Content area
Full Text
The following are the 13 best antivirus tools for Android, according to AV-TEST’s November 2018 evaluations of 20 Android security apps. (The AV-TEST Institute is a Germany-based independent service provider of IT security and antivirus research.)
AV-TEST rates each tool for three areas: protection (six point max), usability (six points max) and features (one point max). Eight of the 13 Android antivirus software apps listed below received perfect protection and usability scores of 6.0. The other lost a half point on either the protection or usability scores. The apps are in alphabetical order.
The average real-time malware detection rate for all apps tested was 98 percent. For real-time detection of Android malware discovered in the past four weeks the average rate was 98.6 percent.
1. AhnLab V3 Mobile Security 3.1
AhnLab V3 Mobile Security didn't quite achieve perfect detection scores: 99.1 percent malware detection and 99.9 percent detection of recently discovered malware. That cost the tool a half point on the protection score. The app gave one false warning during installation and usage of legitimate apps from the Google Play store.
It has a good feature set including anti-theft, call blocking, safe browsing and anti-theft features. However, it lacks parental control, personal data backup and encryption.
2. Avast Mobile Security 6.11
Avast Mobile Security 6.11 managed Android malware detection in real-time 99.8 percent of the time. It found 99.7 percent of the latest Android malware discovered during the previous four weeks. The app doesn’t negatively affect battery life or cause the device to get sluggish during normal use. It registered zero false warnings during installation and third-party app stores.
Mobile Security’s safe browsing features help protect against phishing attacks and malicious websites, and it offers anti-theft features such as remote wipe. The app also has a call blocker. Additional features not evaluated by AV-TEST include an app lock, a privacy advisor, and wi-fi security.
3. AVG AntiVirus Free 6.11
AVG AntiVirus Free 6.11 had a nearly perfect 99.9 percent detection rate for real-time malware detection and a 99.6 percent detection rate for recently discovered malware. It gave no false warnings. The app has a decent set of features including anti-theft, remote wipe, call blocking, safe browsing, backup of personal data, app lock, wi-fi security, and...