Apple’s macOS and iOS run only on Apple products, and the company has them tightly locked down. We still see attacks on Macs, but they’re less common. Windows and Android, by contrast, run on a wide variety of hardware, and they’ve never had the baked-in security that Apple platforms do. The message that you need antivirus on your Windows boxes has reached just about everyone, but many Android users don’t realize they need security. No antivirus on your Android phone? It’s time to take care of that oversight.
Security software for your Android device protects against malware and may offer aid if your phone is lost or stolen. We can help you choose the best security service for you and your Android. Android protection doesn’t exist in a vacuum, though. The products listed here are all cross-platform solutions, with protection available at least for Windows, macOS, and Android. Most of them also offer some form of iOS protection, though with a feature set limited by the closed nature of Apple’s operating system.
Note that the ratings here apply to the product on all platforms, so they don’t necessarily reflect the quality of the Android product. Bad test scores on Windows might drag a product’s overall score down even if its Android edition tested fine.
Read on for our top picks, followed by what to look for when choosing the right Android antivirus for your devices.

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.
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.
Not long ago, Android protection in Norton 360 Deluxe got a major update, with previously separate functions merged into a single app. Independent antivirus testers at AV-Test Institute and MRG-Effitas gave 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 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 device. 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.
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 Total Protection on your Android is a simple matter of snapping a QR code. Once running, it quickly scans for malware. Its completely revamped user 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 new user interface integrates VPN protection with the main app. Some other 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.
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!
Experts at AV-Test Institute and AV-Comparatives put the Android version of Trend Micro Maximum Security to the test, and both gave it their maximum scores. 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 learned 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!
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.
AVG Internet Security routinely gets top scores from the independent antivirus labs we follow. It currently holds perfect scores from AV-Test, AV-Comparatives, and MRG-Effitas. 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.
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.
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 G Data and Bitdefender, with perfect scores from AV-Test and MRG-Effitas and a near-perfect 99.9% from AV-Comparatives. 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.
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.
Like AVG, Avast Premium Security scored 100% in Android antivirus tests by AV-Comparatives. Also like AVG, it currently holds perfect scores from AV-Test and MRG-Effitas.
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.
Like most products described here, Avast Premium Security 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.
We follow three independent labs that put Android antivirus tools to the test. Naturally, we like to see perfect scores in the lab reports. Bitdefender boasts perfect scores from all three, while ESET comes close. ESET Internet Security earned a 99.1% score from MRG-Effitas and 99.9% from AV-Comparatives. It would have had a perfect score from AV-Test, but it lost a point for too many false positives.
This cross-platform suite naturally 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.
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.
Do these Android antivirus utilities work? We look to three independent testing labs to find out. Almost all the listed apps appear in results from at least one lab; three appear in reports from them all.
Researchers at AV-Comparatives challenged each Android antivirus product to defend against over 3,000 prevalent Android malware samples found in the wild. In the latest round of testing, Avast, AVG, Bitdefender, Kaspersky, and Trend Micro scored a perfect 100%.
The latest test from AV-Test Institute hit 17 Android antivirus solutions with thousands of malware samples. Researchers also installed thousands more non-malicious programs to make sure that the antivirus didn’t wrongly identify them as malware. They assigned each product up to six protection points for blocking malware, six points for minimal impact on performance and battery life, and six usability points for refraining from mistakenly blocking valid programs. All of the products we follow scored a perfect six points in all three categories. The real loser in this test was Google’s own protection, which earned just four points in the all-important protection category.
London-based MRG-Effitas tested nine products, most of which overlapped with our selection. The testers evaluated each product’s ability to detect and eliminate threats before launch and the ability to detect and neutralize threats during installation. They checked more than 160 samples, ranging from Trojans to adware, with some known valid programs thrown in to check for false positives. They noted whether an app caught samples early or waited until they were about to be installed. Most of the products we’ve reviewed earned a perfect 100% score, though ZoneAlarm only reached 92% and Panda took a dismal 45%.
All the Android products mentioned here include an antivirus component that scans new apps and offers an on-demand scan. A few can also run scans on a schedule, a feature perhaps more useful on Windows than on Android. All also provide some form of safe browsing to keep you from surfing to URLs that might try to plant malware or fraudulent sites that might trick you into giving away your username and password for the login page they imitate.
All these security tools also check your installed apps for potential privacy problems. Typically, they flag programs with permission to do invasive things like view your contacts, scan your call logs, learn your location, or send texts. If a communication app needs access to contacts, that makes sense. However, if a goofy game wants to paw through your private info, consider deleting it.
Antitheft protection for a lost or stolen device has long been a mainstay of Android security apps. Still, with the growing strength of Android’s built-in protection, some companies are dropping this feature. Norton purged antitheft in 2019, and McAfee’s updated Android app also omits it. Both Avast and AVG now defer to Android’s built-in antitheft.
You can find your device’s location on a map with those offering antitheft. If you’ve mislaid it around the house, you can trigger a noisy alarm to help you find it. You can lock the phone to keep a thief out of your apps and data. And if you determine that you’ll never get the device back, you can remotely wipe it. All the apps let you manage antitheft features using an online console. Some offer the option of triggering antitheft events using coded text messages, and many also surreptitiously snap a photo of whoever is using your device.
One of the first things a typical smartphone thief does is claim the device by swapping out the SIM card. Many of our recommended apps include some form of SIM card protection. Some of them lock the device on SIM card change.
Blocking unwanted calls and texts used to be a common feature, but ongoing changes to the Android operating system have made it more difficult. More than half of our picks don’t offer this feature at present.
Antivirus and antitheft are typical components for any Android security app, but some go way beyond the basics. Common bonus features include backup for contacts and photos, a battery monitor to show which apps are draining your battery life, and a task killer to send those battery hogs packing. Several of the apps warn when you connect to an insecure Wi-Fi network.
As noted, almost all these security tools scan your installed apps and report on those that might be privacy risks. Avast, Norton, and Trend Micro take that skill to the next level, reporting on apps as you view them in the Play Store so you can avoid downloading anything that might be problematic.
VPN protection is more important on mobile devices than desktops because mobile devices usually connect to many networks. Bitdefender includes a bandwidth-limited Android VPN app. That’s nice, but Avast, Avira, and Norton include VPN protection with no bandwidth limit.
A few of these products feature less-common bonus features. ESET lets you time-schedule your call blocking, allowing only family members to call you at night. Trend Micro offers to scan your Facebook settings and warn about any security problems it finds.
So, which one should you choose? It depends on just what you need to protect, but we assume you want a suite that at least installs on your Windows and Android devices. McAfee Total Protection is a powerful suite with protection for unlimited devices. Norton 360 Deluxe is an Editors’ Choice pick for cross-platform security suites, and both get excellent lab scores on Windows and Android. Bitdefender Total Security likewise pulls in top lab scores and offers a cornucopia of features on Windows; it’s our Editors’ Choice winner for security mega-suite. You won’t go wrong with one of these three, but the others have their own merits. Click through the links, read the full reviews, and make your choice.
Editors’ Note: Based on the increasing censure and criticism of Kaspersky by US government agencies, foreign agencies, and informed third parties, we can no longer recommend Kaspersky’s products. We continue to evaluate these products on their merits and report on them for those who wish to decide for themselves.
When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that fateful meeting, I’ve become PCMag’s expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, putting antivirus tools, security suites, and all kinds of security software through their paces.
Before my current security gig, I supplied PCMag readers with tips and solutions on using popular applications, operating systems, and programming languages in my “User to User” and “Ask Neil” columns, which began in 1990 and ran for almost 20 years. Along the way I …
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