Who uses AV / security software?

[steve_ma]

What say you? Are you using a security / AV app? Why or why not? If so, which one?

I have used lookout on two previous phones but today noticed it's using more battery on the S10+ than on previous phones. I like the lost / stolen phone functionality of lookout. I also know this phone came with McAfee bundled, which I idisabled (assuming bloatware).

After reading an XDA article and seeing lookout using more battery than I like, I started wondering if I actually need AV / VPN / Security software in the first place?

 

[Haley Chris]

As long you stick to the Play Store downloading Apps you don't need Antivirus

 

[steve_ma]

Yeah, so.... doing the searching and reading I should have done before I posted (sorry, I guess I'm that guy) .... it seems like the real value might be the lost or stolen phone capability (locate and wipe) ... or maybe the VPN, but it seems like av software doesn't have a lot of value added.

 

[cmybliss]

Yeah, so.... doing the searching and reading I should have done before I posted (sorry, I guess I'm that guy) .... it seems like the real value might be the lost or stolen phone capability (locate and wipe) ... or maybe the VPN, but it seems like av software doesn't have a lot of value added.

As long as you have your account linked, you can do that with Google. Just type "find my phone" or "find my android" into google and it will locate your phone. You can ask it to ring (even if it's set to silent), lock your device or wipe it. No need for a 3rd party app.

 

[Mooncatt]

Yeah, so.... doing the searching and reading I should have done before I posted (sorry, I guess I'm that guy) .... it seems like the real value might be the lost or stolen phone capability (locate and wipe) ... or maybe the VPN, but it seems like av software doesn't have a lot of value added.

No, "that guy" is one that asks a question then expects everyone else to do all the work.

As you've likely seen now, it's rather hard to hack into Android devices. If you look about this forum, you'll see lots of questions from people claiming to be hacked. The vast majority of them fall into one of 3 categories.

-They don't understand Android well and assume a normal system function is a hacking attempt. I.e. The OS initializes an app to fill the RAM, and they think a hacker is remotely using it.

-It's a bug/defect. I.e. The digitizer gets defective and causes false touches, and they again think it's someone remotely controlling the phone.

-It's a completely BS story. These are usually asked anonymously and are often entertaining with how outlandish the details are. Once they make their post, they disappear, never to make an attempt to work through it with us.

 

[steve_ma]

As long as you have your account linked, you can do that with Google. Just type "find my phone" or "find my android" into google and it will locate your phone. You can ask it to ring (even if it's set to silent), lock your device or wipe it. No need for a 3rd party app.

Yep. I found that functionality a couple of hours ago. I cancelled my Lookout account, installed the google app and did that very thing. Looked it up and made it ring just for the heck of it.

 

[Almeuit]

I don't. I just only get stuff through the store and go from there.

 

[claykin]

If your device is:

1. Play Protect certified (check Playstore in settings) and you stick to only Playstore apps

2. You install Android updates as pushed out by Samsung or your carrier

3. You aren't sideloading apps (see #1 above)

If all the above is you, then there's really no need for AV.