Antivirus on Android or not?

[trsbbs]

But you see people who get into accidents all the time and die, but if they had been wearing a seat belt they'd still be alive.

How many people do you see with infected Android phones? None. Zero. Zip. Nadda. Negative.

Only place you should be worried about with Android malware is in regions where Google Play is not supported. Stick to the Google Play store, download your apps from Google and not third-party sources, and you'll be fine.

Guess you didnt read the news lately.

 

[AndroidHabit]

But you see people who get into accidents all the time and die, but if they had been wearing a seat belt they'd still be alive.

How many people do you see with infected Android phones? None. Zero. Zip. Nadda. Negative.

Only place you should be worried about with Android malware is in regions where Google Play is not supported. Stick to the Google Play store, download your apps from Google and not third-party sources, and you'll be fine.

I'm sorry I had to reply to your comment but just so you know, malware has been found in google play so its still not as safe as you think it is.

Also when there are people like you who think antivirus is not needed, those are the ones who go around not knowing their data is getting stolen and sold.

People don't go around saying hey look my phone has a virus on the streets but you will find posts online with their issues.
The five years you went with no issues doesn't mean you were not open to it, trust me your phones had security bugs.


I don't know how old you are but if you do anything on your phone that is connected to your banking, other bills or sensitive accounts then you should use an antivirus app.

 

[Crashdamage]

True, there's plenty of things to worry about in the Play store. Plenty of malware to go around. The problem is, antivirus apps do almost nothing to protect you from Play store malware.

Here's a list of just a few the vendors and apps which have serious enough problems that they should be considered malware. Not one of the apps listed will be detected as Bad News by any antivirus app. Some are truly horrible. Any software from these companies should be considered to be malware. They may have serious privacy concerns such data-mining and sending your data to servers in China or elsewhere for who knows who to do who knows what with it. They may throw up nag ads or scary-sounding bogus warnings urging you to buy more software or else Bad Things will happen in order to get you to buy and install more of their malware. They may simply be ineffective or worse. Or they may be all of these things. But for some good reasons they are all crapware to be avoided like the plague or they would not have made this list.

Bad Vendors:
Cheetah Mobile (All the CM stuff, QuickPic and more)
DU Apps (DU Battery Saver, DU Speed Booster, others)
Baidu (Baidu Browser, Photo Wonder, others. Baidu owns DU Apps.)
Go Development Team (All GO apps)
360 Mobile Security
Apus Group

Bad Apps:
All CM apps including:
Clean Master
CM Security
CM Speed Booster
CM Keyboard
CM Flashlight
CM Backup
Battery Doctor
QuickPic (recently bought by CM/Baidu)
Photo Grid
Snap Share
File Manager
File Manager HD
File Manager Pro (there are legitimate apps also called File Manager)
...and more

All Baidu/DU Apps including:
Baidu Browser
Photo Wonder
DU Launcher
DU Battery Saver
DU speed Booster
DU Privacy Vault
...and many more

All Apus Group apps including:
Apus Launcher
Apus Browser
Apus Booster+
Apus Message Center
...and more.

Misc bad apps:
Cleaner Master (not the same as Clean Master)
360 Mobile Seurity
KK Browser
Boat Browser
UC Browser
Dolphin Browser
Maxthon Browser
...and many, many more.

ES File Explorer: See: this about ES File Explorer security concerns:
http://androidforums.com/threads/es-file-explorer-privacy-security-concerns.914178/#post-6941798
...and
http://androidforums.com/threads/problem-with-es-file-explorer.907922/page-2#post-690973


Also, not malware, but email apps with privacy concerns: (and some without).
See: http://androidforums.com/index.php?posts/7051405

Sooo...what is antivirus protecting us from? I've used Android since v1.0 and never seen antivirus stop a single legitimate threat. But it IS good at using a lack of knowledge, fear and paranoia to turn your money into theirs.

 

[Kalvin Kerns]

Interesting thoughts guys, thank you for the replies and advice. I was using Avast on both my Android phone and Windows 10 system. I just recently switched to Sophos and an going to continue using an antivirus to hedge my bets.

Thank you all again.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[eams1986]

Now this much malware out and not bad to have a cleaner web or apps on your phone I use AVG for my entire personal life. XD

 

[RichyUS]

Yes :-*

 

[Kirill Chuzhvo]

For me it's normal install antivirus once in month to check my phone and the delete it.

 

[Toeopla]

How to protect your Android device from infection
Only install apps from trusted stores like Google Play
Avoid clicking on links from ads, SMS, websites, or emails
Keep your device and apps up up-to-date
Install protection that scans apps

from the blog of some antivirus app

 

[zldhuidsnkja]

Adults who have their own e-mail account, which is linked to a credit card or cash from business, yes.

 

[JackNL]

Yes. I'm using one to. You'll never know.

 

[Anita Gilliland1]

I need to know how to get rid of this annoying thing?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[ecksmc]

This is a common fear but since Android has developed anti virus scanners are a waste of time and space Android does a great job scanning any and every app you download, obviously via play store, and since Android 4 Security is way better than before BUT if you have a rooted device and install apps that aren't from play store then you could end up infected, saying that I have a LG G4 Rooted with no anti virus software running in background and I do check for viruses every other month and never been infected, earlier Android versions yes use anti virus software but really since Jelly Bean google Android took care of devices in that downloading from play store 'should' be 100% safe, I say should be no operating system is or can be 100% even with anti virus software

 

[Inders99]

No, and I won't install it either.

I've had PCs over the years and they all get infected regardless of the anti-virus software I was running at the time...what's the point?

 

[ManiacJoe]

...

That has got to be the longest run-on sentence I have ever seen!

 

[Ashtroid666]

Just be smart on how you use the phones.
Don't click on unknown links and just be SAFE.
I've never use any Anti Virus app on my Android phone what so ever.

 

[maclancer]

I don't use antivirus but I have a LG G3 and came with the lookout security. Very useful!

 

[Dreamio]

I have some performance issue with antivirus. So I'm without antivirus.

 

[Crashdamage]

NOTE: For anyone who cares, I did some heavy editing to my post #23 in this thread which lists apps and vendors whose apps should be considered to be malware. Made some additions, did some rewriting, etc. If such things concern you, you might want to check out the post and some of the links in it.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

 

[Tech-Newb]

Well, i heard that installing anti virus will just slow down your phone. So its a nope for me.

Posted with ❤Love❤

 

[stellarowl12]

Is Lookout Antivirus any good?