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Morning,
I've been toying with the idea of installing an Anti Virus solution on to my phone but have a couple of questions.
Is it necessary? I know that most of the AV apps come with nice features like tracking and remote wipe but was wondering how big the threat of mobile malware actually is.
Will it prevent my device from going into 'Deep Sleep' and have a negative impact on battery life?
It is possible that I am going to install Vipre Mobile Security as we use a lot of GFI products at work. Do any of you have experience with this app?
Cheers in advance.
JimmyEatFood said:
Morning,
I've been toying with the idea of installing an Anti Virus solution on to my phone but have a couple of questions.
Is it necessary? I know that most of the AV apps come with nice features like tracking and remote wipe but was wondering how big the threat of mobile malware actually is.
Will it prevent my device from going into 'Deep Sleep' and have a negative impact on battery life?
It is possible that I am going to install Vipre Mobile Security as we use a lot of GFI products at work. Do any of you have experience with this app?
Cheers in advance.
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Click to collapse
1) No it's not. Just install apps from the official google market and none of the chinese/russian ones and look at the permissions each app uses. Unless you are installing "big busty blonde" style apps you should be fine.
2)Most AV/Malware products have a negative effect on a phones performance and battery. Don't bother, just use your common sense instead.
animaleyes76 said:
1) No it's not. Just install apps from the official google market and none of the chinese/russian ones and look at the permissions each app uses. Unless you are installing "big busty blonde" style apps you should be fine.
2)Most AV/Malware products have a negative affect on a phones performance and battery. Don't bother, just use your common sense instead.
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Have to agree here as well. Do not bother with AV apps mate..Just use common sense on what you flash or install on your phone. Simple as that
I have never used Anti Virus on any of my phones and I've never had any problems.
Cheers lads. I was reading an article about Android Malware which prompted me to look into AV. Don't think I'll bother now though
Any recommendations for an app to locate and remote wipe the device if it is lost?
Sent as my GF gets angry at me for playing with my HTC One X....again.
Cerberus is excellent, does everything.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
animaleyes76 said:
[...] Unless you are installing "big busty blonde" style apps you should be fine. [...]
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Damn!
JimmyEatFood said:
Cheers lads. I was reading an article about Android Malware which prompted me to look into AV. Don't think I'll bother now though
Any recommendations for an app to locate and remote wipe the device if it is lost?
Sent as my GF gets angry at me for playing with my HTC One X....again.
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Click to collapse
I suggest try AndroidLost I have tried most of the features like taking pictures, recording and GPS, it integrates nicely with your Google account and best of all its for FREE
I am yet to try its SMS capabilities and Sim notifications
http://www.androidlost.com
Cheers guys. I will look into the free app as I am a tight fisted Yorkshireman.
Sent as my GF gets angry at me for playing with my HTC One X....again.
I use free version of lookout. It don't cause any battery drains and is set to scan any new app get installed on the phone. You can also manual scan the whole phone.
You can install Avast Anti-Virus from the google play store, and if the phone has root access you can install Avast onto the ROM.
Once it has been installed you can set up theft aware for SMS text commands to remote wipe, lock etc.
The reason why the install it to the ROM is because if someone was going to factory reset through the bootloader or even from the settings menu the Avast will still be install but it will be disguised as another app (Which you can name) and they will not know that it is there.
Hope this was helpful.
Av only good for one thing and that's the tracking if its lost/stolen
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
check out Kaspersky, I think it still comes with life time updates, it might not be necessary today but it's a good deal and might get useful in future...
JimmyEatFood said:
Cheers lads. I was reading an article about Android Malware which prompted me to look into AV. Don't think I'll bother now though
Any recommendations for an app to locate and remote wipe the device if it is lost?
Sent as my GF gets angry at me for playing with my HTC One X....again.
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Click to collapse
Although not free, PhoneLocator Pro is the best I've seen,
It hides from your app drawer, adds un-installation security, takes an automatic photo of your thief and sends it you, along with his call log, also blocks the phone if the thief changes sim card, along with all the GPS tracking services that it emails you - you also get a web user interface too, aswell as the usual text commands.
Its good stuff, developer is very responsive and eager to add more features all the time too.
However, due to the way HTC have implemented multi-tasking, their pre-installed task manager app will kill it, along with anything else you may have running such as battery saving apps, antivirus, etc etc
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2
Hi all.
I haven't rooted my phone yet and want to block ads in apps and browser. Is there any work around for this?
Ad free worked fine on my rooted Desire.
Sent from my HTC One X
AdAway is a good program
Sent from my HTC One X
danct2005 said:
AdAway is a good program
Sent from my HTC One X
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That's only for rooted phones. I don't think there are any methods that block ads unrooted yet.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
Yes. Adfree and Adaway are for rooted phones. Finding a way to block in non rooted ones.
Sent from my HTC One X
Ad blocking on Android usually involves changing the hosts file or installing a firewall- both of which require root.
Only thing I can think of is to use Firefox for Android with the Adblock extension - this will obviously only work for websites and not apps.
This is my first unrooted phone on Android, and didn't realise how intrusive these ads would be - this is putting me off Android (or shoud it read Ad-droid) big style!
Aleemz said:
This is my first unrooted phone on Android, and didn't realise how intrusive these ads would be - this is putting me off Android (or shoud it read Ad-droid) big style!
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well to be fair, buy the paid version then. there is almost always an ad free paid version - at least we have a choice between ads or a paid version, ios you almost always only have the paid version with no free version available.
imo this way is miles better.
the other advantage - if people buy apps, the developers will be much more inclined to continue working on that app to improve it, and also make more apps. also word of mouth will spread and other developers will also join instead of going ios only.. plus the fact that they often do put a hell of a lot of work into these apps, and they deserve some recognition (money) for that!
All the apps that I keep are the paid versions, if they are available, but some apps are only ad driven without a paid option.
The main issue for me is not with apps, but web browsing.
Aleemz said:
All the apps that I keep are the paid versions, if they are available, but some apps are only ad driven without a paid option.
The main issue for me is not with apps, but web browsing.
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Some browsers have their own adblockers. Blocking ads in internet shouldn't be a problem even if you haven't rooted.
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk 2
Some apps have disable ads in settings too.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app
Who uses it?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
I use it, in PC & Nexus 4. Any question?
VivaErBetis said:
I use it, in PC & Nexus 4. Any question?
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I have. Does it slow down the system on n4, and have you notice it affecting battery life?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
I use it on my N4. No noticeable slow down or additional battery drain.
Sent from my Nexus 4
I really don't see the need for a antivirus program. Half the time it doesn't even catch it from reports I've read..and this goes for all the "name brands" programs.
Sent from my Nexus 4 16GB using Tapatalk 2
porkchopbolt said:
I have. Does it slow down the system on n4, and have you notice it affecting battery life?
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No slowdown at all or battery drain. As far as I know the apps are checked only when you started them, so it may take longer, but I didn't noticed a big change. Internet navigation is fluid too.
The option to perform a periodic system scam is very quick too and works well.
And last but not least, it comes with an optional and very complete anti-thief solution that allows you to control some of the functions of the mobile from another mobile using SMS messages or just from avast web account. I've installed and tested it and is fantastic.
For me It's highly recommendable because nowadays Android is a growing market for malware.
Avg is cool with no battery drain. And yesh works
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
I don't use anti virus programs... I find it stupid that there are anti viruses on Android. It doesnt get any... I have seen articles saying Android gets them, but I used Android from the release of the Dream/G1 and never have any viruses.
Its on every computer and mobile device I own. GREAT Antivirus.
I use it on my phone as well. I use both Anti-Theft and Anti-Virus feature.
So did anyone ever catch any malware with it? :b
Well, aslng as it won't effect performence / battery drain, why not use it?
It is a layer of protection against 0-day exploits, finds some malware + anti-theft (which is the main rason I think about getting Avast).
I do. Besides, I am definitely a power user and I love every customization / functions / protection on my phone while doing my best to conserve battery and maximize performance.
Avast is currently the best antivirus software on the play store. I dont hear from others, I experience it. I used AVG and then Lookout when I used my LG Optimus One two years ago, and I found them crap. Not for the UI or simply the scanning ability, but the stupid limited functionality they tend to provide in the free version. As someone said above, its just an Android phone, not a big deal, many even thinks that antiviruses are totally not necessary, so why being so serious and offering paid features which is... as well not a big deal?
I don't say that an antivirus is a must, and in regard to the increased security Google offers in their Play Store last year, and even the apk scanning system introduced in android 4.2, the need for an additional antivirus program is nearly unnecessary.
Since the Galaxy Nexus, I said to myself Lookout is real crap I must find a better program then I found Avast, and got amazed. Lookout lags your phone when you install / update an app on the Play Store because the scanning process is bulky. However for Avast, it was totally a breeze.
The open-app scanning is really a top security function, but for the sake of maximizing battery life (reducing any possible additional cpu load), I disabled that. And before Android 4.2 I enabled the install-app scanning function, now it apparently can be disabled
The Web Shield is useful if you use stock browser (if in AOKP) or Chrome, I always enable that.
Privacy Advisor and Firewall are two bonus features which saves my phone space that I don't have to install another two separate apps for them. Network Meter should be designed for post-ICS devices and I have that disabled. SMS and Call filter are totally useful and working, another built-in feature that saves my space.
Last but not least the best free feature it offers is of course Anti-Theft. It does nothing harm to battery and performance and those Norton and Kaspersky make them paid features. Well, they are almost the same which gets triggered by SMSes. Avast offers all functions you can ever imagine in an anti-theft app and it once helped me to locate my phone in my relatives' home Try it and it will never regret.
Also in settings you can disable the ongoing notification if you would like to keep things minimal like me. All in all with the proper settings I can make Avast stay as my antivirus + antitheft when never giving a chance or reason for it to hog my cpu to affect performance / battery as most antivirus apps do, or what most users are concerned about it. I recommend to every of my friends, I hope you will like and enjoy using it too :laugh:
weeo said:
I don't use anti virus programs... I find it stupid that there are anti viruses on Android. It doesnt get any... I have seen articles saying Android gets them, but I used Android from the release of the Dream/G1 and never have any viruses.
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It IS possible to get a virus on Android, but generally not if you only download apps, etc. from the Play store. I know of a friend who sideloaded a bad apk...
From what I've gathered, having an antivirus on android is pretty useless, unless sideloading downloaded apk's from what could be shady websites. Even then, android itself has a built in 'malware scanner' that checks for this stuff when you try to install a downloaded apk.
To be honest, I've never ever seen anyone report they've seen an antivirus on android catch anything. Nor have I seen it on my own devices either.
None the less, I guess it couldn't hurt having an extra layer of protection.
I do...
I use it on my laptop and reviewed it recently on my N4 for AndroidTapp. Good product and easy to use. It's very much a all-in-one solution which is good if you want something easy and effective but not-so-good if you're a bit paranoid about malware as you're putting all your eggs in one basket so-to-speak.
Malware on Android is massively over-rated and finding a virus on Google Play is very unlikely. I download all manner of apps and games for review on a daily basis- and have been doing so since 2009- and I've yet to find one solitary app that had something bad in it,
Unfortunately, the security of Android must really grate security companies so they put out fear-mongering stories about how insecure the platform is. They refer to 'research' but if they're doing the research themselves it's hardly objective, of course they are going to find threats! In truth it's pretty much all bullsh*t.
As has already been mentioned, the only chance you might find a virus really is if something is sideloaded to your device.
Do you realise that chances of getting a virus on android are lower than winning a lottery jackpot ?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
I guess I will disable open-app scanning.
Leaves me with:
Scan on Install
Anti-Theft
Call/MSG Filter
rest disabled.
BTW, there is an online Android malware scan here, for the records:
http://anubis.iseclab.org/
Which antivirus app do you use on your phone? Do you think one is needed??(I've been using avg)
Sent from my One V using xda premium
Whenever i use one,i always use avast.its firewall feature is nice.norton is also good.
Alright i have done a lot of research on this for my school paper on the android os. Here it's what i found:
There are approx 600 million plus activated android devices as of 2012 and only .5%of them have malware.
With the new 4.2.2 or 4.2.1 update there is a built in scanner that scans for viruses when downloading / installing apps. (I have it on evervolv 4.2.2 ion CDMA)
The Google play store has a malware scanner dubbed "Google Bouncer" that scans every app and update for viruses and malware before being released to the public.
What i also found is basically the only way to get viruses or malware is to download pirated / cracked apps or in general apps from somewhere else than the Google play store.
As long as you don't install fishy stuff and don't click on strange sites with downloads promising crazy things you should be fine. You took the plunge into rooting and installing ROMs you should have some sense of internet savvyness
Sent from my HTC One V+ (Because the X+ isn't as bamf as my V+)
If I helped you don't say thanks, click it!!
How many people use apps like Lookout that scan your phone and supposedly offer ant-virus protection? Are they even necessary?
Don't think you'll find many that do. Other than corporate security reasons. All of is crackflashers don't stay on the same system long enough to warrant such a measure
Sent from my phone using xda premium.
I like lookout for the scream feature....my wife loses her phone all the time and if I send the code through lookouts website the phone makes a loud siren sound even when on silent or vibrate. As far as the antivirus I really dont use it
I use lookout not for the scanning feature, but for the lost phone/lock/wipe features.You never know when you might need it.
Not absolutely, i use Eset Mobile on the N4, used it for many years allready om my pc`s. Better safe than sorry. And always look at the permissions you are about to give to an app when installing.
I used Lookout for 2 years on my HTC Desire then decided to uninstall it about 6 months ago. Can't say I've missed it.
I've not put it on my N4.
Common sense, and checking permissions is much more important than an anti virus imo. Google play store already has the bouncer that scans all the apps. Most of these malware apps that users install come from people not willing to cough up a few dollars for apps and getting said apps from third party sites, and torrents often repackaged with malware, and imo it looks good on them. Support the devs, don't be so cheap, and pay for apps (not directing this at anyone here, just saying). Use the Playstore, or somewhere reputable like XDA and check permissions, there's no reason a wallpaper would need access to your contact list and private info ect. Never used an antivirus on a phone and i likely never will.
i use lookout because i need to install apks from other sources..
i need to install apks from other sources because google play does not allow apks like adaway..
i buy apps from google play.. but ads? no way..
A little off topic here but Rom toolbox by JRummy has an adblocker, i wonder if Google will make him pull the app
I use avast... Dont know if it works, but being a windows user, i think im mentally ill, and insecure.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
carnage017 said:
I use avast... Dont know if it works, but being a windows user, i think im mentally ill, and insecure.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
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hahahhaha, Awesome man, made my morning. :good:
ScumDroid said:
A little off topic here but Rom toolbox by JRummy has an adblocker, i wonder if Google will make him pull the app
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No, he's taking care of that before they pull it: https://twitter.com/jrummy16/status/312368614059692033
overhauling said:
No, he's taking care of that before they pull it: https://twitter.com/jrummy16/status/312368614059692033
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i guess i wont be updating rom toolbox anymore
ROM toolbox adblocker was never as good as AdAway anyway.
As far as apps like Lookout go, I'd never use an anti-bvirus scanenr etc. I use Cerberus in case I lose my phone so I can track/find or wipe it.
waste of RAM and space for antivirus apps... dont pirate apps and just download apps/games from the play store and you'll be fine.