Best free Mobile Security for Android?

Park@82

Park@82

Honorary Master
Joined
Jun 6, 2008
Messages
14,421
Reaction score
1,831
Location
Pretoria
My pick is avast! Mobile Security.

Just realized that Avast now allows you to track your phone and send commands via web interface on https://my.avast.com

Some of the features:

Antivirus
Anti-Theft (now with tracking via web)
SMS/Call Filtering
Network Meter
Web Shield
Firewall

+ free = win.
 
Last edited:
mercurial said:
Comodo Mobile Security does all of that and is free as well.
Click to expand...

Doesn't look like it has firewall or web portal.

The web portal is the really cool part as you cant send commands from any browser i.e. Locate (can show gps coordinate + location on Google maps); Lock (remotely locks phone); Siren (handy when you misplaced your phone...); Wipe ; Call (makes it call any number) ; Call/SMS Forwarding (silent or cc); Message (displays a message on the handset); Reboot.
 
My pick is Myself + Appcentral's Ad Detector : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appspot.swisscodemonkeys.detector

It picks up all the mods, and crap that all my apps use and have access to, in that way I can make an informed decision on what I wanna keep.

Reason is that Anti virus apps just checks it against a list of confirmed malware. Only problem with that is what they say is legit might not be the same as what I think, for example all the ad libraries used in some games or other paid for apps is not so kosher if you ask me.

Example: Airpush In my book its malware, according to Lookout and friends, its not.
 
Last edited:
AlphaJohn said:
My pick is Myself + Appcentral's Ad Detector : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appspot.swisscodemonkeys.detector

It picks up all the mods, and crap that all my apps use and have access to, in that way I can make an informed decision on what I wanna keep.

Reason is that Anti virus apps just checks it against a list of confirmed malware. Only problem with that is what they say is legit might not be the same as what I think, for example all the ad libraries used in some games or other paid for apps is not so kosher if you ask me.

Example: Airpush In my book its malware, according to Lookout and friends, its not.
Click to expand...
But if you have a firewall+root you don't need to worry about apps spying on you or ads. you can block them from accessing the net...

AppBrain to detect them Firewall to block them...
 
Park@82 said:
But if you have a firewall+root you don't need to worry about apps spying on you or ads. you can block them from accessing the net...

AppBrain to detect them Firewall to block them...
Click to expand...

Oh, just come out with it already. You work for Avast :p
 
I understand the app needs a lot of access to be thorough, but am I the only one who looked at the Avast Permission list and backed out?
 
Park@82 said:
Not that I know of. Why on earth would you need that though? :p
Click to expand...

Because some apps are private/sensitive and you wouldn't want anyone to just be able to pick up your phone and mess with them. Example: I have several admin-type apps and if anyone opened them and messed around (especially kids), they could mess up my phone. With Comodo, you can password protect apps, which is a very cool feature. It also has all of those remote-tracking features that Avast has but no firewall. I can think of many sensitive types of apps that one would need to protect and Comodo has this built-in.
 
That's pretty cool mercurial, guess I could look at APP Lock and you could look at DroidWall if we needed it.

Though you would still not have a cool web-portal to track and remote control your device :p
 
I use Avast, havent tried anything else though. Works fine, but i havent needed to use it yet, and hopefully will never :D
It has a firewall if you have root, so no need for droidwall, plus its hard reset proof.
I turn off real time scanning though, i dont download dodgy apps so need for it to scan every single app i use.
 
looks like my lookout app sux compared to comodo. hmmmm some investigating then...
 
OK this just made Lookout that much better to be on my phone.

I am talking about the following email:

Your battery level is really low, so we located your device with Signal Flare.
This is a one time message to tell you about Signal Flare, the newest free addition to your Lookout app.
It gives you the best possible chance to find your phone by automatically locating your phone when your battery is low.
Even if your battery dies, Lookout has your back.

Here is where Signal Flare last located your device: /map url/

You can turn off Signal Flare at any time by going into the settings section of our app on your device.
Click to expand...

I love it for 2 reasons, one cause of the location service before the phone dies and 2 because I didn't know my battery was low. (Phone was out of hearing range so I didn't hear the poor thing dying)
 
AlphaJohn said:
...
I love it for 2 reasons, one cause of the location service before the phone dies and 2 because I didn't know my battery was low. (Phone was out of hearing range so I didn't hear the poor thing dying)
Click to expand...
I can see how this could be useful, do you know at what % it notifies you or can one set it?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X