Antivirus apps help keep your smartphone free of malware and other threats, however many of them also provide extra features that help boost your smartphone’s security. They could include an account manager for passwords that can help safeguard your login information, VPN functionality to enhance your privacy and security and tools that help you locate or remotely wipe stolen phones.
The majority of antivirus services run a scan on your phone every day to search for signatures of malicious software that might have infected your device. Typically, they run these checks on a schedule that you can set and will notify you if any threats our website are found. They also check your Wi-Fi connection to make sure that you’re connecting to secure networks that could expose your personal data to hackers.
Some antiviruses may have extra features, like security against theft or a call blocker, based on the provider. For instance, Kaspersky offers a feature that can take a photo of the person trying to unlock your phone 3 times, and lets you lock or wipe the device remotely. Other providers have system tune-up features that can clear up junk files and increase the speed of your device while others have a tool that can alert you to unsafe applications or settings.
You can assess how well your phone is protected by looking at the rankings of independent testing labs. Some of the rankings are based on the number of threats identified while others look at things like how fast the service can detect threats and then eliminates them. Some companies also go the extra mile, providing features such as an unconditional money back guarantee as well as 24/7 customer assistance.