15 Dec Do Cell Phones Need An Antivirus?

First of all, you need to understand the basic architecture of the Android operating system. Viruses in general, are the consequences of the vulnerability of the system to protect itself from any external programs that work outrageously without the knowledge of the user or/and system.

Here is the basic architecture diagram of the Android:

You will highlight that all programs are installed in the Applications area (Uppermost Layer). Nevertheless, the Application Framework area is just right below, so, all apps have been checked, tested and there isn’t any virus capable of damaging the system because there’s a firewall in the Framework.

Fundamentally all Linux-based distributions are immune to any viruses. Android has no exception. Android is just yet another Linux-based mobile operating system.

So, the answer to your question is NO! Android phones do need not any antivirus. But that doesn’t mean that Android is safe from Malware & Viruses, just the mechanism & propagation (spreading) of the intrusion of the Virus or any Malware is different than that of Windows.

Viruses & Malware come from user-installed programs. They can not spread automatically like Windows Viruses. Here, the end-user is the offender, who confers user rights to such programs that may infect the userland area of the applications.

You do not need antivirus for your Android phone or any other mobile phone. If you strictly install all your apps from the Play Store then you don’t need AV. But if you install apps that are downloaded, modified, cracked from unauthorized sites to get paid apps for free, there is a high chance that your Android device will have a virus.

But, we strongly recommend you follow these couple of advice, to avoid compromising your smartphone security

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Don’t trust any application from the Play store blindly. Please verify the developer of the app & its reputation.

Before installations, please check the permission asked by the app. In any case, if you feel this app may cause damage, malfunction, and any other suspicious permission, do not install that app.

Do not install any popular anti-virus (usually found on ads) on your smartphone: This kind of antivirus generates self-made fake virus and convinces users that you’re making the best decision choosing to install this antivirus.
Also do not install such apps which display malicious ads which tell that your phone has been infected and install so and so anti-virus. Do not trust in such ads and simply do not install such apps which show such ads.

Android uses sandboxing technology to protect your phone from virus attacks. The technology relies on real-time interactions with the user, so you always get a prompt before installing any application.

If you read the mentioned functions in the installation details, you can see all the hardware and software permissions that are specifically needed.

No application can be installed on Android devices without the consent and acceptance of the user. If you have ever used an antivirus, you will notice all those who show how many junk files you have, how much RAM is occupied, what is the current temperature of your phone, etc.

The biggest threat to Android smartphones are infected apps. Infected apps can steal information from phones or deactivate them completely. Currently, there are only a few dozen infected apps that target the Droid operating system.

So, in conclusion, Android phones do not require any antivirus. But this does not mean that Android is safe from Malware & Viruses, just that the mechanism and spread (spread) of viruses or any malware is different from Windows. Viruses and Malware come from user-installed programs. They cannot spread on their own like Windows viruses. Here, the end-user is the culprit, who assumes user rights to programs that can infect the user area of ​​applications.

The best way to protect your phone from viruses is to avoid downloading suspicious apps, opening suspicious emails, and visiting unverified websites.