I thought about the need to install an antivirus on my phone after the news that 36 applications were found in Google Play that had viruses built into them. Although "Play protection" should not let such applications through.
After reading this news I thought about choosing a reliable antivirus. So that it would not be there for show, but would work perfectly, because I have to install hundreds of applications for my blog. It would be nice to have good protection. For the test, I found APK files of 13 applications from the news and copied them to the root directory of the smartphone. And I started testing antiviruses.
A number of popular antiviruses turned out to be unavailable for users from the Russian Federation (including APK files): Avira, Norton 360, Eset Mobile Security, NOD32 and McAfee.
Of the remaining, only 4 antiviruses: Malwarebytes, AndroHelm, Lookout and Kaspersky reported suspicious files in the notification line.
[su_table responsive=»yes»]
| Antivirus | Selective scanning | Automatic scanning | Advertising | Average RAM usage | Batteries used | Disk space |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaspersky | Eat | Paid | No | 143 Mb | 4% | 153 Mb |
| Dr.Web | Eat | For free | No | 49 Mb | 5% | 83 Mb |
| AndroHelm | Eat | For free | Eat | 11 Mb | 9% | 23 Mb |
| Malwarebytes | No | Paid | No | 92 Mb | 6% | 123 Mb |
| Avast | Eat | Paid | Eat | 72 Mb | 2% | 104 Mb |
| AVG | Eat | Paid | Eat | 69 Mb | 3% | 106 Mb |
| Lookout | No | For free | No | 58 Mb | 13% | 116 MB |
[/su_table]
With active use (installing 10 applications, surfing the Internet), the battery usage percentage for all antiviruses increases by 1%.
Kaspersky
Kaspersky found 10 viruses and sent them to quarantine. In the computer version of most antiviruses, the "Quarantine" folder can be found without problems. But not in the mobile version of Kaspersky. Where it is and how to return files from it - I was unable to find out.
There are many buttons on the main screen of the application, but all of them do not work in the free version. Automatic scanning of new applications, blocking applications with a secret code or fingerprint, protecting online payments and personal data - are available only in the paid version.
Only manual checking of installed applications and scanning of selected folders is available for free. There is also a call filter that helps to get rid of spam calls, you can manually add an annoying number so that Kaspersky blocks calls from it.
Among the free features, there is a built-in utility “My Applications”, which shows what system permissions have been granted to applications. This is done in a convenient form: you can quickly see which applications have access to the microphone, camera, memory, etc.
Dr.Web
Dr.Web did not send a notification about suspicious files, but immediately after launch, it reported that it had detected 13 viruses.
IN Dr.Web even fewer free features than Kaspersky. While the latter has at least some features that can be used for free, Dr.Web there is only a free scanner (quick, full and selective scan). But the interface is more understandable, you can quickly find files sent to quarantine, view statistics on the number of scanned files and detected threats.
The virus database is updated automatically, even in the free version. The paid version for 490 rubles per year gives access to protection from unwanted calls, anti-theft, parental control and a firewall.
AndroHelm Mobile Security
AndroHelm instantly detected infected files and reported this in the notification line.
If you don't take into account the 4 untitled icons on the main screen of the application, AndroHelm has the most understandable interface. When you launch the application, a list of available functions appears and all of them are free. If a function is paid, it is clear from the text of the button "upgrade to Premium" or "Learn more". And here you can quickly find the "Quarantine" tab. Two stones in favor of Kaspersky.
Among the free functionality, it is worth noting the ability to set a PIN code to launch any application (tested - works). Updating the antivirus database is also available for free.
The rest of the functionality is quite standard: SD card scanner, stopping all applications, setting the frequency of scanning, checking Wi-Fi security (which will not show anything interesting).
Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes immediately detected all viruses. But there are questions about the interface. When you first launch it, a message appears that there are several non-critical problems, one of which is updating the database. When you try to update the database, the “Real-time protection” switch starts blinking, and when you click on it, you are offered to update to the paid version. It seems that you have to pay for the update. A strange marketing ploy.
But the antivirus database update is still available in the free version. You can verify this by going to Settings→Other. But “Real-time protection” worked, but for some reason in the notification panel under the name Bitfinder Antivirus Free.
The free version does not scan selected folders, you cannot schedule a scan (but you can in the paid version). In the settings, out of 9 items, only one is active (deep analysis).
The paid version has some really useful features: check your phone for viruses only while it's charging, or skip the scan if the battery is low or power saving mode is on.
Avast and AVG
Avast And AVG — completely identical applications, but with different names. The fact is that the company Avast acquired AVG in 2016 for $1.4 billion, but did not combine the companies' products into one brand, but kept the two brands separate. In general, in terms of functionality and design, it is the same product. You can choose any.
AVG Antivirus did not find 13 viruses during a normal scan, but found all viruses during a scan in the selected folder.
Automatic scanning, application blocking, VPN connection are available on a paid plan for 240 rubles per year, but payment from the Russian Federation is not available.
There is application analytics, which, like Kaspersky, will show categories of system application permissions (calendar, call history, contacts).
Lookout
Lookout immediately detected all the viruses that were specially downloaded onto the phone.
Every hour it scans all installed apps. There is no way to change this. Usage statistics show that the app has used 13% of battery since the last full charge. There is no way to select a specific folder or scan mode.
Lookout has the most expensive paid version of all antiviruses. A premium subscription costs 1,559 rubles per year, which is 3 times more expensive than other antiviruses. Among the paid features is the ability to find out what permissions were granted to applications (camera, contacts, microphone, etc.). But the same functionality is available in the free version of Kaspersky and Avast. There is also the ability to erase all data from the phone if it was stolen, as well as get a photo of the robber from the phone camera.