a “virus”, why do I need to install an antivirus app?
Although Android cannot get infected with a virus because of the aforementioned reasons, it doesn’t mean it is an impregnable OS, but quite the opposite: its popularity has turned it into the crook's favorite target around the globe.
Although many security software companies have adhered to the “antivirus” term, they know they actually provide anti-malware apps bundled with privacy and anti-theft protection. We still wonder what was the reason that made these companies to insist on the “antivirus” term, because it may become rather misleading when it comes to Android, which works in a complete different way to Windows. In any case, some companies have preferred to label their respective apps as “mobile security” or "anti-malware" apps instead, which sound like more proper terms. Keep in mind, however, that security apps are only a part of the solution, as the main source of protection should come from your common sense.
To what extent is Android exposed to malware and other malicious threats?
Android device shipments have exceeded 1 billion and there are over 1 million apps and games available in the Play Store, which generated billions of downloads. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that there is plenty of potential malware and other security threats designed to take advantage of careless Android users and it is there where security apps find their meaning. Beware that a security report from Kaspersky Labs made in 2014 has established that the number of malicious apps for Android has hit the 10 million mark.
Does Android have anti-theft functions?
Google has launched its own anti-theft component named "Android Device Manager". It has the same functions any anti-theft tool has (locate, remote wipe, device lock) plus a bonus: you can change your device's unlock password remotely. If you have a device running Android 2.3 or later, chances are you have it already installed since it came bundled with a PlayStore update last year; if not, you can install it from the PlayStore like any other app. This security add-on is a very capable one because it integrates itself flawlessly with Android and it works with your existing PlayStore account.
We know Android Device Manager might not be everybody's cup of tea, and you can still opt for the Anti-theft module that most of the reviewed apps include, but using the former is a good way to save some RAM and storage space. Another additional benefit is that there is no need to register to a new service, therefore you will avoid providing your personal data to other companies, as if giving it to Google was not bad enough already. ;-)
Isn't downloading apps from the Play Store safe?
Downloading apps from the Play Store is the best bet, although is not a guarantee that the apps are 100% safe, as Google removes a lot of scam apps from the PlayStore periodically. Therefore, a security app won't be much help, no matter how good it is, if you are the kind of person who installs anything just for the sake of it.
We know we talked about permissions already, but we have to stress this point as much as we can: permissions are key to determine how secure an app is, both to your privacy and your data. There are several ways to get apps 'for free' from alternative app markets and other unofficial sources. However, installing them exposes you to many privacy and security risks. Why? The reason is simple: while modified APKs keep the functionality from the original app, they mess with the permissions on a fairly extensive basis; many permissions are removed and many others are added. Sadly, chances are you do not know what those rogue permissions do until your are victim of ID theft and other felonies or misdemeanours against your privacy.
Nevertheless, if you happen to be a very careful user with a good knowledge about Android (Linux), and you really know exactly what you are doing at all times, chances are you don't even have to install a security app at all.
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Comments
Hi I registered on this site specifically to get help on malicious apk downloads. I usually get unauthorised downloads from a particular news site. It usually downloads automatically but luckily on those occasions ive managed to delete it without clicking. Ive tried DrWeb, Lookout and APK Antivirus which is spose to stop the downloads itself. None worked.
My issue is that there does not seem to be any anti-virus app that successfully BLOCKS these downloads. No point flagging it after the download. Im using a Motorola Xoom tablet with 4.1.2 update. Could there be a prob with my tablet?? Anyone with the same prob?
Hi. I want to affirm that avast has indeed go freemium. I have used the app since the very first day I acquired an android device. A short list of free and premium features is here:
- Anti virus and malware detection: free
- Privacy concerns: free detection but premium to view.(Used to be all free.)
- App lock: 2 free, premium for more.
- Backup: free for Contacts, SMS & Call logs; premium for photos, videos, music, (root only) apps & apps setting.
- App management: all free.
- SMS and Call Filter: all free.
- Anti-theft: all original functions are still free; new functions such as photograph the thief and record his voice are premium.
- (Root only) Firewall: all free.
- Network Meter: all free.
All in all, avast is still my go to free security app. The core antivirus functions are still free and lots of bundled features are also free. However, to be fair, the full installation of avast takes up ~23 MB of storage and its normal operation takes 22 MB of memory. It's a big app.
COMODO Mobile Security (CMS) 2.1 Released
New! Protection rules (allow/deny/ask) for Privacy Advisor entries.
New! Boot manager to manage auto-start apps
New! Encryption support in Private Space
New! x86 arch is supported. You can now enjoy CMS in VirtualBox or even your PC!
FIXED! CMS asks for virus database update repeatedly under certain circumstance.
[Moderator's note: Link to direct download of file removed. Not permitted as per site/forum rules.]
Can we have an updated review?
Looking at the latest AV-Test.org results dated 17 June 2013 - TrustGo scored just below the average with 95.4%. Whereas both Avast! & Comodo scored 99.8%.
I've recently been running Avast primarily for it's web based anti-theft but it does lag on my Android 2.3 so I'm weighing up the alternatives.
Love your reviews etc. Been a long time user of your site!
Cheers,
Eric
That's a very valid point Midnight. I think I was getting caught up in the Test results chase. I've switched back and fourth lots of times recently and ended up coming back to Avast because of the constant updates and good support.
I'm sticking with it now and today's update seems to have fixed the lag I was experiencing ;)
It's easy to get caught up in detection rates but I'm realizing it's a lot more than that.
Thanks,
Eric
Re Avast antivirus
I installed this and it said that my txt app - Handcent was not compatible. I use Handcent a lot more than I scan for viruses so until Avast plays nicely with Handcent I'll make do with a competitor
Theo
Thanks IO.Hazard
That makes sense. Thanks for the info.
Dear Reviewer,
You updated the reviews on 5 May 2013. I read Comodo Mobile Security review. I guess you reviewed old version 1.5. New version 2.0 released on 19 April 2013. The official site https://m.comodo.com/ shows old version but the download gives latest version 2. Google Play still shows 1.5 but Comodo Devs mentioned CMS on GP will be updated in few days.
What's new in version 2?
1. Network Firewall (root needed)
Automatically block unnecessary connections to the Internet
2. Privacy Advisor
Quickly find out which permissions are requested by your apps
3. Apk Manager
Manage your Android installation files
What's improved?
1. Improve Scheduled Task
Schedule tasks to run at specific dates and times
2. Enhance the protection performance
Refined AV Engine Scan Algorithm to improve the detection effectiveness
Version 2 received an update yesterday i.e 8 May 2013
Regards
Naren
Few options, stuffs, etc........as per Devs will be there in the upcoming CMS upgrade very soon, like autoupdate/upgrade schedule, etc...
Maybe the downline from TrustGO is RAM consuming issue, especially at low-end or limied stock RAM phone. I can say that because it happened at me (my phone slowing down for a little). Bassically overall features is good and secure.
It's absolutely if more features needed more resources.
If a perp steals your device and roots it, is TrustGo's Device Protection defeated?
I switched from Lookout Mobile Security to TrustGo after Lookout failed to back up contacts on 2 different phones. In fact; at no point did Lookout EVER function for back up. Needless to say, TrustGo performs this task flawlessly!
AV-TEST - The Independant, IT-Security Institute, has released Mobile Devices Android etc... Test Results
http://www.av-test.org/en/tests/mobile-devices/android/jan-2013/ TrustGo got top marks
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