Virus scanners are just tiny pieces of the security equation for your phone. You should also consider other features, including parental controls, anti theft and blocking text and call messages. You’ll need to select an antivirus that isn’t too heavy on your device’s performance and doesn’t consume a the use of a lot of battery.

Bitdefender is a great choice as its security capabilities have been confirmed by independent lab testing as well as our own internal testing. It comes with a range of other features including camera traps that take a photo of anyone trying to gain access to your phone. The free version provides an adequate level of security, and the subscription price is reasonable.

AVG is another option that is a top choice for detection, and a host of features that make it a top pick in our tests. It’s a well-known name in the field of antivirus and it was able to score top marks in both our lab and hands-on tests for Android malware protection. It comes with a powerful antitheft function that allows you to locate remotely remove and lock your phone in the case of theft.

Quick Heal Another popular app, runs on the Avast engine (Avast bought AVG in 2016). It’s an all-round security package that includes virus scanning as well as ad blocking. It also comes with garbage removal as well as a RAM boost and a junk removal tool. It also offers a password manager, Wi-Fi scanner, dark web monitoring and anti-ransomware tools.

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