Do I need a virus scanner?

[DWFII]

I have two Samsungs--an S5 and and S6. Both had trial versions of Malwarebytes on them. Both trials have expired.

Do I really need a virus scanner and what is a good one for android phones?

 

[B. Diddy]

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 (or in the Play Store settings). This allows Google to periodically scan your phone's apps to look for malware.


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

That being said, if you still insist on installing antivirus, Malwarebytes is generally held to be one of the best and most trustworthy.

 

[mustang7757]

I don't use any , I feel not worth it , can cause slow downs and other issues as some get administrator rights and can change system settings .

 

[customshopkv1]

I use ESET Mobile Security, don't even notice it until I get a transparent notification of a scan. Also have ESET on all my computers.

 

[Laura Knotek]

I don't use antivirus on any of my Linux devices, and Android is a type of Linux. I don't install APKs from dodgy sites and don't visit dodgy sites. I haven't had any issues since I've been using any type of Linux on computers or phones.

 

[DWFII]

Thank you all.

 

[mustang7757]

Thank you all.

I like B. Diddy post pretty much sums it up. Good luck !