Related
Would you guys say that mobile security apps are worth the storage space? I have the 2 mentioned in the title and was wondering if I need them or are they pointless?
Sent from my R800i using XDA App
I use kaspersky but only cause it free with barclays bank
Sent from my R800i using Tapatalk
I wonder if they are pointless though?
Sent from my R800i using XDA App
They are pretty much pointless.
The best use Android virus scanners have had is giving iPhone trolls some content when they try to speak on behalf of a "rampant security threat" that they want to pretend is a flaw of Android when taking advantage of people as oblivious as themselves.
TLRtheory said:
They are pretty much pointless.
The best use Android virus scanners have had is giving iPhone trolls some content when they try to speak on behalf of a "rampant security threat" that they want to pretend is a flaw of Android when taking advantage of people as oblivious as themselves.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't have agreed more. They say you're a higher security risk if your phone is rooted or if you download apps illegally; but even with my Moto Droid I never encountered viruses, malware, etc... So I found having the 'extra security' was somewhat pointless and a waste of app space.
Will uninstall both now, thanks!
Sent from my R800i using XDA App
I consider Avast! Mobile Security worth the install space for its Antitheft features alone. I've used a few other standalone antitheft apps, but none I've seen does it so well.
It works best with Root, it disguises itself and hides, you can remotely control certain aspects of your phone via SMS including; SIM whitelist and alert on SIM change, lockout certain areas of the system, complete wipe of phone and SD memory, GPS location.. etc.
While there's never any guarantee that you'll ever get your phone back if lost or stolen, it might just pay to be proactive.
I think it's worth a look:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.avast.android.mobilesecurity&hl=en
ZetanBloodline said:
I consider Avast! Mobile Security worth the install space for its Antitheft features alone. I've used a few other standalone antitheft apps, but none I've seen does it so well.
It works best with Root, it disguises itself and hides, you can remotely control certain aspects of your phone via SMS including; SIM whitelist and alert on SIM change, lockout certain areas of the system, complete wipe of phone and SD memory, GPS location.. etc.
While there's never any guarantee that you'll ever get your phone back if lost or stolen, it might just pay to be proactive.
I think it's worth a look:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.avast.android.mobilesecurity&hl=en
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah I use kaspersky for those features
-------------------------------------------
Fma965 - ForgottenCoders
http://forgottencoders.co.uk
Thanks
Sent from my R800i using XDA App
ZetanBloodline said:
I consider Avast! Mobile Security worth the install space for its Antitheft features alone. I've used a few other standalone antitheft apps, but none I've seen does it so well.
It works best with Root, it disguises itself and hides, you can remotely control certain aspects of your phone via SMS including; SIM whitelist and alert on SIM change, lockout certain areas of the system, complete wipe of phone and SD memory, GPS location.. etc.
While there's never any guarantee that you'll ever get your phone back if lost or stolen, it might just pay to be proactive.
I think it's worth a look:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I am going to give Avast a shot (mainly for the remote features you mentioned). I have long suspected Lookout does little.
I use LBE Privacy Guard (it's free, needs root). It allows you to disable certain permissions for certain apps, which is awesome.
It doesn't scan for viruses and malware though. I don't have any app for that since I only install apps that I trust...
I have used several security applications. And I would strongly suggest anyone who is concerned about losing their phone and or having it stolen. Cerberus anti theft. It is awesome. The market is a 7 day trial. Then its a one time fee of $2.99. Totally worth it. Lost my phone at a store once. When to the customer service desk, no one had found it. Asked if I could use a computer. Went to the cerbertapp.com website signed in and made my phone take pictures, got the location and made it make a alarm sound. Found it less then a minute later. Fallen out of my pocket while sitting in a recliner and it has fallen in the cushions. Seriously...best app ever.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lsdroid.cerberus
Sent from my R800x using xda premium
By now we've learned that TouchWiz is pretty damn bloated. I did some work on my T-Mobile Note II and managed to clean up a lot of bloat. That said, I'm going to cut straight to the chase... The following list includes the apps that I have either uninstalled with ROM Cleaner (available from the Note 2 International Forum) and Frozen with Titanium Backup. So far I have not had any weird bugs or loss of functionality. Obviously you need to be rooted for this. However, your mileage may vary and I am not responsible at all. I have tested this for me and it works. I have about 1200MB to 1400MB of free RAM at boot!
Uninstalled with ROMcleaner:
Adobe Reader PDF reader
AllShare Cast
Nearby devices
AllShare Play
AllShare Service
Chaton
ChocoEUKor font
DSM
DownloadThemAll
Samsung fota updates
Upgarde installer
Game Hub
Market Feedback Agent
Samsung Help Hub
Helv Neue S font
Idea Idea Sketch
Learning HUB
Music Hub
MusicFX
MobilePrint
MobileTrackerTwo
Official Top 40
MyFiles
Google Plus
PRUI
Readers Hub Store
Reader Hub App
Reader Hub Bridge
RoseEUKor Font
Samsung APPS
Samsung UNA3
HTML Viewer
Samsing Note
Samsung Snote syncadapter
S Suggest
Software Update
talkback
Trim
Video Hub
WebManual
Frozen with Titanium:
Amazon
Bonus Apps
CapabilityManagerService
Enterprise SysScope
Enterprise VPN Services
EnterprisePermissions
Favorite Apps
Favorite Contacts
Play Books
Play Movies
Group Cast
Kies Air
Kies Via Wifi
Media Hub
MobileLife
Need For speed
Remote Controls
Samsung Account
Samsung Backup Provider
Browser Synadapter
Cloud Data Relay
Contact SyncAdapter
SmemoSyncadapter
Samsung Syncadapters
Simple Alarm Clock
Software Update
Swype
T-mo my account
T-Mo name ID
Mobile TV
TMserverapp
Visual Voicemail
VPN Client
Yahoo Finance
Yahoo News
UltraCfg
Testservice
SysScope
Smartcardservice
Service Mode
Self Test mode
Screen Recorder
Samsung SEtup wizard
Samsung Push Service
Samsung Backup
Preconfig
PhoneUtil
NFS Service
SNS
Popupuireciever
I know there's some typos in there, but you get the idea.
Now, if you go to your battery usage, you will see that Android OS is eating a lot of battery, even when idle... Lots of wakelocks, etc. Turns out it's mediaserver eating up all of the battery and throwing partial wakelocks...
Here's the fix:
From an ADB shell or a terminal on the phone... YOU MUST BE ROOTED:
Code:
su
pm enable com.android.providers.media/com.android.providers.media.MediaScannerReceiver
My battery life at idle has SUBSTANTIALLY improved. My free RAM has improved as well.
I'm not going to lie... The debloating doesn't make things seem that much faster, and this phone is so damn fast that it really doesn't matter that much. But that pm enable fix is slick and helps a lot as far as battery while idling.
Please don't hesitate to share your findings or improvements to this. I welcome any constructive input.
Thanks! I've been meaning to research on which apps were safe to freeze/uninstall.
Thanks
when you do the mediaserver fix through the terminal is it supposed to say "new state:enabled" ?
bapurado said:
when you do the mediaserver fix through the terminal is it supposed to say "new state:enabled" ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It didn't do that for me, but check and see if MediaServer is running as a SERVICE, then you'll know if it worked
Once I put in the commands it said enable is that correct? And is this to minimize the media server's percentage in the battery screen shot?
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
acrown said:
Once I put in the commands it said enable is that correct? And is this to minimize the media server's percentage in the battery screen shot?
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you'd feel more comfortable there's a free app in the Play Store called Media Rescan Root that will do the same thing...
The command disables mediaserver from constantly scanning storage for new media; it's out of control and likely a bug specific to our device/series of devices.
Ran the code via Rom ToolBox terminal.
I'm a heavy user, the S2 barely lasted my work day. This bad boy was getting to 30 something % by 5pm, after being off the charger around 6:30am. It's 4pm and I'm at 48% - 10 hours. That's moderate use.
I think this lil script did it's job. I'm pretty freakin' impressed.
If you'd feel more comfortable there's a free app in the Play Store called Media Rescan Root that will do the same thing...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly i dont think this is a big an issue on my note 2 as it was for my GS1 which took a long time to media scan on boot. I don't think I've seen my note 2 media scan on boot and the boot time is really amazing as it is stock.
@OP
Thanks for sharing. You're a bit too aggressive for my tastes, but we all use our phones differently. No criticisms below, just discussion points.
Many of the apps you've removed, like Amazon, are ones I use frequently, and honestly, I find it difficult to believe it uses any meaningful amount of juice if you're not actually shopping with it. I certainly could be wrong, but on all the phones I've ever used, apps like that have never made an appearance of concern in battery history. YMMV.
Also, I think it's interesting that you chose to "freeze" apps that can be downloaded from the Market (Amazon, Play Books, Play Movies). Freezing stops them from running, but they're still sitting there eating up storage space (albeit very little). I'd just totally uninstall them and reinstall if needed.
I heard that some of the bloatware from Tmobile actually reinstalls itself when frozen/removed. Any experience with that?
distortedloop said:
@OP
Thanks for sharing. You're a bit too aggressive for my tastes, but we all use our phones differently. No criticisms below, just discussion points.
Many of the apps you've removed, like Amazon, are ones I use frequently, and honestly, I find it difficult to believe it uses any meaningful amount of juice if you're not actually shopping with it. I certainly could be wrong, but on all the phones I've ever used, apps like that have never made an appearance of concern in battery history. YMMV.
Also, I think it's interesting that you chose to "freeze" apps that can be downloaded from the Market (Amazon, Play Books, Play Movies). Freezing stops them from running, but they're still sitting there eating up storage space (albeit very little). I'd just totally uninstall them and reinstall if needed.
I heard that some of the bloatware from Tmobile actually reinstalls itself when frozen/removed. Any experience with that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The my T-Mobile program keeps popping back up, but that's the only one. I don't mind, to be honest. And I agree, this is too agressive. It's not like this big list is getting in the way, and I honestly doubt he's seeing much, if any, improvement. But, you are right, YMMV.
mdt73 said:
The my T-Mobile program keeps popping back up, but that's the only one. I don't mind, to be honest. And I agree, this is too agressive. It's not like this big list is getting in the way, and I honestly doubt he's seeing much, if any, improvement. But, you are right, YMMV.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, the My T-Mobile app is one I would want to keep; nice to have a quick easy access to my account information. If carriers are going to add bloat, that's the kind of stuff they should be adding.
distortedloop said:
Actually, the My T-Mobile app is one I would want to keep; nice to have a quick easy access to my account information. If carriers are going to add bloat, that's the kind of stuff they should be adding.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, true, I am not on T-Mobile, so I don't use it. The program is tiny anyways, so it's no big deal. Now, if it were Need For Speed... I would do battle! LoL!
distortedloop said:
@OP
Thanks for sharing. You're a bit too aggressive for my tastes, but we all use our phones differently. No criticisms below, just discussion points.
Many of the apps you've removed, like Amazon, are ones I use frequently, and honestly, I find it difficult to believe it uses any meaningful amount of juice if you're not actually shopping with it. I certainly could be wrong, but on all the phones I've ever used, apps like that have never made an appearance of concern in battery history. YMMV.
Also, I think it's interesting that you chose to "freeze" apps that can be downloaded from the Market (Amazon, Play Books, Play Movies). Freezing stops them from running, but they're still sitting there eating up storage space (albeit very little). I'd just totally uninstall them and reinstall if needed.
I heard that some of the bloatware from Tmobile actually reinstalls itself when frozen/removed. Any experience with that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All I was doing was listing what you can do, and what I did. I froze Play Books and Movies because they're always running and eating up RAM, even when you kill them. They are always running if they are installed. And in reference to your question about T-Mobile stuff reinstalling itself, I've never had that in my experience if I've actually completely removed something. I don't see technically how that would be possible.
I froze Amazon because f**k them, and f**k T-Mobile for installing Amazon as a system app, meaning you can't remove it without root. I spent $700 on a device, it's absurd that I should not have control over what apps I can and can't have on my device... Don't you think?
I was only sharing what I did and what I found is safe, eg. this didn't bork my phone
Thanks for your input
brashmadcap said:
All I was doing was listing what you can do, and what I did. I froze Play Books and Movies because they're always running and eating up RAM, even when you kill them. They are always running if they are installed. And in reference to your question about T-Mobile stuff reinstalling itself, I've never had that in my experience if I've actually completely removed something. I don't see technically how that would be possible.
I froze Amazon because f**k them, and f**k T-Mobile for installing Amazon as a system app, meaning you can't remove it without root. I spent $700 on a device, it's absurd that I should not have control over what apps I can and can't have on my device... Don't you think?
I was only sharing what I did and what I found is safe, eg. this didn't bork my phone
Thanks for your input
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Winky faces aside, I think you took my post far too personally. You invited discussion, and I offered up some. No offense was intended.
You also apparently completely missed my point re: "freezing" vs. removing. You clearly have root access, as indicated by some of the tips you give which you specifically say "YOU MUST BE ROOTED", so I'm confused by what you mean when you say "you can't remove it without root." You can't remove any system apps, which most of which you removed are, without root, so that's irrelevant. My confusion was simply why, considering you must have root to do some of what you did" you chose to freeze som market-downloadable apps rather than simply uninstall/remove them?
My logic tree when I decide whether to remove or freeze is simple. Freeze stuff I might want/need back that's not easily obtainable/installable, just to be safe. Remove stuff I know is safe and that I can easily obtain/reinstall through the Play store or other places.
I'm not interested in an argument, so I think I'll just move along from here and find a discussion a bit less defensive.
Peace.
1 there are many more that can go
2 can you sort them alphabetically
3 thanx fellow minimalist
distortedloop said:
Winky faces aside, I think you took my post far too personally. You invited discussion, and I offered up some. No offense was intended.
You also apparently completely missed my point re: "freezing" vs. removing. You clearly have root access, as indicated by some of the tips you give which you specifically say "YOU MUST BE ROOTED", so I'm confused by what you mean when you say "you can't remove it without root." You can't remove any system apps, which most of which you removed are, without root, so that's irrelevant. My confusion was simply why, considering you must have root to do some of what you did" you chose to freeze som market-downloadable apps rather than simply uninstall/remove them?
My logic tree when I decide whether to remove or freeze is simple. Freeze stuff I might want/need back that's not easily obtainable/installable, just to be safe. Remove stuff I know is safe and that I can easily obtain/reinstall through the Play store or other places.
I'm not interested in an argument, so I think I'll just move along from here and find a discussion a bit less defensive.
Peace.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thinly veiled sarcasm aside, I didn't mean to be abrasive. Just sharing what I did. I was more referring to the absurdity of the carriers forcing apps on you, then forcing you to void your warranty in order to remove them. That was not an assault on you. I know you know that you have to be rooted, you've been here for a while.
fit333 said:
1 there are many more that can go
2 can you sort them alphabetically
3 thanx fellow minimalist
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Cool! Which other ones did you remove?
2. No
3. You're welcome
This works so good on my at&t i317. Thanks for the post.I'm seeing a lot better battery as well
Sent from The Samsung Nerd Man cave
The media scanner eating battery was a big issue on my GT-i9300 GS3. It's not been too big of a deal on my GN2 so far.
I was just curious, should the code "disable" the scanner on boot and not enable?
Here's what was posted:
Code:
su
pm enable com.android.providers.media/com.android.providers.media.MediaScannerReceiver
Should it be (?):
Code:
su
pm disable com.android.providers.media/com.android.providers.media.MediaScannerReceiver
I just want to know because I think I'm going to disable the media scanner on boot to try it out on my GN2.
Thanks for the info!
I want to be able to granularly set the permissions for each app. From what I understand my options are:
Cyanogenmod - except CM10 for SGS2 is missing this at this time
Pdroid for GB
Pdroid 2.0 - running CM10 only
LBE (from China)
I have had Pdroid 2.0 running on CM10 for a few weeks but CM10 isn't stable - just had it auto-reboot in the middle of a call. Does anybody have any other ideas / suggestions?
On a related note - I'm wondering why it seems that most people aren't bothered with apps monitoring their use and even more important archiving all the data compiled on them?? The only thing that I can think of is that most cell phone / XDA users are really young and just don't know any better??? Didn't they pay any attention in history class?? What am I missing here?
Mrktmind said:
On a related note - I'm wondering why it seems that most people aren't bothered with apps monitoring their use and even more important archiving all the data compiled on them?? The only thing that I can think of is that most cell phone / XDA users are really young and just don't know any better??? Didn't they pay any attention in history class?? What am I missing here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because phone security is generally easy to manage. Most apps make a good name for themselves. And many people check the security of an app as soon as it were to hit the Play Store. It doesn't mean we are young it means that we aren't dumb and know how modern technology works.
hrffd said:
Because phone security is generally easy to manage. Most apps make a good name for themselves. And many people check the security of an app as soon as it were to hit the Play Store. It doesn't mean we are young it means that we aren't dumb and know how modern technology works.[/QUOTE
I highly doubt that anyone on XDA, regardless of age, is dumb. I do believe, however, that there are quite a few younger members who could be a bit naive due to a lack of experience. Younger folks tend to take most things at face value. Just because something is free monetarily doesn't mean it isn't costing you something. Just because an app is on Play Store doesn't mean it is "secure" - especially since the Play Store (as well as Android, Google, et.al.) operate on the same business model as the apps!
Just a random example - Why would Angry Birds need my Sim Card Serial number to operate properly? Why would it need to know the phone numbers of all my incoming calls? Answer - it doesn't - in fact it doesn't need ANY of the permissions it asks for to operate properly. So why does it ask for these permissions? Answer - it is data mining your phone.
Ok, so I think most XDA members are aware of WHAT these apps are doing. My original question is WHY don't more people seem to care?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mrktmind said:
I want to be able to granularly set the permissions for each app. From what I understand my options are:
Cyanogenmod - except CM10 for SGS2 is missing this at this time
Pdroid for GB
Pdroid 2.0 - running CM10 only
LMB (from China)
I have had Pdroid 2.0 running on CM10 for a few weeks but CM10 isn't stable - just had it auto-reboot in the middle of a call. Does anybody have any other ideas / suggestions?
On a related note - I'm wondering why it seems that most people aren't bothered with apps monitoring their use and even more important archiving all the data compiled on them?? The only thing that I can think of is that most cell phone / XDA users are really young and just don't know any better??? Didn't they pay any attention in history class?? What am I missing here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe MIUI is also a viable option for this, no? You can set app permission on a "per-app" basis with MIUI security I believe.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
I tried this app a while back and it basically does what you want but it got annoying https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lbe.security.lite
I don't use these because I am very selective about what goes on my phone.
Thanks Luke!
Not very familiar with MIUI ROM's will have to look into them.
someguyatx said:
I tried this app a while back and it basically does what you want but it got annoying https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lbe.security.lite
I don't use these because I am very selective about what goes on my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, this is the app I listed above - just had the initials wrong! :silly: It is a lot like pdroid but, like you, it scares me.
I have my own small business and run most of it from my phone, in the beginning I used the standard flip phone then graduated on to a touch pro 2 with Windows Mobile 6.5 as I began to accumulate massive amounts of data on my Windows Mobile phone, for some reason I still felt secure in the applications like ActiveSync that I was in control of my data.... A year ago last October I upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy s2.. this was my first real experience with Google's Android operating system. in the first few minutes of using the new phone I could see how deeply the hooks were being placed to data mine my information. I resisted at first but then came to realize if I wanted all the bells and whistles Google was offering I had to play the game... I use the security program mentioned above... maybe they should have an app were you sign a consent of exactly which data you would like to keep on your phone and not share with other people. then when you visit the play store apps that request more of your private data than you're willing to share won't show up? I would like to have an open sourced built firewall that monitors traffic, letting me choose the permissions per app as I see fit.
Mrktmind said:
Thanks Luke!
Not very familiar with MIUI ROM's will have to look into them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've ran both Adhvanlt's and Lens's JB MIUI Roms, and they're both amazing! The standard MIUI launcher feels a bit like the iphone, and there is no app drawer, but that's easily fixed by downloading [insert favorite launcher here] if you don't care for it. There's hundreds of options for customization. They are literally the most customizable ROMs you'll ever run; All of this on top of the fact that it has the security features I believe you are after baked right in to it.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
Looked at two MIUI ROM's for the E4GT. Both of them have issues with Google Voice. I need Google Voice.
I am also going to try +AF (Droidwall fork) firewall tonight to see if it will work on FK23. It apparently has issues with some ICS/JB ROM's. That will at least give some protection from apps that don't need network access at all. But for apps that need network access to do their intended job it's useless. Just read last night that the developer has added profiles to +AF - that should be really cool.
I guess I'm spoiled a bit with Pdroid - it works so well and is very detailed.
Thanks for all the replies! Other suggestions, ideas, thoughts, opinions welcomed!
Mrktmind said:
I want to be able to granularly set the permissions for each app. From what I understand my options are:
Cyanogenmod - except CM10 for SGS2 is missing this at this time
Pdroid for GB
Pdroid 2.0 - running CM10 only
LBE (from China)
I have had Pdroid 2.0 running on CM10 for a few weeks but CM10 isn't stable - just had it auto-reboot in the middle of a call. Does anybody have any other ideas / suggestions?
On a related note - I'm wondering why it seems that most people aren't bothered with apps monitoring their use and even more important archiving all the data compiled on them?? The only thing that I can think of is that most cell phone / XDA users are really young and just don't know any better??? Didn't they pay any attention in history class?? What am I missing here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As an app developer, I can tell you that there are some shady apps, but if you download from good devs, the permissions are *usually* necessary. Here's some examples that people question the most:
Access to contacts... Assuming it's not a contact or sms app, if any app has a "share" feature needs this permission.
Access to sd card... Any app that saves anything or lets you change a background needs this.
Read phone state... So the app can properly call the "onpause" method when a call comes in.
Access to location... Assuming it's not a location app or game like ingress or zombies!Run!, you'll typically see this on free apps that have ads. Ads allow developers to get paid for their work while keeping the app free. They don't have access to the ad data, though. They just put in the api and the ad company handles the rest.
On top of that, large organizations will seek phone specific permissions like sim card numbers for analytics.
Google makes most of its money from ads, so it reads your usage to better target ads. Google also uses location data to improve location services like maps.
If you're worried about security, don't download a random app that only has 100+ downloads. If an app has 50000+ downloads, you can rest assured that it's already been vetted.
Also if you're downloading pirated apps, you're just a moron who is opening up his world to who knows who. Many (not all) pirated apps have added data mining code.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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/
I rooted my M8. I read a news about spying and malware on millions of rooted android devices some months back. I want custom roms so that I can tweak my device. I'm really worried about spying and malware. I don't want someone to spy my device. Give me some suggestions. Thanks
srinivas07 said:
I rooted my M8. I read a news about spying and malware on millions of rooted android devices some months back. I want custom roms so that I can tweak my device. I'm really worried about spying and malware. I don't want someone to spy my device. Give me some suggestions. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How this infection is made, according to this news that you read about? I think that the best protection are the user habits. If you don't enter in malicious sites or install app from any source, you won't have any trouble.
Unless there is a bug in rooted devices, but i guess if this is the case, we would have more news about that.
srinivas07 said:
I rooted my M8. I read a news about spying and malware on millions of rooted android devices some months back. I want custom roms so that I can tweak my device. I'm really worried about spying and malware. I don't want someone to spy my device. Give me some suggestions. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This app can help monitor connections for your device and where your data is going, which companies are accessing it, etc.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.viaforensics.viaprotect.android.agent
Its debatable whether having root exposes any further vulnerability to malware, hackers, etc. Most custom ROMs remove bloat and things like logging apps that would potentially send back details of your activity. They actually allow you to have more options to manage your privacy more closely, as you can use app ops to restrict permissions that particular apps have access to. If you've seen any news in the last couple of years, you'll have seen that agencies like the NSA, GCHQ have back doors to a lot of different things and can access your data in various ways if they so desire. Though they're really not likely to be snooping at such an individual level due to the masses of data that they monitor, chances are everyone's data passes through some sort of system.
The below thread is also a good read as its a current insight into root, security, etc from one of the most highly regarded android developers.
https://plus.google.com/113517319477420052449/posts/VxjfYJnZAXP
srinivas07 said:
I rooted my M8. I read a news about spying and malware on millions of rooted android devices some months back. I want custom roms so that I can tweak my device. I'm really worried about spying and malware. I don't want someone to spy my device. Give me some suggestions. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting, by itself, is simply taking over administrative control of your device from your carrier or phone's manufacturer. That's it. You are now the "system administrator" of a tiny computer. That also means that you are now responsible for it, and have the power to either dramatically improve security and performance, or brick it six ways to Sunday. IOW, gaining root isn't inherently dangerous, nor will it "instantly open you up to malware", anymore than setting up the administrative account on your Windows or Mac computer will, but the amount of responsibility you have just increased dramatically. This is a large reason for why all phones, including Nexus devices, are shipped with secure boot and locked boot loaders. Most people neither want, nor can handle, that kind of responsibility.
In fact, if you do your homework and pay attention, you can make your device far more secure as well. I have iptables set up to default deny, so malware would have to find a way to work around that. I also have adaway, which not only cuts down on the ads, it also cuts down on malware served by hacked ad servers. With some distros, like CyanogenMod, you can also trim unnecessary permissions from apps, like not letting them access the camera, microphone, etc. Stock KitKat still supports AppOps with a separate app, so you can do some of that in stock as well. It goes without saying that I don't have CarrierIQ on any of my devices as well.
As a suggestion, turn off side-loading unless you absolutely need it. If you do side-load, make sure you know exactly where that APK came from, and that it is trustworthy. Avoid "pirate" APK's (unless you happen to personally know the pirate) That, combined with getting your carrier's bloat off, will do wonders in the "not getting malware and viruses" department - and is true whether you rooted or not.
If you're overly concerned.... Don't root. Problem solved.
But I can tell you.... You'd need to be a very powerful and important individual for anyone to ever bother spying on you. ?