Do You Really Need Anti-Virus Software for Your Smartphone?

January 13, 2025 By Christine Margret No Comments 5 minutes

Modern smartphones have become an extension of ourselves—pivotal to almost everything we do daily. They help us stay connected, learn new things, play games, stay on top of the news, peruse a compiled list of online casinos, make payments, and track what we need to remember. Therefore, when someone’s malicious actions make your smartphone unusable or erase all your information, it is common to feel lost and angry. It can even feel like a part of you has been ripped away from you.

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Unfortunately, attacks on smartphones have been on the rise in recent years, with 1,802 data-compromising attacks in the US alone during 2022. As these attacks have grown, the ways to mitigate them have also increased. Among the simplest strategies are ensuring that your devices always have the latest software update from the manufacturer and only installing applications that you know and trust.

One of the most impactful ways to protect your device, however, is to install trusted antivirus software specially designed for it. There are several such apps available on the app stores, from free options to the best-in-class ones that offer superb protection.

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How Smartphone Antivirus Software Stops Attacks

Depending on which antivirus you install, it will have some or all of the following five features that provide multi-layered protection to help fend off most attacks.

Malware Scan and Removal

The core purpose of any antivirus is to scan your device, identify malicious software, and remove it before it creates complications. This software, called malware, often acts like an innocent application but works in the background to create chaos on your device, leak your private information, and even give somebody else remote access.

Blocking of Malicious Apps and Sites

Aside from removing existing malware, antivirus software on your phone also works to ensure that no new malware is downloaded and installed. This is done by scanning all app installations and websites visited and checking them against the latest virus signatures. Should anything malicious be found, antivirus software blocks it before it can infect your device.

Phishing Protection

According to statistics, almost 3.4 billion phishing emails were sent daily around the world in 2024. This does not include all the phishing text messages that were sent to smartphones. Antivirus software is programmed to recognize these phishing attempts and either warn you that the message may not be what it seems or block it altogether.

Firewall

A device-specific firewall ensures that only those with the correct credentials can access a device and that nobody else can interact with it or download data from it. Many antivirus applications include a firewall to protect against external attacks that could seek to steal data or remotely control or wipe your smartphone.

Privacy Protection

Although usually not found in free antivirus apps, many paid options include a privacy manager. These work to help manage app permissions and have complete control over what has access to which data you store on the phone. This helps protect your information and ensures that permissions are revoked where they need to be.

Disadvantages of Installing Antivirus Software on Your Smartphone

Aside from the obvious benefit of better device protection, antivirus software can have drawbacks that, for some, might be enough reason not to install it.

Battery Usage

One of the most touted reasons for not installing antivirus software on a smartphone is the app’s impact on the battery. Early renditions of this software were known for quickly draining the device’s battery. Modern versions, however, have been optimized to ensure minimal battery usage and have little to no impact on your device’s battery.

Impacted Performance

Aside from battery usage, many of the earliest versions of smartphone antivirus required significant resources that slowed your phone down. While this is still true if the app is running an in-depth scan or you’re using an older device, most modern antivirus apps allow people to continue using their phones while they are working in the background and have scaled back the resources they require.

False Positives

Like PC versions of the software, mobile antivirus can sometimes flag false positives. This occurs when a legitimate app or download is seen as a threat and is either blocked or deleted. While almost all apps allow you to create an exception should this occur, they may only allow this after the file has been removed, leading to the inconvenience of having to acquire it again.

Privacy Concerns

To operate correctly, smartphone antivirus software often needs elevated privileges that go beyond seeing what files and photos you have stored. Access to see what is on your screen and to read incoming messages are also common permissions, which can cause many to question whether these apps are invading their privacy in an attempt to keep them safe.

Conclusion

Mobile attacks are becoming increasingly popular and seem unlikely to slow down anytime soon. Therefore, while other steps can be taken to mitigate the risk of being targeted or infected, it is best to do whatever you can to ensure your device is safe. To this end, getting reliable antivirus software for your smartphone is a must.

With modern versions no longer slowing down your device to a point where it is unusable or draining your battery after just a few hours, the negatives associated with these apps have largely been remedied. Therefore, using them can ensure your safety, comes with very few inconveniences, and is generally regarded as the wise thing to do.