Android Antivirus Required or Not: Should I Install Antivirus on Android?

Android has become the biggest computing platform on the planet and is therefore a target. You can't spend your time on the internet without hearing about some new Android malware that can destroy your phone 100%. These reports are always based on facts but they can exaggerate the real risks of getting infected with malware and the definition of malware can be quite vague. Security companies usually offer an application to detect viruses. However, Android is inherently more secure than a desktop computer, so you might not need these security apps. You probably already have what you need.

Scare Tactics

In the latest report published by AV-Comparatives, we learned that most antiviruses on Android don't even check for malicious app behavior. They just use whitelists or blacklists, which is ineffective and hardly makes them more reliable than ad platforms with fake buttons. Shocking and disturbing, isn't it? They can get away with it because real viruses on your Android device are not as common as you might imagine. “Malware” can include smaller threats such as applications that collect personal information or pop-up ads.

Android and other mobile platforms are well entrenched in the modern age, and programmers have understood the dangers of the Internet. We are all made aware of what lies ahead with malware on our PCs, which can infiltrate our systems just by visiting a bad website with a vulnerable browser. These “stealth downloads” are not possible on Android without a prior infection. On Android, you need to manually tap on a notification to install an APK downloaded from a source outside of the Play Store. And even then, there are some security settings that need to be bypassed manually.

So what about malware on the Play Store? Again, it depends on what you mean by malware. The biggest security risks will never be in the Play Store. Google's platform is able to detect malware when it is uploaded. There is even a human examination process for anything that seems a little questionable. Occasionally you may hear about certain “malicious” apps on the Play Store, usually associated with information gathering or advertising ploys. Google takes care of this quickly, but anti-malware apps won't detect this stuff.

The solution that antivirus vendors recommend is to install a security suite that manually scans each application, monitors your web traffic, etc. These apps tend to be resource intensive and are generally annoying with their numerous notifications and pop-ups. You probably don't need to install Lookout, AVG, Symantec / Norton, or any other antivirus app on Android. On the other hand, there are some very reasonable precautions you can take that won't slow down your phone. For example, it already includes antivirus protection.

What You Should Do to Protect Yourself

Your first line of defense is to simply not tamper with Android's default security settings. In order to obtain the certificate from Google, “unknown sources” are disabled in the security settings of each phone and tablet. If you want to install an APK downloaded outside of Google Play, your phone will ask you to enable this feature for the original app. Leaving this option off will protect you against virtually all malware on Android, as there is hardly any malware on the Play Store.

However, there are legitimate reasons for allowing unknown sources. For example, Amazon Appstore downloads the apps and games you buy alongside, and many trusted sites re-host official updates for apps that are released in stages, so you don't have to wait. Besides the Play Store, Google Play Protect also scans your apps for malicious activity. Updates to Play Protect are done through Google Play services, so you don't need system updates to stay protected. In most cases, installing a third-party antivirus only duplicates the work of Play Protect.

Users have started to root their Android phones since the beginning of their marketing, but this practice is less common today. The platform offers many features that users could not get without jailbreaking their devices. Using a rooted Android is basically the same as using a computer in administrator mode. While it is possible to use a rooted phone securely, it certainly poses a security risk. Some exploits and malware need root access in order to operate and yet are harmless even if you install them somehow. If you don't have good reasons to jailbreak your phone or tablet, don't risk this possibility.

There are also Android apps that might not be "malware" per se, but which you don't want on your phone because they spy on your data. Most people don't read the permissions of the apps they install but they are available on the Play Store. Starting with Android 6.0, apps need to request permission to access private data like contacts, local storage, mic, camera, and location tracking. If an app has reason to access these modules (like a social media app), you probably have nothing to worry about. On the other hand, if a flashlight app is asking to access your contact list, you might need to think twice.

It just takes a little common sense to avoid malware on Android. If you do nothing else and limit your downloads to the Play Store and other 100% trustworthy sources, you will remain safe from almost all threats. Antivirus applications are superfluous at best and at worst take a toll on your system's performance.