The 3 Best Free Antivirus Apps for Android Phones

Avira’s Antivirus Security app for Android does what all antivirus apps should do: Automatically scans apps for malware, checks for threats in external storage devices, shows which apps have access to your private information, and is extremely easy to use.

Avira can scan each time you disconnect from a computer as well as start scheduled scans once a day, every day. If that isn't enough for you, you can always start a manual scan whenever you want to check for malware like adware, riskware, ransomware, and potentially unwanted programs.

When threats are found, you'll be alerted of the threat type (riskware, PUP, etc.) and will have the option to ignore them or delete them on the spot.

Here are some other things the Avira Antivirus Security app is capable of:

• Updated apps are re-scanned when they're finished updating, to ensure that any new files aren't infected
• You get to define whether files and/or apps are scanned
• The app can be set up to only show notifications when threats are found, which is really handy so you aren't bombarded with messages each time Avira finds your mobile device clean
• There's also an anti-theft tool that lets you find your device remotely, or even lock it or wipe it, via your Avira account
• When checking which apps have privileged access to your information (as well as what access they have), they are categorized as being high risk, medium risk, or low risk but you can always "trust" any of them to remove them from being labeled as a risk
• An Activity section shows a history of what Avira has been doing and what it finds; it's easy to sift through since threats are marked in red
• Overcharging Protection can remind you to unplug the device when it’s fully charged
• The Identity Safeguard function checks company breaches to see if your email was included in any of them

This free version of Avira Antivirus Security is very much like the professional edition you can buy except that the pro version doesn’t contain ads, will update its definitions every hour, includes an app locker, and supports the secure browsing feature that helps your device stay clean when browsing the web, downloading files, and shopping online.

The two antivirus apps listed above are clearly stuffed with features, and that's where Bitdefender's AV app differs: it's completely free from clutter and includes only an antivirus tool.

The only manual thing you can do with Bitdefender is to start with a scan and choose whether or not to include an SD card in the check against viruses and other threats. 

Once the full scan has completed, you'll be protected against any new app installs and updates automatically so that they're blocked before they can do any damage.

If a threat is found, you'll be taken into the results screen where you can easily uninstall the culprits.

Bitdefender is said to be super light on resources since it doesn't download and store virus signatures on the device, but instead uses cloud-based protection to check for the latest safeguards against outbreaks.

The only drawback to Bitdefender Antivirus Free is when you compare it to Bitdefender's not-free Mobile Security & Antivirus app, which checks your browsing habits in real-time and can lock down or wipe your phone if it's stolen, which are pretty handy features.