Need Good Antivirus App For Android

[easysurfer]

Any good (hopefully free) Antivirus Apps for Android?

My phone has recurring pop up with fake alerts saying to scan. I look at some antivirus apps but they give a hard sell of to buy more features.

 

[Qs Laptop]

When did these pop-ups with fake alerts start occurring?

I ask because typically this sort of thing starts happening after you install a new (and somewhat questionable app). So, if you can correlate the fake alert pop-ups starting to occur when you recently installed an app, I'd remove that app and see if they go away.

Honestly, you should not need an anti-virus for your Android phone. I haven't had one since I had my Motorola Droid 2 and that was 2011.

 

[Sunset]

AVG AntiVirus - AVG is free and good and been around the computer world for years.

 

[easysurfer]

When did these pop-ups with fake alerts start occurring?

I ask because typically this sort of thing starts happening after you install a new (and somewhat questionable app). So, if you can correlate the fake alert pop-ups starting to occur when you recently installed an app, I'd remove that app and see if they go away.

Honestly, you should not need an anti-virus for your Android phone. I haven't had one since I had my Motorola Droid 2 and that was 2011.

Pop ups started I saw about a few months back. I think might be related to a SMS messaging app I've been using for years without issue. I would like to do a good scan to make sure I don't have some kind of virus. Plus probably look for another messsaging app.

I forget why I didn't just use the default messaging app, but there was a valid reason .

 

[easysurfer]

For out some more info. Looks like the messenger app that I was using that was open source got forked over to another support. The original is deemed no longer trust worthy.

Now I wonder if I was spied on in recent months.

At least I have an idea of what to do now.

 

[target2019]

Avast is free. Some in this class are demanding on your resources.

 

[easysurfer]

After switching my messenger app to an open source one, namely called fossify messages, no more fake alerts. Think that did the trick even without a antivirus app.

 

[Sunset]

I downloaded AVG a year ago, I ran it to be sure my phone was clean.

Since I didn't want to drain my battery too much I turned AVG off as it wants to run all the time (how else can it catch virus in real-time).

I just re-ran it , after it updated and it's nice to know I'm still virus free.
I encourage anyone to get a free anti-virus and run it, just to be sure they are virus-free. Can always delete it later.

 

[sengsational]

I agree that you should not need an "anti virus" app on Android. If you don't install APK's directly and you go through Google Play or F-Droid for your apps, you are probably going to be fine.

As to getting spied on, Android apps need to ask the user for permissions indirectly through an OS API. That is your super power as an Android user. You can go into your settings and see what apps have what permissions. If a flashlight enabler is asking for permissions to read contacts or something bazaar, you have a bad actor's work on your phone.

Go to settings and search for permission manager. Click into each (files and media, contacts, etc) and see what apps are there. Nuke the ones you don't care about. Don't worry...all the app developers have code to "realize" they've been shut out, and you can decide when you next use the app when it complains about getting shut out. Your superpower. Use it!

 

[YB88]

I agree that you should not need an "anti virus" app on Android. If you don't install APK's directly and you go through Google Play or F-Droid for your apps, you are probably going to be fine.

As to getting spied on, Android apps need to ask the user for permissions indirectly through an OS API. That is your super power as an Android user. You can go into your settings and see what apps have what permissions. If a flashlight enabler is asking for permissions to read contacts or something bazaar, you have a bad actor's work on your phone.

Go to settings and search for permission manager. Click into each (files and media, contacts, etc) and see what apps are there. Nuke the ones you don't care about. Don't worry...all the app developers have code to "realize" they've been shut out, and you can decide when you next use the app when it complains about getting shut out. Your superpower. Use it!

Good post. I don't side load anything. I do have Norton installed, but that's because it's free to me on my android devices since I use it for my PC antivirus. However, Norton wants to be the center of your universe --- I don't enable everything they warn me that I should.

I will add that I have no idea if having Norton present on my phone and tablet has made any difference. It's sort of like the guy who sacrifices a goat once a year to ensure that the sun will come up each day. Sun is still coming up, so it must be working!

I think it is possible for something bad to come through the Play store. Where the meaning of 'bad' can be subjective --- annoyances in apps, certainly. Hopefully not flat out viruses, but --- not impossible, just much safer than side-loading anything.

As far as removing permissions from apps that you think they don't need --- it's a great idea, but also possible that you'll inadvertently break some functionality that you want or even depend on. It's not always obvious why an app wants a given permission.

I would add that taking control of app notifications is a very good idea too. Those things can make you crazy, or alternatively, make you just ignore all notifications ... my wife, for example in the latter category ... at least ...

 

[sengsational]

^ I agree. The chances of getting that "something bad" through the play store is not zero. Mobile OS's are so much better than "desktop OS's of old" for security. The default is the app can't 'see' anything or do anything outside of it's own working area.

And, yes, I really like the way you can take control of alerts for an app right from the point of annoyance... just slide and tap the gear icon.

 

[jim584672]

Android is pretty locked down by Google. You really don't need an antivirus for it.