Reasons you should uninstall anti-virus software on your Android phone

Android malware is a potential threat. If any dangerous variants find their way into your smartphone, they can cause massive damage. Malware can steal personal information, provide you with annoying ads, and consume a lot of your smartphone’s resources.

The most common way to prevent Android malware is by using an antivirus app. But are anti-virus applications really necessary? Do they protect your Android device from malware is a question many people are interested in.

Does anti-virus software really protect your computer as advertised?

Research from Cybernews indicates that free antivirus apps can contain trackers and links to malicious websites. That is the complete opposite of what is advertised about the application, contrary to the wishes of users when looking for these applications.

Researchers at Cybernews studied 40 different antivirus and junk cleaner apps on phones. These are all apps with the highest ratings on CH Play. All of them have attracted over 918 million downloads. Notably, among them, only 2 applications do not contain any trackers while 6 applications contain malicious links.

According to the security rating system from Cybernews, Keep Clean Cleaner, Antivirus scored the highest with a score of 54/100. Meanwhile, two applications Safe Security – Antivirus, Booster, Phone Cleaner and Nova Security – Virus Cleaner ranked at the bottom of the rankings with scores of 9/100 and 10/100 respectively.

In particular, the Dr.Capsule Antivirus, Cleaner application contains up to 3 potentially malicious links. Other apps like GO Security – Antivirus, AppLock, Booster and Virus Hunter 2021 Virus Scanner and Phone Cleaner all have 2 malicious links.

According to experts, Android smartphone users often want to protect their phones from malware and keep the device running as fast as possible, so look to the software to clean junk files or cache. However, many of the free apps available come with a hidden price, which means that users’ data can be tracked, sold or managed in an unsafe manner.

Are anti-virus apps harmful?

It seems absurd, but most antivirus applications on Android will adversely affect your device in some way.

Consumes machine resources

Due to the use of fancy moving visual effects, running in the background in real time, anti-virus applications will drain your battery. Along with that, because they have to run continuously, they will also take up RAM space of other running applications.

Misreported, inaccurate

The second one that can be mentioned and is also very common is false and inaccurate reporting. Antivirus applications on Android sometimes warn familiar and legitimate applications as malware that confuses users.

There are even cases where anti-virus software reports essential applications such as Facebook, Zalo, Telegram, etc. If you delete it, you will lose the necessary communication tools, if you don’t delete it, you will feel anxious. This also causes a lot of discomfort and annoyance for machine owners.

Often exaggerate the truth about malware?

According to Statista – a German online platform, Android is by far the most popular mobile operating system in the world, with a 73% market share. Being the most popular mobile computing platform comes with a price tag. Every month there is some news that Android malware is sure to destroy your smartphone.

While most of these reports are fact-based, they overemphasize the real danger of malware infection. Antivirus app vendors often exaggerate this news, making a malware infection seem like a pandemic.

In fact, while Android malware is still a potential threat, as long as your security settings are up to date, your chances of getting infected with malware are usually lower than you think. If you’re doing it right, Android’s security measures neutralize the need to use a third-party anti-malware app.

The Android operating system has come a long way since its early days of vulnerability. While it’s still a favorite target for malicious apps, in essence, Android is capable of keeping you safe from most malicious apps.

If the Android operating system has most of what it takes to protect your smartphone, is it worth risking your device security for what anti-malware vendors offer? Harmful third party promise it?

While there are indeed some quality anti-malware apps on the market from reputable companies, the Android operating system comes equipped with most of what you need to stay safe. If you have Android antivirus apps on your device right now, remove them if you’re in doubt.