11 of the Best Mobile Security Apps You Need in 2021 By James Tredwell on July 8, 2021 Whether you are using your phone to connect with your friends or scroll on social media, each time you go online, you are exposed to threats. Our mobile devices are similar to our computers. It can catch malware if we don’t know how to practice safe online rules. The number of mobile attacks is slowly increasing as more people are shifting to mobile devices than desktops. However, most mobile device users don’t protect their devices. But like your desktop, your mobile device requires tools to keep it safe. Most people think that Android devices require more security than an iPhone due to their vulnerability to attacks. However, Apple devices also need protection. Despite not experiencing frequent attacks, iOS devices can also get hacked. How to Secure My Mobile Device? The only way to keep your devices and their content safe are to follow a cybersecurity checklist. The protection of your mobile device is different from your desktop. Computers require more security and encryption software as compared to mobile devices. But it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t protect your device. Here are some ways you can secure your mobile device from old and new threats. Lock the device with a password or fingerprint. It is critical to keep your devices lock in case you left them behind. Also, make sure that the standby screen shouldn’t be more than a minute. Add a remote wipe on your device. It will allow you to wipe data remotely whenever your device has been stolen. Don’t download apps from a third-party source. Always make sure to download apps from your app store only. Back up data to the cloud or on your computer. Regularly back up your files and media. Make sure to update your phone’s system and all the apps on your device. Take precautions when connecting to public Wi-Fi. Use VPN to encrypt your data from hackers. Never click on links from your email or messages, particularly if it comes from an unknown source. Update your mobile’s system and apps. Download the best mobile security software for your device. Now you have an idea of how to keep your devices safe, here is a list of the best phone security apps you can add to your Android or iOS devices. AVG Antivirus AVG is one of the excellent security software designed for desktop users. However, they also have a security solution for mobile devices. Although AVG offers security for both Android and iOS, it has exclusive features available on each OS. AVG Android Antivirus Remotely lock and wipe your device’s content Track location of the missing phone. Lock apps with sensitive content with a PIN Capture an image of someone who’s trying to open your device Antivirus for scanning of threats Block unwanted calls VPN for private browsing AVG iOS Antivirus Checks for safe Wi-Fi connection Encrypt data using a VPN Monitors leakage of account password Secure vault for photo storage Both OS of AVG offers free and paid versions. The free version has limited features. McAfee Mobile Security Mcafee can secure both iOS and Android devices. It has an award-winning security scanning feature that can detect malicious apps, unsecured Wi-Fi, and unsafe websites. It can also protect devices from prying eyes whenever you connect to public Wi-Fi. Also, you can recover your missing device or wipe the content remotely. Keep your data safe anytime and anywhere you go. Furthermore, McAfee also offers to keep devices running faster and longer by cleaning junk files, boosting the battery life, and improving the performance of your device. Bitdefender Security for Mobile Devices Bitdefender is one of the best antivirus software for any device. Although the free version is limited, you’ll get plenty of perks with the paid package. Bitdefender can support both Android and iOS devices. Malware scanner to protect against incoming threats. On-demand scan Anti-theft to remotely lock your device and wipe out data Enhance the performance of the device With 200 MB/ day VPN Lock apps with sensitive content Filters app traffic to detect any suspicious activity Avast Mobile Security Like other names of brands mentioned here, Avast has been around for quite some time. They have developed excellent and outstanding antivirus for PCs for many years. But it doesn’t stop there. Avast has extended its security expertise to Android and iOS devices too. Avast has a free version for their mobile security, but you can also get their paid version to enjoy its full features. You can block all kinds of threats as Avast allows you to perform regular scanning of your device. It can detect malicious apps, infected websites, unsecured Wi-Fi, and even emerging threats. You can secure your online activities using a VPN and keep your media safe by adding a password. Furthermore, you can secure your passwords and get alerts when someone tries to hack into your account. Similar to other antivirus software, Avast offers anti-theft features too. You can locate your phone, lock your device or wipe out data remotely, and take a photo of the thief. Avast can also get rid of junk files to improve the performance of your mobile device. Trend Micro Mobile Security Solutions You’ll enjoy a mobile device that works fast with Trend Micro’s performance enhancer. Aside from boosting your device’s performance, you can secure your device by scanning for viruses, malware, and other threats. You can locate your missing device whenever it is lost. Trend Micro app can help in removing content remotely and taking a picture of the thief. Not only does your mobile device get protected physically, but you can keep your data and device safe from harmful websites. Even social media URLs are monitored to make sure that you won’t click on harmful links. Every time you add a new app to your device, it scans it before installing the app. You can also enjoy safe online banking and payment with Pay Guard Mobile. It secures all sensitive information by avoiding fake websites. Avira Mobile Security Avira is an all-in-one app that protects your devices by scanning for threats and encrypts your data from prying eyes with a free VPN (100 MB/day). You can get unlimited VPNs when you opt for the paid version. Also, the mobile app permits enhancing the performance by removing junk files, clearing cache, and increasing the speed of your browser. The app can also track stolen devices, trigger a loud sound when it’s missing, lock the device to prevent the thief from getting access. When you upgrade to the premium version, you’ll enjoy advanced features such as blocking phishing websites and get a real-time alert if your email password gets leaked. Lookout Personal Lookout has a clean and easy-to-use interface. It lacks ads on its free version, which makes it a popular antivirus app. It can protect both iOS and Android devices. Before the virus gets into the system, Lookout finds a way to detect the malware and stop it immediately. It offers a safe space to browse the internet without getting viruses or malware that can infect your phone and steal your information. It keeps the person’s identity safe by monitoring the information whenever it gets out or exposed online. Lookout can also help you locate your missing device by showing the location you left your device and make a loud sound. Whenever your phone’s battery is low, you can get an email of the location of your device with a Signal Flare. You can send a customized message to your missing phone that appears on the lock screen. So, whoever has your phone can give your device back. F-secure for Mobile Get protection for your on-the-go activities. F-secure can bring the protection you need for your Android and iOS devices. The android version of F-secure allows multiple devices to get protected. It also ensures safe online banking and shopping by keeping your information safe. You can also access geo-restricted content and encrypt your data as you browse online using its unlimited VPN. You can create strong passwords and store them on the password manager provided by F-secure. It autofills anytime you log into your account. Furthermore, any data breach will alert the user to prevent identity theft. The iOS app has a safe browsing feature to keep you safe anytime you search online and similar features like secure online banking and shopping. It includes a parental control feature to prevent children from viewing inappropriate content. Kaspersky Security Cloud and Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus Kaspersky does have an antivirus that can cover all operating systems, such as Kaspersky Total Security and Internet Security. But if you only want to secure your mobile device, Kaspersky offers a version of it on each app store. The Kaspersky Security Cloud is made for iOS devices. Detects threats automatically Keeps safe from phishing websites that can steal sensitive information It scans faster as it runs on the cloud Manage accounts remotely Secure passwords Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus is designed for Android users. Scans and block malware and other threats automatically It has an on-demand and real-time scanning options Locate missing phone Wipeout all data in a missing or stolen device Lock apps that have sensitive content Filters out unsafe links or websites Protects users from entering phishing websites Norton Mobile Security Norton has years of experience in keeping computers safe from threats. It is also best known for its dark web monitoring and LifeLock. Its superior protection on PCs and Macs has extended to mobile devices too. Norton Mobile can proactively scan and detect threats from smartphones and other devices. It detects any vulnerabilities on your devices, such as outdated apps and systems. Hence, you get to take control of your device before a hacker does. Furthermore, you can connect to a secure Wi-Fi without worrying about fake network connections that can spy on your data. Even fake websites are detected and blocked to avoid clicking or entering the site. Norton also offers a VPN for their mobile security protection. It is free to download at both app stores with the name Norton 360. Malwarebytes Mobile Security Malwarebytes is forever ad-free. Even with its free version, users don’t have to experience annoying pop-ups on their screens. However, it offers limited features. If you want, you can try the premium version for 30 days. The premium version offers the following features: Block unknown calls and text, unsafe websites, and annoying ads Can detect adware and other common malware threats Perform privacy audit on apps Prevent ransomware attacks Filters websites for safe browsing Conclusion Choosing the proper antivirus software for your mobile device depends on your activities, needs, and budget. Although these antivirus software apps have almost similar features, some perform better than others. You can read reviews of each of these antivirus software to learn more about them. Ultimately, protecting your device is more than using an antivirus app. You’ll need to use other tools and follow guidelines to ensure that your mobile device and its data are safe from hackers.
