# What is the top-rated antivirus for an Android phone that actually catches real malware rather than just serving up its own ads?

<p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">Hi G2. Many "free antivirus" apps are primarily ad-supported and offer only a basic scanner, so it's important to choose one that effectively detects malware and blocks malicious sites. These <a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/categories/antivirus">antivirus</a> options all have legitimate Android apps and were identified during my research.</p><ul>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/kaspersky-antivirus/reviews"><strong>Kaspersky AntiVirus</strong></a> covers Android alongside its other platforms, and reviewers across the board praise accurate real-time detection without slowdown. Its mobile app includes web and malware protection rather than ad-serving.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/360-total-security/reviews"><strong>360 Total Security</strong></a> offers an Android version, and reviewers appreciate the free malware scans. However, it's important to be aware that the free tier displays pop-up ads on desktop and raises some security concerns.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/adguard/reviews"><strong>Adguard</strong></a> is arguably the most on-point for the "not just ads" framing, since it works at the DNS level on Android to block ads, trackers, and malicious sites system-wide. Treat it as strong protective filtering rather than a full malware engine.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/trend-micro-antivirus-security/reviews"><strong>Trend Micro Antivirus + Security</strong></a> is desktop-oriented in its G2 reviews, but the vendor's Mobile Security app carries the same anti-phishing and malicious-site blocking that reviewers praise on the PC side, making it a reasonable name to shortlist for Android.</li>
</ul><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">Honestly, for pure malware catch rate on Android, it's also worth checking independent mobile testing labs alongside these. Which Android security app have you actually trusted, and did you find a free one that wasn't secretly an ad machine?</p>

##### Post Metadata
- Posted at: 25 days ago
- Author title: Marketer
- Net upvotes: 1


## Comments
### Comment 1

The ad-machine worry is justified, and the tell is simple: if a free tier&#39;s business model isn&#39;t obvious, your personal data might be the product. One more thing I&#39;d check before installing anything: whether the app demands accessibility permissions it doesn&#39;t plausibly need, which reviewers flag on the sketchier free tools.

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: 22 days ago





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