This top Android antivirus app is free and for anyone who wants total smartphone or tablet protection from a myriad of online threats. It gives you five different areas of protection so you do not have to worry about a hacker getting your information via a method you have not thought of yet. The app has an enhanced firewall and automatically blocks you from accessing any unsafe downloads, email attachments, or links.
Malware such as Trojans, spyware, and viruses are snuffed out, plus you can enable the app to encrypt any personal files or pictures. This blocks anyone except you to access this information. Even your payments via your PC are protected so you are not giving any payment information to copycat websites.
AVG is a developer of antivirus and security products for all types of digital devices. Bought by Avast recently, AVG continues to be a leader in digital security.
How to Use
Find the app at the Play Store and download to your Android device. Once you have downloaded the free Android security app onto your phone or tablet, you are ready to get started.
The main window has a basic protection pane that includes icons for computer protection and for web and email protection, and you will see them both automatically enabled. In the middle is a “Scan Computer” button which will launch a full scan when pushed. This scan will identify not only malware but also things like browser traces, junk files, and system logs. There is also a deep virus scan option, which will take considerably longer to finish the first time it is used. The first time the deep virus scan is activated it will tag files that belong on your device so they will not get looked at again on subsequent deep virus scans.
Malware Detection Power
Malware detection is the strength of this app with a tested detection rate of 99.9 to 100 percent. In some testing, no false positives were received, but some tests had a low incidence of harmless apps being detected as potentially harmful. In addition, the powerful malware detection is paired with a very light use footprint which makes it even more desirable.
Loads of Features
The AVG antivirus app has many features that will not weigh down the overall performance of your device, and the battery usage feature can help you identify what is sucking up the most power from your battery. Android smartphones will especially benefit from the safe browsing feature as well as the do not track feature. Rooted devices will benefit from the extra protection they will get from this app.
Thieves Beware
The anti-theft feature of the free AVG antivirus app is the icing on the cake of this app. With this app’s anti-theft feature, you can go to the AVG anti-theft website to track down your lost phone or tablet online via google maps. Options associated with this anti-theft feature include the ability to lock your phone, a way to activate a high volume alarm remotely, and a remote complete file wiping capability.
Some Considerations
Where this app is less than average is in its anti-phishing capabilities. Also, the initial scan has been noted to take a very long time. Beware that USSD attacks are not covered with this app. The malicious URL blocking capability is okay but comes nowhere near the app’s malware detection ability.
Even with some weaknesses, AVG Antivirus Free is a solid choice that will give you reliable malware protection with a few extra bells and whistles thrown in.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, the AVG free antivirus app for Android has a robust malware detection ability, just be forewarned that some tests showed that innocent apps and files could be tagged as potentially dangerous when scanned. Be sure to scrutinize what was termed as potentially dangerous before you delete it. Secure web browsing is another plus for this app. The Anti-Theft capabilities of this app are a plus but are limited to utilizing online access. Many more features are available for this app in the paid version, but if you are looking for a good malware detecting app, the free AVG antivirus app is a winner.
Overall, this app is a solid free solution for detecting malware, and the extra features such as the encryption of files, battery usage monitoring, and the do not track option are an added plus.
