Whether you are using an Android smartphone or streaming content via your Android TV box, you should be protecting yourself with antivirus software.
We all know how dangerous it is to browse the internet or download files on your computer without antivirus software. Your computer can easily pick up viruses that make it run painfully slowly, or worse, leach your personal data. The exact same thing can happen with your Android devices.
Android is a big hitter, which means that it is a target for hackers, but also that lots of specialist antivirus creators have developed antivirus and malware removal software that is specifically designed for Android. It is pretty much just a matter of downloading one more app – many of which are free.
Of course, not all offer the same quality of protection. You want one that is robust and regularly updated to deal with new threats. So, we have come up with a list of the five best antivirus apps for Android that work well on both your smartphone and your Android TV Box.
But first…
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Do Your Android Smartphone And Android TV Box Need Antivirus?
The short answer to this question is yes. Your Android device is just as vulnerable to viruses and malware as your PC.
This same logic also applies to your Android TV Box. It is accessing the internet just like your computer and can pick up issues from the same places.
This is especially important if you are running Kodi or torrenting files. These activities often involve downloading files from insecure sources, which may increase your chance of encountering issues.
Also, don’t forget that your Android TV box is almost certainly set up on your home network, so if it is attacked, the infection can spread from your Android TV box to every device on your network, including your PC, and even your smart thermostat and refrigerator (what hackers might want to do with your fridge I don’t know, but people are imaginative).
Find out more, read Is Your Device A Target For An Android TV Box Virus?
5 Best Antivirus Programs For Android And Android TV
AVG Antivirus For Android – Best Overall For Android And Android TV
AVG Antivirus for Android is probably the most popular on the market. It comes from a well-known name in the antivirus and anti-malware world, so you can be sure that updates are regular, and it comes packed with features. You can install it on any Android device, including your smartphone, watch, and Android TV boxes.
There is a free, ad-supported version of this app for those who really can’t afford to pay just $14.99 a year for the full protection package.
- Affordable
- Has more basic, free ad-supported version
- Compatible with Android TV
- Comes with VPN as standard
- Anti-theft features
- Works on Android 5.0 and above
With both the free and the paid-for version of this app, you get great antivirus and anti-malware protection. This includes scanning apps as they are installed for risks and scheduled scans of your device for risks in general. The app will all scan Wi-Fi networks to ensure they are safe to join.
The standout feature setting AVG apart is that it comes with a VPN included, which allows you to encrypt your online activities, hiding your personal details, and letting you appear like you are anywhere in the world. This free VPN is nowhere near as powerful and sophisticated as paid-for subscription services. If you are planning on using Kodi on any of your devices, you will want a more sophisticated VPN that caters to Kodi. But for basic use, it can be more than enough.
Upgrading to the paid version not only removes ads but also unlocks loads of excellent additional features. You get password locking for sensitive apps and access to a secure vault to store your most important files remotely.
You also get a variety of excellent anti-theft features such as tracking your phone’s location, remote locking, and remote wiping. You can even make your phone emit a siren, which can be great if your phone has been stolen or you have just misplaced it somewhere in the house. If someone is trying to block your phone, it will email you images and audio of the culprit.
On top of this, there is also call blocking, an app for seeing which apps are using too much battery or might be leaking data; the list goes on.
What we like: We like that this app is accessible with both a free and an affordable paid version, and it comes with VPN as standard. On top of that, we love just how powerful the pro-version of this app is. It really covers all your security needs in one place.
We don’t like: That’s a tricky one. The VPN that comes with the antivirus isn’t that sophisticated so it won’t meet the VPN needs of Kodi users, who will need to upgrade to a paid VPN service. But apart from that…
If you are looking for the most sophisticated protection for your Android device, and don’t want to pay the Earth, AVG is a great choice.
You can download AVG Antivirus for Android here.
Avast Mobile Security – Best Free Android Antivirus
The well-respected name in antivirus software has long had an application just for Android, but it has recently made this paid-for product completely free. It is now supported by ads. If you can’t stand the ads, you can pay a small monthly subscription fee.
You can protect your Android smartphone, tablet, or Android TV by simply downloading the app from the Google Play Store.
- Free ad-supported software
- Compatible with Android TV
- Call-blocker
- Firewall
- Additional security features such as tracking and remote wipe
- Works on Android 5.0 and above
It does everything you would expect from an anti-malware app: it performs regular automated scans to detect threats, alerts you to malicious apps before you install them, protects against malware-infected web links, and verifies the security of the Wi-Fi networks that you connect to. It also had a call blocker for those nuisance numbers that just keep calling!
Because this product comes from one of the biggest names in antivirus and anti-malware software, you can rest assured it is being updated regularly and you are always getting the best protection.
But Avast also comes with some nice additional features. For example, you can track your device’s location, password-protect apps that contain sensitive personal data, and wipe your phone remotely should it be stolen. It also lets you optimize your device’s battery life and track which apps you are using the most. You should be able to do most of these things with your Android device anyway, but it is nice to have all these security features in one place.
What we like: This is a genuinely free app that provides quality, up-to-date protection. There is also no scrimping on additional features just because it is free.
What we don’t like: That it is ad-supported, since they can be annoying, but the pro version will only set you back $1.99 per month if you really can’t stand it.
If you are looking for a free way to protect your Android devices, you can’t really go wrong with big-name Avast.
You can download Avast Mobile Security for Android here.
BitDefender Antivirus Free – Best Lightweight Android Antivirus
While not as well-known as Avast, BitDefender is another big name antivirus provider for all kinds of systems that also provides a free system for Android. What sets this system apart is that it is lightweight. It does not run in the background, eating up system resources and battery. Instead, you schedule or manually run scans. Just don’t forget.
- Free
- Lightweight – does not run in the background
- New apps automatically checked
- Compatible with Android TV
- Works on Android 4.1 and above
The idea of manually scanning your phone might be off-putting for some users, but it is actually incredibly easy to install and use the app, so all you really need to do is set yourself a diary reminder. You also don’t have to worry about turning it on every time you download a new app. It will scan new apps automatically when they are installed. But, it will only detect the virus from that nefarious web link after the fact.
The same antivirus app you install on your phone can also be installed on your Android TV box or Android watch with ease. In fact, if you have an Android watch and you update from the free version of this app to pro, your smartwatch can also alert you if you have accidentally left your phone behind. For those who habitually do this, it will be worth the $14.99 per year.
The pro version also offers some other enhanced features, such as real-time browser protection and anti-theft features such as location tracking and remote wiping. Considering it is not expensive, it can be worth it just for this first feature.
What we like: That this app is free and that it is not constantly running in the background making everything run just that little bit slower.
What we don’t like: That the free version does not include live scanning for browser activity, but it is not expensive to upgrade.
If you are concerned about how antivirus software will affect your device’s performance, you can optimize performance and still get excellent protection with BitDefender.
You can download BitDefender Antivirus Free for Android here.
McAfee Security And Power Booster Free – Best Trusted Name
McAfee has become a byword for antivirus and anti-malware, so it is no surprise they also have coverage for Android, which can be installed via the Google Play store on any devices running the Android operating system.
- Free ad-supported version of paid-for Pro version
- Scan apps to see if they are leaking data
- Pro version comes with anti-theft features
- Works on Android 5.0 and later
- Compatible with Android TV
As seen with the other options here, there is both an ad-supported free version, and a paid-for version of this protection – though the paid-for version of this app costs almost double that of its competitors. Both offer standard antivirus security, including a scanner and checking new apps as they are installed, and you can also scan existing apps to see whether they are leaking data.
But the paid-for version comes with additional anti-theft security features, including emailing you photos of anyone trying to unlock your device.
What we like: This is powerful antivirus software from a name you can trust.
What we don’t like: To make the most of this app, you really need to invest in the paid version, but it is twice as expensive as its competitors on the market.
If you are all about trust, and you already trust McAfee to protect your computer, you will be happy to see the same great protection on your phone. But be prepared to pay for it.
You can download McAfee Security and Power Booster Free here.
Trend Micro Mobile Security & Antivirus – Best For Facebook
For our last choice, we have picked a bit of an outlier, Trend Micro Mobile Security. This is because we have been concerned about Facebook privacy for a number of years, even uninstalling the app.
Its constantly changing privacy policy is not reassuring, and the app has always leaked data. This antivirus also comes with a privacy scanner specifically for Facebook to ensure it isn’t displaying sensitive personal information.
- Free and paid-for versions of the app
- Facebook privacy scanner included
- Pro version comes with anti-theft features
- Works on Android 5.0 and later
- Compatible with Android TV
There is a free and a paid version of the app; the latter will set you back $17.99 per year. It will scan all apps as they are installed, monitor website URLs and links you might receive via messenger or WhatsApp, and scan Wi-Fi networks.
The paid version of the app also comes with all the advanced features we have seen with the other options on the list, including a dashboard of anti-theft options and password-lock for selected apps. As well as scanning your Facebook app for leaking data, it will do the same with all your apps.
What we like: That this app is responding to some of the issues we are most concerned about, such as popular apps like Facebook collecting data on our activity without our knowledge.
What we don’t like: While this is a great idea, there is still work to be done to improve the app. I can get similar protection from one of the free apps on this list, and just not install Facebook.
But if you are a Facebook fan and want to protect yourself, and you want to support a company that is innovating, this is an excellent antivirus choice.
You can download Trend Micro Mobile Security & Antivirus here.
Android And Android TV Antivirus Buying Guide
While these are our top picks for antivirus software for Android and Android TV, there are lots of others on the market. So, how do you determine which are worth the price tag and which are a waste of time? Here is our list of the main things you should be considering when choosing antivirus software for Android or Android TV.
Brand Name
We don’t like the idea of dismissing a product because we haven’t heard of it and not giving new products a chance. However, unless you have quite a bit of technical expertise and can dig into the details of the protocols used by the anti-virus software, we suggest going with a name you have heard of.
For the big online security companies such as Avast, Norton, and Kaspersky, they have a reputation to maintain, and they have teams of people working on updating and dealing with new threats. So, name does matter.
Cost
You don’t want to be paying above the odds for your antivirus software, so you should know what the industry standard is.
In 2020, you can get basic antivirus coverage for Android free, as long as you are willing to put up with some ads. This will, at a minimum, check apps as you download them and do regular scans for issues. But don’t expect additional features such as anti-theft or app password lock.
For bells and whistles, you’ll need to pay. At the moment, you should expect to pay between $14.99 and $24.99 per year. If you are being asked for more than that, you need to consider what extra features you are getting for your extra dollars.
Extra Features
Antivirus apps set themselves apart with the extra features they offer, but they are not always as good as they sound.
Take anti-theft features such as location tracking and remote wiping. These are something you should be able to do with your Android phone anyway using your associated Google account, as long as you have the right settings. Emailing you a photo of who is accessing your phone, however, is a nice additional feature. Call blocking is also something you can already do.
An inbuilt VPN is also a nice feature, but the kind of VPN you are likely to get in this way will probably be basic. It will support browsing, but don’t expect to be able to access geographically-restricted streaming services or download torrents. For this, you will need to download (and pay for) a more sophisticated VPN.
While it is incredibly convenient to have all of these features in one security app, you do have to consider how much that convenience is worth.
The main additional features we like to see offered with Android antivirus are:
- App password-lock
- A VPN (for basic users)
- Anti-theft features that include taking photos and/or audio of anyone trying to access your phone
- Sirens or other features that help you physically locate your phone when it is lost
Operating System Compatibility
Finally, make sure the antivirus is compatible with the Android operating system you plan to use. This is not a problem with most devices, as most antivirus software will work with anything from Android 5.0 and later. But be careful of options that don’t have this back compatibility.
This can be particularly important if you are planning on installing the Android on your Android TV Box, as they tend to run older versions of the operating system.
The Verdict
There is no escaping it; your Android devices, your phone, tablet, and Android TV box need protection against viruses and malware just as much as your computer.
Fortunately, many of the big-name antivirus software companies that you will be aware of make versions of their program which are suitable for more than just your PC; these are as easy to use as downloading an app from the Google Play Store.
Any of the Android antiviruses on our list will serve you well, though our top pick is AVG Antivirus for Android smartphones, tablets, and Android TV. It is affordable, offers great basic protection, and comes packed with additional features.
If you have any experience using antivirus on Android or Android TV, please share your thoughts below in the comments to support the community.
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