+3 votes
95 views
Google already said twice that Android does not need antivirus. Is this correct currently?

in Android by (552k points)
reopened | 95 views

1 Answer

+4 votes
Best answer

Do you have an antivirus installed on your Android? Are you looking for a good antivirus for your mobile , which is highly effective and offers you real protection, in addition to not consuming many resources? Google has said that it is not necessary to install an antivirus on Android a couple of times, but is it really so?

This statement came several years ago from the hand of the Android security engineer, Adrian Ludwig , who said that the average Android user does not need to install an antivirus on their smartphone or tablet. "Absolutely not," he told The Sunday Morning Herald , stating that this is unnecessary in addition to the protection that Google offers ..

"I don't think 99 per cent plus users even get a benefit from [anti-virus],". «There's certainly no reason that they need to install something in addition to [the security we provide].

The statements of the Android security chief went a step further. Ludwig said that those who use security software or applications on their phones "will probably never receive protection ."

Speaking of the applications in the Google Play Store, this engineer stated that they go through an automated system that checks them for anomalies, and only verified applications are made available in the Play Store. In this regard, he indicated that the current risk of a potentially dangerous application [coming from this store] reaching users is " extraordinarily low ", something that is not true ..

image It is not the first time that the engineers behind Android talk about antivirus for the platform. Already in 2011 it had also been affirmed, by the hand of another engineer, that those who sell anti-virus software for mobile phones offer a “ scam, charlatanism and zero protection ”, which is currently not entirely true either.

Obviously, here we are only talking about whether or not it is necessary to install an antivirus application when the user keeps downloading applications from Google Play. And the truth is that occasionally using an antivirus is not a bad idea (not permanently, because you don't want to drain your phone's battery and performance), whether it is the one that Android already brings  or even third-party antivirus like VirusTotal itself for see if you don't have bad apps installed. Google Play is not one hundred percent secure . In fact, there have been multiple reports that this store has distributed malware-laden apps for years ..

Another important question is whether users need to install an antivirus when installing from unknown sources is enabled in Android settings and APKs taken from the internet are installed . And the answer is pretty obvious in this case as well. Viruses are a real thing on mobile devices, and especially on Android, which is the most popular operating system.

How to remove viruses from your Android device

How to PROTECT my cell phone from viruses, spies, interventions, etc.

AV-TEST, a website that ranks the best antivirus on a monthly basis


by (3.5m points)

Related questions

+3 votes
1 answer
+3 votes
1 answer
+3 votes
1 answer
+4 votes
1 answer
asked Nov 20, 2019 in Android by backtothefuture (552k points) | 331 views
+4 votes
1 answer
Sponsored articles cost $40 per post. You can contact us via Feedback

Most popular questions within the last 30 days

10,659 questions
10,791 answers
510 comments
3 users