Antivirus Apps

[jonsie]

What's the view about installing antivirus apps on the Samsung S3 such as the ones below.

Do I need one or is there particular one that people use and can recommend?

125

Lookout Security & Antivirus

LOOKOUT MOBILE SECURITY

Lookout keeps your tablets and phones, and everything on them, safe and secure...

24

AntiVirus FREE

AVG MOBILATION

AVG is a PC & Mobile security software provider to over 143,000,000 global us...

INSTALL

[Bambino]

I use Lookout. The free version is very good. It scans every app before installation, automatically runs a weekly scan of all your apps, and backs up your contacts as well. I believe Avast now do one for Android as well, but I have no experience with it on my phone, just on my laptop. Personally, I wouldn't go near AVG, but that's only my opinion.

[MI5]

I use Samsung's own off the Sammy apps store (free).

[Toby]

Avast would be my choice if available jonsie

@Bambino, just out of interest, what do you not like about AVG?

@MI5 does the Samsung default one have a name or is it just 'default samsung antivirus'

[MI5]

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@Toby wrote:
@MI5 does the Samsung default one have a name or is it just 'default samsung antivirus'

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It's Samsung Mobile Security http://www.samsungapps.com/venus/topApps/topAppsDetail.as?COUNTRY_CODE=GBR&productId=G00001627130&_i...

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't use AVG on my PC's - far too much nagging to "upgrade" - but I installed the free version on my android (Xperia sk17i) and it seems fine - unobstrusive and using minimal resources.

The problem is that it's not easy to tell if A/V software is even doing anything worthwhile on a phone.  On a pc, you know when it has spotted problems or blocked anything dodgy - especially if you are less than "uptight" about what sites you visit.  On a phone, the threats are far more likely to come from apps stealing data and "phoning home" with it - and those will often be "legitimate" apps installed via androind market.  If you have said "I want to install and use this app" - no A/V software is going to tell you that it's "acting odd" - even when that's exactly what it is doing.   The key is to check and double check the "permissions" of all application before you install them.  If you can't see a good reason for an app to have access to call-logs, for example, don't install it.   No A/V software can deal with that sort of spyware.

[perksie]

I would try a free one and see how you get on with it, you can always change it for something else if it's a pain.

Just make sure it has a phone tracking feature built in with the ability to remotely turn on the GPS, wipe the phone etc.

I have tried Lookout and it worked fine for me.

You will probably already have set a sim lock to prevent it working with another sim.

[Bambino]

@Toby, I had a a lot of problems with AVG a few years ago on my PC. One particular update was so corrupt that in the end I had to reformat my hard drive to purge it. There were, at the time, thousands of complaints on the AVG forum about that update, and since that time I have never used AVG again. I can understand that if you use free software there will be the occasional 'nag' to upgrade, but as @Anonymous says, the nags to upgrade to AVG's paid version were bordering on the incessant.

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@Toby wrote:
Avast would be my choice if available jonsie

@Bambino, just out of interest, what do you not like about AVG?

@MI5 does the Samsung default one have a name or is it just 'default samsung antivirus'

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[Toby]

Thanks for the explanation, I had no idea it was regarded in that way.

Avast I stick with then.

What about iOS anti-virus? Anyone have any recommendations? I could do with both for myself and my girlfriend

[Bambino]

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@Toby wrote:
Thanks for the explanation, I had no idea it was regarded in that way.

Avast I stick with then.

What about iOS anti-virus? Anyone have any recommendations? I could do with both for myself and my girlfriend

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As I said earlier, it's only my experience and opinion. Others may think differently.

Avast is a good choice.

As far as IOS is concerned, apparently Apple are so smug that they think their OS is so secure that they don't need antivirus apps, but they have now approved the use of one:

http://www.technewsdaily.com/6978-new-anti-virus-app-removes-malware-from-iphone-ipad.html