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Best free antivirus for mobile 2020

Best free antivirus for mobile 2020
Patrick Devaney

Patrick Devaney

  • December 5, 2019
  • Updated: March 16, 2024 at 7:24 PM
Best free antivirus for mobile 2020

The best mobile antivirus apps

Android is more popular than Windows. It might be hard to believe it, but Android is used more than any other operating system in the world. Now Windows is famous for many things but one of its more infamous claims to fame is how susceptible users are to viruses and malware, just ask an Apple Mac user. This is because the more people use an operating system, the more hackers and cybercriminals will target it. So, with that being the case, you already know that there are plenty of malicious actors out there targeting your Android smartphone.

Today, to help you stay safe when you’re on your phone, we’re going to look at some of the best antivirus apps available on the Google Play Store that you can download and install on your Android device. Even better, all the Android apps we’re talking about today are free.

Best free antivirus for Android phone

AVG Antivirus Free

AVG for Android

AVG is another strong mobile device version of a fully featured desktop antivirus program. It comes with a call blocker, regular scanner, cache cleaner for getting rid of your junk, and a power saving feature that can make your phone’s battery life last much longer. Another cool feature you’ll get with AVG is a RAM booster, which will hunt out programs that are hogging up your system’s RAM while not actually doing anything. This is excellent, if you’re phone is running slower than usual and your scans have turned nothing up.

AVG Free Download now
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Sophos Free Antivirus and Security

Sophos is an excellent mobile antivirus app that regularly scores highly with independent testing labs. The app offers an ad-free experience, which is rare for free apps and also has robust anti-malware procedures. Other tools that come with this feature-packed app include an app locker, loss, and anti-theft features, web filtering, malicious site blocking, and call protection and spam blocking. This app is massive and free.

Sophos Download now
8

Bitdefender Antivirus Free

Bitdefender mobile security is a lightweight Android antivirus app, which makes it ideal for anybody using an older phone or a more mid-range model. Bitdefender spares your system resources by not running real-time protection all the time in the background. You’ll have to schedule your scans manually, although all new apps will be scanned when they’re downloaded. It isn’t hard to get it all set up though, so we can recommend Bitdefender for all users.

Bitdefender 2018 Download now
7

Avira Antivirus Security

AVIRA Android hero

The Avira mobile app has some neat features that set it apart from the rest. Apps are rated with a privacy scale, so it is very easy for you to know how they use your data and your phone’s sensors. The free version doesn’t come with malicious site blocking, however, you’ll have to pay for that, but you will get a comprehensive scanner that can not only scan the contents of your phone’s hard drive but also any SD cards you’re using too.

Avira Free Antivirus Download Avira ►
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Avast Mobile Security

Avast is one of the best names out there when it comes to Antivirus software so you know you’ll get comprehensive protection from its mobile app. Features include monitoring how long you’re spending on each app, a disc cleaning feature that’ll get rid of all your junk files, and a strong scanner that works with a simple tap. Another cool feature is the Avast photo vault, which will give you a secure place to store private photos.

Avast Free Antivirus Download now ►
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360 Security

Another cool free antivirus app worth your consideration is 360 Security. With this app, you’ll get all the usual features we’ve been through with other apps including an antivirus scanner, anti-theft protection, junk cleaner, and more. You’ll also get a rather handy CPU cooler tool, which will come in very handy whenever you feel your phone heating up, which more phones seem to do much more often these days.

360 Security - Antivirus Download now
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Kaspersky Internet Security

The free Kaspersky mobile security app gives you access to a strong malware protection tool that’ll sniff out almost all types of malware that get onto your Android phone. It also has a robust blocker for malicious sites and will flag up dodgy links it doesn’t think you should click. Kaspersky runs in the background checking for apps, however, so it could be a little heavy on your phone’s processor and RAM.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus Download Kaspersky
8

Norton Security and Antivirus

Norton for Android

Norton is another big name in antivirus protection and the giant is proud to offer a mobile app that gives a 100% detection rate with its antivirus and anti-malware scanner. All viruses and malware are then safely removed from your mobile. Other cool features include a find my phone type feature, dodgy website blocker, spam filters and call blocking, and a rather cool feature that will use your phone’s selfie camera to snap a picture of anybody trying to access your phone when you’re not there.

Norton Download now
8

DFNDR

DFNDR, like 360 Security, is another mobile antivirus and internet security app that doesn’t have the big-name recognition of the likes of Avast and AVG, but that still packs quite a punch and offers a feature-rich mobile security suite. It comes loaded with anti-hacking, anti-spyware, and anti-phishing features on top of the regular scanning features you’ll find elsewhere. Other cool features include an AppLock, which will secure your private apps behind a passcode or fingerprint, and an assist feature that will keep you updated on how best to use the app and its features. The only downside of DFNDR is that it’ll show you ads, which can be very annoying.

DFNDR Download now
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Wrapping up

There you have ten of the best free mobile antivirus apps you can download for your Android smartphone. They all offer strong protection against viruses and malware and many come with feature rich toolsets to back up their core functions. When picking the right one for you consider the features you’ll need specifically and also think about whether you’re happy to view ads. Unfortunately, you may have to pay, if you have a specific feature in mind and can’t stand ads. If you’re not so rigid, however, you’ll definitely find what you’re looking for free in this list.

Patrick Devaney

Patrick Devaney

Patrick Devaney is a news reporter for Softonic, keeping readers up to date on everything affecting their favorite apps and programs. His beat includes social media apps and sites like Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat. Patrick also covers antivirus and security issues, web browsers, the full Google suite of apps and programs, and operating systems like Windows, iOS, and Android.

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