The Best Android Antivirus for 2024

Why We Picked It

Antivirus protection by Bitdefender Total Security’s Android edition swept the testing labs, with perfect scores from AV-Test, AV-Comparatives, and MRG-Effitas. You can locate, lock, or wipe any protected Android device from the Bitdefender Central online console. You can even get a photo of a phone thief. This is also where you extend protection to your other devices running Android, as well as iOS, Windows, or macOS.

In addition to the expected protection against malicious and fraudulent websites, Bitdefender’s Scam Alert flags shady links in texts and other messaging apps, its Account Privacy system checks your emails against known data breaches, and its App Lock protection for sensitive apps is more flexible than most. Password management and VPN protection extend to your Android devices, though VPN features are limited unless you pay an extra fee.

Who It’s For

Your Android phone stores your dates, contacts, pictures…your life! You’d be devastated if it got stolen or incapacitated by a malware attack. Bitdefender Total Security keeps malware at bay, helps you recover a lost or stolen device, and adds bonus features to enhance your security. And hey! It can protect your non-Android devices, too.

Why We Picked It

Independent antivirus testers at AV-Test Institute and MRG-Effitas give Norton’s Android antivirus perfect scores. Tested under Windows, its web protection did well, detecting and deflecting 97% of fraudulent websites and 93% of malicious ones. In an unusual twist, Norton’s real-time malware protection reaches all the way into the Android Play Store and warns you before you even download unsafe apps.

This is a fully cross-platform suite, with support for Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS. Its full-powered, no-limits VPN works just fine in Android, as do the cross-platform password management and parental control apps. Other features include a detailed security scan of every Wi-Fi network you join, a check for insecure device settings, and a monitoring system that warns of dangerous links in texts.

The one thing Norton doesn’t do is help you with a lost or stolen Android. Its developers reasoned that the lost device protection built into modern mobile operating systems is powerful enough that a third-party addition isn’t needed.

Who It’s For

You use your Android everywhere you go, and it connects to all manner of Wi-Fi hotspots, not all of them reliable. VPN protection that kicks in whenever you need it is a blessing, keeping your communication safe even if hackers own the Wi-Fi hotspot. Norton 360 Deluxe gives you that, along with a panoply of other cross-platform features.

Installing McAfee+ on your Android is a simple matter of snapping a QR code. Once running, it quickly scans for malware. Its user-centric interface focuses on keeping you both protected and informed. Making a good security decision gets you points, with a fireworks display to celebrate. Like Norton, McAfee doesn’t bother with anti-theft features, leaving that task to Android.

The user interface integrates VPN protection with the main app. Some older features, including App Lock, Guest Mode, and Memory Booster, have fallen by the wayside.

This app doesn’t have a wall full of trophies from the independent testing labs. It earned a perfect 18 points from AV-Test but doesn’t appear in the latest reports from MRG-Effitas or AV-Comparatives. That said, McAfee’s awesome unlimited licensing makes it an impressive choice. Your subscription lets you install McAfee protection on every Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS device in your household.

Who It’s For

How many Android devices are there in your household? How many are running other operating systems? If you can’t quickly come up with a number, it’s hard to know how many antivirus licenses to buy. With McAfee, the number doesn’t matter—your subscription protects every device in the household. Easy!

Why We Picked It

Experts at AV-Comparatives put the Android version of Trend Micro Maximum Security to the test, and gave it the maximum score. In our hands-on testing under Windows it also earned perfect scores in tests involving protection against malware-hosting web pages and phishing (fraudulent) pages.

Like McAfee, Trend Micro lets you activate protection on your Android by scanning a QR code. A new installation walks you through the initial configuration process, a process made lengthy by the sheer number of features. Once you’ve set up Lost Device Protection, you can perform the expected locate, lock, and wipe functions, but this app goes further. You can remotely shut down all open apps to foil a thief who stole an unlocked phone. It snaps a photo of anyone who repeatedly tries and fails to get past the lock screen. You can even remotely change the PIN if you think someone has stolen or shoulder-surfed yours.

Pay Guard Mobile triple-checks the security of your device and your connection when you log into a sensitive website. Wi-Fi Checker scans the hotspot you’re using for security problems. System Tuner does its best to speed up your device’s performance. Social Network Privacy checks your social media accounts to make sure you’ve configured them correctly for privacy. Like Norton, it checks apps you view in the Play Store and warns you so you don’t download any that are iffy. The list goes on!

Who It’s For

Many cross-platform security suites put a huge amount of energy into their Windows edition but hardly any into other platforms. With Trend Micro Maximum Security on Android, you get an array of features that rivals its Windows equivalent. Do you want it all for your Android? Then Trend Micro is for you.

Why We Picked It

Like AVG, Avast One Gold earned a perfect score in Android antivirus tests by AV-Comparatives and AV-Test. It also holds a perfect score from MRG-Effitas; AVG wasn’t tested this time around.

Avast’s Smart Scan watches for malware, warns of vulnerable Wi-Fi networks, and identifies junk files for cleanup. Previously, you could locate, lock, or wipe a lost phone remotely. Like AVG, McAfee, and Norton, Avast has dropped anti-theft measures, leaving that protection to Android’s capable built-in features.

While you can still purchase the Avast SecureLine VPN app separately, VPN protection is now built into the main security app, and it comes without limits on bandwidth or server choices. In addition, it includes quite a few features to keep your phone running smoothly and safely. It can free up available RAM, reclaim storage space by deleting junk, and check both the safety and the speed of your Wi-Fi connection. The App Insights feature helps you manage app usage and privacy, and App Lock lets you put your most sensitive apps behind a secondary PIN. Avast can check known data breaches to see if your email shows up, block unwanted calls and texts, tweak settings to reduce power consumption, and more.

Who It’s For

Like most products described here, Avast One Gold offers protection for Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS devices. Also, like most, it doesn’t do a lot on iOS. The Android edition, however, is packed with security features.

Why We Picked It

AVG Internet Security routinely gets top scores from the independent antivirus labs we follow. It currently holds perfect scores from AV-Test and AV-Comparatives. Challenged (on Windows) to detect phishing frauds, it scored a near-perfect 99%.

Loss or theft is as significant a danger for Android devices as malware infestation—maybe bigger. However, the theft prevention features built into Android have gotten so good that third-party security companies have begun removing that feature. Norton and McAfee dropped anti-theft a while ago, while AVG and Avast did so more recently.

AVG does include the expected Android features, such as malware scanning, App Lock to double-lock sensitive apps and App Insights for usage stats and permission info on your apps. But it doesn’t stop with the basics. It can check the security of your Wi-Fi connection and the speed of that connection. The Hack Alerts feature checks whether your email got exposed in a data breach. This app can also wipe out junk files, put sensitive photos in protected storage, check your network security, and more.

Who It’s For

AVG now relies on Android to provide anti-theft features, leaving it free to focus on what Android doesn’t do for you. If you want a variety of security-related features, along with expected features like malware detection and App Lock, AVG will suit you well.

Why We Picked It

With most security suites, the feature set doesn’t change appreciably after your purchase. But with Avira Prime, you get the Pro edition of every Avira product, including any apps Avira may add. Not all those Pro apps support Android, but you do get Antivirus Security Pro, Phantom VPN Pro (a full-powered VPN with no limits on bandwidth or server choices), and Password Manager Pro (a simple password manager with few advanced features beyond an advanced security report).

Avira almost managed the antivirus lab-testing trifecta accomplished by ESET and Bitdefender, with perfect scores from AV-Comparatives and MRG-Effitas. A dip in its performance score denied it a perfect 18 points from AV-Test in the latest report. Like its counterparts on other platforms, the first thing it wants to do is run a Smart Scan of your device’s security, privacy, and performance. As with most Android security apps you can locate, lock, or wipe a lost or stolen device, though you perform these actions from another mobile device, not from an online console.

Avira offers typical Android security features, including App Lock to secure your most sensitive apps and Permissions Manager to identify apps that may have permissions that aren’t appropriate. Its Web Protection component aims to keep you from accidentally visiting dangerous sites. Going beyond common features, the Optimizer feature helps you free up memory and reclaim storage space, Identity protection checks your email against known data breaches, and Microphone protection prevents eavesdropping. This Android security app is loaded when it comes to bonus features.

Who It’s For

Are you one of the many who suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out)? Choose Avira Prime, and you’ll never miss out on new Avira products—they’re included. And that applies to Avira installations on your iOS, Windows, and macOS devices, too, not just Androids.

Why We Picked It

We follow three independent labs that put Android antivirus tools to the test. Naturally, we like to see perfect scores in the lab reports. Like Avast and Bitdefender, ESET delivers those perfect scores in the latest tests from all three labs.

This cross-platform suite offers antitheft protection for Android devices but also extends that protection to Windows laptops. On either platform, prepping this feature may require one or more optimization steps. As expected, you can use the online console to make a misplaced device squeal or to handle a lost or stolen device by locating, locking, or wiping it. Unlike most competitors, ESET lets you send antitheft commands using coded SMS messages. And it can automatically lock your phone if a thief tries to swap out the SIM card.

In addition to the expected on-demand malware scan and real-time protection, ESET can schedule regular scans. Its numerous additional security features include Payment Protection, which launches sensitive apps using enhanced security; App Lock, which puts your most important apps behind the protection of a secondary PIN; Security Audit, a scan that identifies apps with the most permissions, as well as security problems such as USB debugging enabled; Network Inspector, which both lists devices on your network and flags any with security problems; and Call Filter, to block unwanted calls and texts.

Who It’s For

Having antivirus and antitheft protection for your Android is essential, but you want more, more, more! Why should a security suite for Windows have a bigger feature collection? ESET Internet Security should satisfy your craving for an ample and effective collection of security features.