The use of antivirus software on mobile phones has gained momentum in recent times. While many people still don't trust the effectiveness of an antivirus app on their phone, others believe it is a must-have, especially for security.
There are plenty of antivirus apps for Android and iOS devices , but is it worth it? There are many opinions on this subject. We will try to determine whether an antivirus application is effective or not.
What is an antivirus?
Antivirus is a term you are familiar with, but what is antivirus for Android?
Antivirus is software designed to scan applications , files, settings, and media on your Android device to identify any malicious or potentially unwanted programs. It uses a technology called heuristics to recognize malicious or unwanted behavior.
When a virus or similar threat is detected, it then attempts to remove the threat and undo the damage already caused. A good antivirus for Android should protect you against the following:
- Malware – This can include spyware, ransomware and adware.
- Phishing – This involves tricking you into clicking on a link that takes you to a fake website where they will attempt to obtain your personal details such as banking details or passwords.
- Hacking – If someone has hacked your device, they may be able to access your personal data.
software automatically scans the files and applications on your device to identify anything that could put your personal data at risk . If a threat is detected, it will be quarantined until it can be safely removed from your device.
Antivirus Examples
Antivirus integrated into the Android system: Google play protect
Android has always been perceived as more vulnerable to cyberattacks than other operating systems (like iOS or Windows ), although this is not always true. The most common reason is that the Google Play Store does not have the same level of control and security as Apple's App Store or Microsoft's Windows Additionally, Android devices come installed with a variety of apps from different sources, making it difficult for Google to control everything.
Google Play Protect: What is it?
In 2017, Google launched a feature called Google Play Protect, which can be considered as a simple in-system antivirus. This innovation was designed to ensure that users do not download malicious applications from the Play Store, but also to check all applications already installed in the phone and remove any malicious activity.
Google Play Protect: How does it work?
The concept behind how Google Play Protect works is that it scans all apps (including yours) to detect suspicious activity and protect your device from attacks.
There are two ways to scan your device using Google Play Protect: on-demand scanning and scheduled scans . On-demand scanning only checks installed apps and files for harmful activity at that time, while scheduled scans check all new apps as soon as they are installed.
This article might interest you: How to solve WIFI authentication problem on Android?
10 Antivirus not integrated into Android system
- Ad-Aware Free Antivirus
- Antivirus and mobile security
- Avast! Mobile Security
- AVG Antivirus Free
- Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition
- CM Security Open Network
- Dr.Web Anti-virus Light
- ESET Mobile Security and Antivirus
- F-Secure Anti-Virus SAFE
- Kaspersky Internet Security for Android
Are antiviruses not integrated into the Android system effective?
Google Play Protect is designed to protect your Android device and data from malicious apps and security threats.
Google Play Protect is built into every Android device with Google Play, is constantly updated and automatically takes steps to keep your data and device safe, without you having to lift a finger.
Systematic protection:
Analyzing more than 50 billion apps every day, Google's machine learning system is always on the lookout for new risks, identifying potentially dangerous apps by keeping them off your device or removing them.
Keep your eyes open:
If an app seems suspicious, Google Play Protect scans it for known malware, potentially dangerous apps, and behavior. If a threat is identified, Google Play Protect sends you a notification. Google Play Protect can also remove this threat from your device if it thinks it can harm you or other users.
Permanent update:
Google security services are continually updated to protect you against new threats as they are discovered. And because Google Play Protect works in the background, most users will never have to worry about the technology behind it, just like you don't have to worry about how your car starts when you turn the key.
Basically, Antivirus software not integrated with Android system is not so effective as Google Play Protect and Google Play Protect is more than enough.
In conclusion,
Android antivirus turned out to be a failed solution. The results claimed by antivirus application developers are not sufficient to prove the effectiveness of their product.
Google Play Protect is sufficient to meet the security (Antivirus) needs of Android users. It's time to stop thinking about and using phone antivirus apps because they are very inefficient and only show pop-up ads and consume battery life .
