Tablets and smartphones are a major target for hackers, who may damage devices or steal personal information. Antivirus software safeguards your device from malware and corrupted software. A lot of the top antivirus programs contain additional features that assist you in protecting your tablet or phone. They could include a password manager or a virtual private network (VPN) or an app lock that requires a password to open apps. Some devices have mechanisms that allow you to locate your device in case it’s stolen or lost.
Some apps are free, while there are some that have a premium version that includes features like a VPN and identity theft protection. These premium apps generally cost around $15 to $30 annually and some have an annual subscription that grants you unlimited access to their services.
Norton Mobile Security is the most popular antivirus application for android. It has won the top marks in independent tests and comes with a variety of security features such as an anti-theft function with excellent malware detection capabilities and a low resource drain. It also detects malware threats like ransomware that could erase or encrypt your data, and comes with the useful feature known as Camera Trap, which snaps the image of anyone who attempts to hack into your device.
Kaspersky is another highly-rated alternative. It is almost perfect in its rate of detecting malware and has a minimal impact on performance. It also provides a range of other security features, such as call blocking, Wear OS support, and a Wi-Fi scanner to block devices from connecting to unsecure networks. It’s not as well-equipped as the other apps featured in this roundup however, there are no ads in its free version, and there’s very little nagging to upgrade to its premium offering.