Antivirus software keeps your phone protected from malware and other threats, however many of them also provide additional features that improve your smartphone’s security. Some of these features include an account manager for passwords to safeguard your login details, VPN functionality for enhanced security and privacy, as well as tools to locate or remotely wipe stolen phones.

The majority of antivirus programs will check your phone on a regular basis to check for malicious software signatures that could be causing the problem. Typically, they’ll run these checks on an agenda that you decide to our website set and will notify you should any threats be detected. They also will determine if you are connected to a vulnerable network which could expose your personal information to hackers.

Some antiviruses may have extra features, such as anti-theft or a call blocker, depending on the provider. For instance, Kaspersky offers a feature which can take a picture of the person who is trying to unlock your phone 3 times. It also lets you lock or wipe the device remotely. Other providers offer tools to tune up your system that can remove junk files, speed up the performance of your device and warn you about unsafe settings or apps.

One way to assess how well a security service protects your phone is to see how it does in the protection ranking of independent labs for testing. Some of these rankings are based on the number of threats found, while others consider things like how quickly the service detects threats and removes them. Additionally, some services go the extra mile by providing features like the guarantee of a refund and customer support that’s available round-the-clock.