Android Antivirus?

[JC8865]

Does anyone use an AV?
I currently use Lookout from Sprint... Malwarebytes and CCleaner. Just curious what you all use also i assume the default maintenance app does the same thing as the CCleaner so maybe thats redundant. Just looking for options and suggestions.

JC

 

[B. Diddy]

I don't have an app suggestion, but this is my usual spiel about antivirus apps:

For the most part, it's still quite difficult to get an actual virus on your phone, because malware requires you to manually accept the installation (which is why they try to fool you into thinking you're installing something legitimate). Use common sense:

1. Avoid shady websites that deal with things like porn, gambling, and "free" (aka pirated) apps/music/movies.

2. Never ever tap on a link that appears in a popup while browsing, especially if they're warning you that your phone is infected -- they're just trying to scare you into installing some bogus "antivirus" app that is probably malicious itself.

3. Only install apps from well-established app sources like Google Play Store or Amazon Appstore. Read a bunch of app reviews before installing an app to look for any complaints about adware or suspected malware.

4. Turn on Google Play Protect features in Settings>Google>Security. This allows Google to periodically scan your phone's apps to look for malware.

5. Turn off "Unknown Sources" in Settings>Security. This prevents any app that wasn't obtained from Google Play Store from being installed (which could include malicious apps that are inadvertently downloaded).

 

[anon(10360853)]

Yep, I use MalwareBytes, but before that I had "Hi Security Lite" which was decent.

 

[Mooncatt]

B.Diddy explained the malware issue perfectly, and I also don't run antivirus and such for the same reasons.

As for apps like CCleaner, those are also unnecessary. They often work counter to how Android is designed and hurt efficiency. Ram is meant to be occupied by dormant apps on Android and clearing RAM will just result in it being filled again.

https://m.androidcentral.com/ram-what-it-how-its-used-and-why-you-shouldnt-care

When cache is cleared, it too is rebuilt rather quickly, so the space isn't free for long. Unused app scanning is a bit of a gimmick because it's so easy to just look through your list on your own you decide if you want to keep something. Don't get me wrong, there are times where you may need to clear an app's cache or force close one. Bugs happen and sometimes it makes apps go rogue. In these cases, you're better off diagnosing and dealing with them one by one. Not taking the shotgun approach these types of apps use.

Android is rather good at managing its own resources. It works best when left alone in most cases, and these cleaning apps essentially make it work against itself.