Viruses may be a more limited problem on smartphones and tablets, but they do exist. So do antivirus apps for helping you deal with them. Do you use them?
Viruses for Android and iOS are not quite the problem they are for desktop operating systems, primarily because there’s no real opportunity for self-replication. You actually have to install apps yourself and give them specific permissions. Apps also run sandboxed, so their interaction with other apps and the operating system itself is more restricted.
Still, viruses do exist, and so do antivirus apps. What do you use? Sound off in the comments.
Comments
6 responses to “Do You Use Antivirus Protection On Your Phone Or Tablet?”
I use Zoner Antivirus on my smartphone. It tends to have some extra handy features such as a check list to indicate any issues other than just virus’s (i.e. advises if my market only app option is active or not). Plus the extra added protection of if the phone gets stolen and the sims changed, it sends a text message to a nominated phone with instruction to both help track it and lock it down.
I use Dr Web – its light, doesnt waste any battery at all, just scans upon installs / updates.
Has caught out a few already!
I barely even use an antivirus on my PC. If you’re smart enough you can pretty much avoid any virus related issues. Not opening dodgy looking emails or downloading dodgy looking executable files is a start.
Yeah I’m pretty much the same. I don’t even have an anti-virus installed on my computer, let alone phone/tablet (even though it’s not possible for iphone and ipad).
I run avg antivirus on my Nexus 7, its triggered a couple of times, one genuine threat and one false trigger, but it doesn’t bother me, it runs in the background and checks everything coming in. I think of it along the lines of “I’d rather have it and not need it, rather than need it and not have it”
I’m still careful with what I download and what sites I visit.
Only smartphone anti virus I use is called “Common Sense”, you might have heard of it, it’s free, doesn’t take up any storage space or drain battery life and in MOST cases everyone already has it
In all my time using the internet, I have had internet for 14 odd years, I have never had antivirus software on an internet enabled device.
Have not had 1 virus..
So in answer to your question. No.