Anti-Virus. Any Value?

[pollensa1946]

What's the risk, if any, of not having ant-virus, anti-malware on my stock Android Moto G? I only download from the Play Store, or documents (typically PDFs) from mainstream sites, and browse only mainstream shopping and news sites. In addition I have apps for my banking (official apps supplied by the bank).
I've tried various AV apps and they're all over equipped, burdened with facilities of little use. One even has a flash-light, what's that all about? So they got uninstalled.
So, any serious risk?

 

[Mooncatt]

From what I've always read is that the Android environment is next to impossible to infect due to needing your permission to install anything and the Play store being heavily monitored for malware. That being said, hackers are always at work, and there's always going to be a chance that they will find a way in without you knowing. So while I may not *need* anti-malware apps right now, I do have one installed just so it's already there as a barrier in place and ready in case a virus or something is developed.

 

[B. Diddy]

Keep in mind that Google is now doing automatic scans of all apps that you install, which is quickly making 3rd party antivirus apps superfluous. But those antivirus apps often have some nice antitheft features that may be worthwhile. I use Lookout, which will take a photo with the front facing camera if someone unsuccessfully tries to unlock the device 3 times in a row. Lookout will then email that photo to you, so you can see who's trying to unlock your phone.

 

[SUPER_JERK]

If you only install apps from the play store, then make sure you read through what permissions the app is asking for and I believe you'll be fine. I remember reading about one flashlight app in the play store that was collecting data regarding your location, and selling it.

 

[pollensa1946]

Yeh, after trying out lots of AV apps I've concluded I don't need one. The simple ones scan apps as they are downloaded from Google Play, which seems pointless. The feature-rich ones offer every conceivable facility, most of which I don't really need and the few that I could use can be had from simple stand-alone apps.
In particular the features like remote location/locking/erasing etc don't work for me. I use my phone more as a computer than a phone, my call and sms usage is very low so I don't have a contract, I use Pay As You Go. As such I have data roaming (DR) turned off and only connect to the internet using wi-fi. All the remote access apps I have tried show my phone as offline when it's on wi-fi. I assume because it's behind a firewall. The "take a snapshot of the intruder" apps also depend on DR. If the phone is stolen it is unlikely to be in range of a known wif-fi hotspot and unable to connect to an unknown one unless it's unlocked (catch 22). For checking "permissions" I'm looking at stand-alone apps which might be suitable.
Thanks for your replies.

 

[Golfdriver97]

I have one more for an extra layer of security, nothing more. As others have said that it is difficult to get a virus, some apps let you know if they may be malicious.

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