Hackers are targeting tablets and smartphones to steal information, or even damage them. Antivirus software guards devices from malware and corrupted applications. Many of the top antivirus software have additional features that help protect your tablet or phone. This could include a password manager as well as a virtual private networks (VPN) or an app lock that requires a passcode to access apps. Some even have an anti-theft feature to locate your device in case it gets lost or stolen.
Some apps are free, however some offer a paid version that comes with features such as a VPN and identity theft protection. These premium applications typically cost between $15 and $30 annually, and some also have a yearly subscription that gives users unlimited access to their services.
Norton Mobile Security is the most popular antivirus application for android. It has won the top scores in independent tests and comes with a variety of security features that include an anti-theft feature with excellent malware detection capabilities and a low consumption of resources. It also detects ransomware and other malware threats that can wipe or encrypt your files, and includes the useful feature known as Camera Trap, which snaps the image of anyone who tries to break into your device.
Kaspersky is another highly rated alternative. It has almost perfect rate of detecting malware, and it has a minimal impact on performance. It also provides a range of other security features, such as call filtering, Wear OS support, and a Wi-Fi scanner to help prevent devices from connecting to unsecured networks. It’s not as fully featured as other apps in this roundup but there are no ads in the free version, and there’s very little prompting to upgrade to its premium version.