Buzz
Bitdefender has been developing antivirus software since 2001, with their software installed on over 500 million devices worldwide. Notably, their top antivirus app for Android is Bitdefender Mobile Security, also known as Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus on the Google Play Store. With over 5 million downloads, priced at 14.95 USD per year, the app offers premium virus protection, advanced malware detection, and a user-friendly interface for smartphones, tablets, and even Android Wear smartwatches.
Bitdefender Mobile Security 2017: Leading the Way in Android Virus Protection
One drawback is that Bitdefender Mobile Security lacks call and message filters commonly found in other Android security apps. However, its malware detection speed is outstanding. Coupled with limited feature enforcement, this sets Bitdefender Mobile Security apart, making it a top-notch Android antivirus app, whether free or paid.
Pricing and Protection Level
Bitdefender Mobile Security stands out as the only top-rated Android antivirus app with an affordable price tag. New users can try the app for 14 days and then subscribe for 1.49 USD/month or 14.69 USD/year per device.
For those seeking antivirus solutions for Mac or PCs, or considering options for family devices, Bitdefender Total Security is available at 90 USD/year (covers up to 5 devices), or Bitdefender Family Pack at 120 USD/year (unlimited devices). Subscribers for multiple years and first-time app purchasers enjoy significant price reductions.
For users solely focused on virus protection for their devices, Bitdefender offers a dedicated app called Bitdefender Antivirus Free. It utilizes the same excellent virus-fighting technology for Android without emitting any sound.
Additionally, there's Bitdefender Mobile Security, a free app for iOS devices, providing only anti-theft and violation notification features, without the virus protection component.
Shielding Devices from Malicious Software (Malware)
Bitdefender Mobile Security integrates several features to shield devices from malicious software, with scanning being the core functionality.
Users can manually scan their devices, with the only switchable option being the external memory (microSD card) during the scanning process. This scanning process takes approximately 30 seconds.
If you have a Bitdefender account, you can initiate scans from the Bitdefender Central web portal. Remote scanning takes about 40 seconds to complete, displaying information only on the web portal with no indication that your device has been remotely scanned.
In terms of operational effectiveness, Bitdefender ranks fourth overall, but excels in the performance of malware scanning, securing the top position.
Bitdefender's web security feature automatically blocks websites and prevents downloads of malicious apps, software, documents, etc., based on real-time connections with the Bitdefender Cloud Services database.
These features extend their support to various browsers, including Chrome, Dolphin, Firefox, Opera,
Try accessing malicious and phishing websites, and the Bitdefender app will display warnings indicating the unsafe nature of these sites. It provides a brief description of specific concerns and offers two options: Take me back to safety and I understand the risks - take me there anyway.
Anti-Malware Performance
In a recent review by the independent AV-TEST laboratory in Germany, evaluating Android security apps in July of this year, Bitdefender achieved a 'perfect' score.
The app achieves a real-time detection rate of 100% out of a total of 3,328 malware samples, and 100% detection out of 3,129 collected malware samples in the past 4 weeks.
Bitdefender Mobile Security 2017: Leading Antivirus App for Android
Outperforming the average detection rate of 98.3% in real-time and 99.6% for recent threats among 19 tested Android security apps, AV-TEST results show.
Among the 5 Android antivirus apps evaluated by AV-TEST, Norton Mobile Security achieved a perfect 100/100%, followed by PSafe DFNDR (99.9/99.9%), Avast Mobile Security (99.8/99.9%), and CM Security Master (99.0/99.3%).
In AV-TEST's bi-monthly assessments, Bitdefender consistently maintains a reliable detection rate. Additionally, it achieved a perfect 100/100% detection rate in the March and May evaluations this year, as well as in all 6 assessments in 2016. In the January 2017 evaluation, the app scored 99.9/100%. Only Norton Mobile Security has sustained a comparable performance.
Conversely, since January, CM Security Master's detection rate reached its peak at 100% and then declined to 99.0%. PSafe DFNDR's detection rate has fluctuated, ranging from 99.9% down to 99.3%. Avast Mobile Security's detection rate has shown more stability, fluctuating from 99.9% to 99.5%.
Account Security
One standout feature of Bitdefender Mobile Security is account security. Simply enter and confirm ownership of your email address, then scan for known security breaches on services associated with that email address.
This scanning process repeats daily, differing from malware scans, and provides updates on any new developments.
Anti-Theft Feature
Bitdefender Mobile Security also incorporates an anti-theft feature. Users can control anti-theft features through central.bitdefender.com web portal or via SMS. Accessible features include location tracking, device locking, and data wiping.
The anti-theft feature activates through Snap Photo, capturing a photo from the front camera if someone unsuccessfully attempts to unlock the device three consecutive times. The image is then sent to Bitdefender Central.
Controlling anti-theft via SMS offers more features than through the web portal. One notable feature is the CALLME command on your phone, enabling you to listen to the thief's conversation in 'stealth mode' on your device without their knowledge.
The final feature of Bitdefender Anti-Theft is SIM change detection. During setup, you confirm a trusted phone number, such as a family member's. If your SIM card is changed (e.g., removed), the trusted phone number receives a message with the new phone number linked to the new SIM card on your phone, aiding in locating the lost device.
The trusted phone number is also the only number allowed to provide wipe commands via SMS. While not widely used, this feature serves as a useful security measure.
App Lock
If you haven't set up a lock for your device (which you should), or if you often lend your phone to others, App Lock is a useful feature to consider.
This feature allows you to set a PIN for specific apps. When enabling this feature, you'll need to enter a 4 to 8-character PIN, applying it to lock all apps. If your device has a fingerprint reader, you can use your fingerprint to unlock selected apps, with the PIN serving as a backup solution.
Similar to the Anti-Theft feature, App Lock captures user photos if the wrong app PIN is entered three times (or fingerprint scans). You can choose to geo-unlock apps by specifying trusted Wifi networks. When connected to a specific Wifi network, all apps will be unlocked.
Privacy Advisor
Privacy Advisor provides users with a security overview from 0 to 100, ranking as low, medium, or high based on the apps you've installed and the permissions granted to them. Apps are sorted by risk level and color-coded: green indicates no risk, orange signifies medium risk, and red represents high risk.
You can filter the app list by various metrics, such as 'apps that may cost money' or 'apps sharing your personal data with strangers.' Tap on an app, and you'll receive an analysis of the permissions granted to the app and the risk level.
Reports
Reports are simply notifications of security incidents that Bitdefender has observed in the current week and previous weeks. They serve as reminders, explaining why you should install certain apps. The Event Viewer provides more details about each activity recorded by Bitdefender.
WearON
Bitdefender Mobile Security also supports Android Wear smartwatches. The watch app will notify you if your phone is lost (Bluetooth connection between your phone and watch is lost) and allows you to locate your phone by swiping the app on your smartwatch and selecting Sound Alarm.
System Impact
To assess the system impact of Bitdefender Mobile Security, we used the Geekbench 4 Android benchmark tool on a Samsung Galaxy S8 running Android 7.0 Nougat. After installing the app, the device's performance decreased by 1.68% compared to the average performance in the Geekbench 4 test. During a full scan, the device achieved 0.92%, lower than the baseline performance.
Installation and Support
The process of downloading and installing Bitdefender Mobile Security from the Google Play Store takes only a few minutes, and upgrading to the Premium package (advanced feature set) takes just 3 minutes. Activating the code is as simple as pressing the menu button in the top left corner, then selecting Activation Code.
Bitdefender Mobile Security 2017: Top-rated Antivirus App for Android
Bitdefender Mobile Security provides online support documentation and forums for those who want to research and find answers to their queries. Additionally, there is a 24/7 online chat service and direct phone support.
User Interface
The Bitdefender Mobile Security interface underwent a significant redesign in 2015, incorporating notable changes to align with Google's Material Design principles.
In summary, if you prefer an aesthetically appealing interface, you might opt for CM Security Master. For users seeking a straightforward, efficient app, Bitdefender Mobile Security is the perfect choice.
These are some insights into Bitdefender Mobile Security 2017: the top-rated antivirus app for Android, among the best Android antivirus software. What's your review of Bitdefender Mobile Security? Share your thoughts with Mytour!
Furthermore, if you've equipped your smartphone with Bitdefender Mobile Security, then for your personal computer, Bitdefender Internet Security software would be a wise choice. Bitdefender Internet Security offers comprehensive security features for the system, antivirus protection, malware removal, and monitors all user online activities. It ensures the safety of banking transactions, online shopping, password management, social network protection, and provides weekly security reports.
