It’s important to get the best Android antivirus software installed on your smartphone or tablet. After all, Android is the most commonly used operating system in the world, and that means it can be a major target for malicious users.
The best antivirus for Android in 2021 is:
1. Bitdefender Mobile Security
Bitdefender Mobile Security provides excellent protection for your Android smartphone, with a range of features including anti-theft and anti-virus capabilities. In reality, this mobile android antivirus software had maximum marks in the new AV-Test roundup, and AV-Comparatives had a security rate of 99.9 per cent. Really, that’s impressive.
Mobile Security offers you real-time protection for Google’s Chrome browser, plus an autopilot feature that promises to be able to make smart recommendations for security actions depending on your device and your normal user behaviour.
There’s also a clever privacy advisor tool that applies a layer of protection to your smartwatch using WearOn technology that warns you if you inadvertently left your phone behind-smart stuff.
Another fun extra is a packaged VPN, but don’t get too crazy about it. The version given is limited to incredibly light use at just 200MB a day, but it may still be useful in a pinch.
As stated here, there are anti-theft features, and Bitdefender Mobile Protection helps you to remotely locate and lock your computer, or send a message to your phone or tablet. You can even totally erase the computer remotely if you so want.
2. Norton Mobile Security
Advisor powered by Norton Smartphone Insight, and vets applications for any perceived privacy threats or other unwelcome actions, such as over-taxing the battery.
This smartphone security suite also earns top marks to defend the antivirus engine from AV-Test findings.
Other features include call filtering to protect against spam phone calls, Wi-Fi protection that warns you when you connect to an unsafe wireless network, plus anti-theft features that allow you to remotely lock a stolen (or lost) smartphone, or erase any of your files.
3. Avast Mobile Security
Antivirus giant Avast has created another quality app that goes beyond being a mundane scanner, even though it does very well for virus scanning, and is highly regarded by independent research laboratories.
Avast Mobile Security options include an anti-theft mechanism that allows you to remotely lock (or wipe) your Android device if it’s stolen or if you forget it. There are also some fascinating performance optimization features, including a trash cleaner to free up storage space and a ‘RAM boost’ to speed up your device.
4. AVG AntiVirus Free
AVG AntiVirus Free is another high-quality Android security software that offers an amazing level of protection at no cost whatsoever. It also uses the same well-liked antivirus engine as Avast above.
This isn’t the same product, however, and it doesn’t have some of the functionality you’ll notice in Avast’s freebie offering. It is still designed on very solid core antivirus security, with anti-theft features that allow you to find, lock or delete a stolen (or lost) handset. Like Avast, this app is ad-supported, but you can get rid of those ads by an update to the premium edition.
The paid version of AVG comes with a whole bunch of extra features, including expanded anti-theft capability (such as system lock when the SIM card is replaced, and alarm sound), a Photo Vault to protect your files, an app lock, a Wi-Fi security scanner, and additional privacy settings, such as blocking callers.
There are also a number of other features, such as performance improvement steps, which tend to destroy redundant processes, turn off battery-draining settings, and remove junk files such as those typically found in temp and cache directories.
Remember that you can try all of these Pro features for free, at least for the first two weeks while using AVG AntiVirus Free; but then you have to pay.
5. Kaspersky Internet Security
Kaspersky has a reputation up there with major players like Bitdefender, so maybe predictably the free version of its security software has some smart features, including top-notch malware detection.
Not only can you benefit from Kaspersky Internet Security, but there are also some strong anti-theft features that allow you to locate your Android device if it’s missing or robbed. You can even remotely lock the computer, or delete data from it, or even take a picture of the person actually using the device. The alarm can also be remotely set.
Another impressive aspect is support for Android Wear, which simplifies security monitoring, plus this software is free, as we’ve already said, which is always a major boon. There’s a premium edition, mind, and certain essential features are reserved for this.
