Do you need antivirus protection for your Android phone in 2024?

When we think of antivirus protection, the first thing that comes to mind is that PCs and laptops need them. However, it is important to consider that other electronic gadgets need protection from viruses as well, such as our mobile phones. After all, we often use our phones for a growing number of online activities, which makes them susceptible to viruses.

In this article, we explain why it is recommended to protect your Android devices from viruses.

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Do you need to secure your Android devices with antivirus protection?

Does your Android device need antivirus protection? (Image via India CSR)

Most of our work today relies on smartphones. More tasks have shifted from PCs and laptops to smartphones, which have grown in terms of efficiency and performance. As a result, we carry out most of our work through smartphones, such as sending emails and text messages, handling social media, managing bank accounts, online payments, preparing documents, and a lot more.

Therefore, given the nature of these tasks and the sensitive information our phones contain, it becomes even more important to ensure our Android devices are safe from viruses.

Also, unlike iOS devices, Android devices run on open-source code and source apps from developers. This makes them even more prone to virus attacks than the others.

So, given the growing dependence on Android phones in 2024, which is only going to increase in 2024, it is a good idea to go for antivirus protection. But what causes Android devices to be infected by viruses?

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How do Android devices get infected by viruses?

Android devices are prone to malware attacks (Image via mail.bestmoobel.ee)

Android devices do not necessarily catch the same viruses that infect PCs and laptops. Instead, they are more prone to malware attacks that compromise your privacy and security.

Malware is designed to control your device and monitor or record your activities without your permission. It can track locations, phone calls, call history, and text messages, and get into your device by piggybacking the installation of questionable applications.

Fortunately, Google Play Store's Play Protect does a great job of preventing the installation of such applications. And even though Android devices keep a check on malware, it is still better to have an assured security system protecting your device. There are multiple antivirus software available in the Google Play Store so you can choose one that fits your phone best.

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Benefits of installing antivirus software

Apart from providing that extra layer of security, antivirus protection can be beneficial in general as well. Some of these benefits include:

• Regular scans of the device
• Can be used to secure the device if it gets lost
• Protects device from getting hacked
• Locate your device
• Wipe the data when necessary for protection

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Conclusion

While it is not compulsory to install antivirus protection for smartphones, the need for an extra layer of security may compel you to take that step. It is certainly recommended if you carry around a lot of sensitive information on your Android device. However, even casual users are at risk, with payment apps, call and message information at risk, so at least consider a free alternative if not a more premium solution.