Android, Antivirus, Enterprise, Internet Security, Mobile, Social Media

Top 10 Android Security Apps Apps to Track Your Lost /Stolen Smart Phone

One of the biggest inconveniences in the modern age is losing your smart phone.

Published 8 years ago in
Top 10 Android Security Apps Apps to Track Your Lost /Stolen Smart Phone

One of the biggest inconveniences in the modern age is losing your smart phone. Unlike in the past where we simply relied on personal computers to store heavy/crucial data, today’s smart phones are packed full of vital information. This makes android security apps vital for everyday use.

With the advantage of being portable and readily accessible, one annoying setback comes in—vulnerability to theft. Smart phone devices are capable of storing a wide array of data such as personal information, photos, contact information and even financial data. Any loss/unauthorized access to this data can be a major problem for users.

With all that in mind, imagine losing your smart phone to unknown thieves and having no android security apps. Third-party app developers have come up with many solutions to minimise the impact of losing your device. The majority of these apps also provide a way to track down and potentially recover your device.

Note that all these android security apps have varying features and capabilities. Some have the capability to trigger phone calls, take snapshots, and activate GPS while others are capable of wiping your phone’s data entirely to avoid a further security breach.

1. 360 Security

360 security has three killer features, an effective speed booster & smart cleaner, a smart battery saver and a virus remover. Its the most feature full app on our list with the capacity to ring your phone, erase all data, lock your phone as well as offer malware protection..

Boasting over 200 million users and an average rating of 4.6/5 its well used and trusted.

Google Play Store Stats
Reviews: 16,617,723
Average Rating: 4.6/5
Price: Free to install, in-app purchases for upgrades.

2. Where’s my Droid

Developed by Alienman Tech, Where’s My Droid is a reliable app that aids in locating your lost device within a short time. Claiming to be the first find your phone app for Android it has a raft of features including an intelligent auto-theft detection feature.

Like many of the apps on this list it allows you to send a code to your lost Android device making it ring (even in silent mode). You can also opt to send text messages to your lost device in a bid to get GPS coordinates.

If there’s an internet connection, you can remotely connect your lost phone using the commander option to take photos of the perpetrators. You can also reset passwords or simply wipe away your data for security reasons.

Google Play Store Stats
Reviews: 107,023
Average Rating: 4.5/5
Price: Free to install, in-app purchases for upgrades.

3. Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus

Bitdefender is a full suite of security products that offer protection against malware, spyware, trojans among other exploits. Have you lost your device or just misplaced it? There’s nothing to worry about. Simply send SMS commands and wait for the app to locate your phone. Designed with an extra layer of intelligent protection features, this app secures your most vital data from any form of misuse or prying eyes.

Rated as the Best Android Security Product in 2015 and 2016 by AV-TEST, the independent IT-Security Institute.

Google Play Store Stats
Reviews: 108,909
Average Rating: 4.5/5
Price: 14 day free trial

4. Lookout Security and Antivirus

The Lookout Security and Antivirus app not only protects your device from theft but also from possible malware and virus. With the help of the www.lookout.com, all you need to do is search for your lost device using the Google map. When you locate your lost phone, one has the option of remote ringing it loud and scanning for contacts. This app has an intelligent backup restore function and is very difficult to locate in case a “clever full” thief thinks of reinstalling it from the system.

Google Play Store Stats
Reviews: 944,354
Average Rating: 4.4/5
Price: Free to install, in-app purchases for upgrades.

5. Find My Device

Google’s own Find my Device App is the new and improved Android Device Manager. Listed among the most well reviewed Android apps its an obvious place to start for securing your device. This security app works with your Google account to locate your device as well as secure your personal data from any misuse.

This app is capable of resetting your device’s Lock screen, can erase all data or simply show a message on screen. If you’ve lost your phone close by then it can play a sound to help you locate it.

Google Play Store Stats
Reviews: 472,410
Average Rating: 4.3/5
Price: Free

6. Cerberus Anti-Theft

Next, we have the Cerberus Anti Theft app. This app offers a one-week free trial after which allows you to purchase the pro version for an affordable price. It allows you to remote control your device using the website www.cerberusapp.com.  The app gives you a chance to monitor your lost device using text messages while still monitoring SIM cards that are being inserted into your device.

If you can’t locate your device, this app will keep potential perpetrators on their toes by setting loud alarms, resetting passwords and erasing your phone’s memory both internal and SD card.

Google Play Store Stats
Reviews: 102,446
Average Rating: 4.3/5
Price: 7 day free trial

7. Lost Droid

Lost Droid allows you to remotely control your phone through its website and has advanced controls for locking/unlock, wiping an SD card or phone all through SMS. Developed by Theis Borg, the app is free to install and has various upgrade options.

Google Play Store Stats
Reviews: 69,872
Average Rating: 4.2/5
Price: Free to install, in-app purchases for upgrades.

8. Prey Anti Theft

My personal favourite, Prey Anti Theft is another app that protects your Android phone from possible theft. Locating your device is very simple and only requires you to send a text message with the code “GO PREY”. The app will detect your phone as missing and will send you detailed notifications of your phone’s current location.

In addition to that, this app will take snapshots of its current location using both front and rear cameras. You can opt to activate alarms, secure your data online or simply lock your device. Removing prey anti theft from your device requires a  secret password to be entered.

Google Play Store Stats
Reviews: 58,772
Average Rating: 4.2/5
Price: Free or 3 devices

9. Seek Droid

The Seek Droid app and the help of it’s website—www.seekdroid.com allows users to get location coordinates of the lost phone easily. If your Android device has no active internet connection, you can opt to use SMS activation. This allows you to send ring alerts, lock your phone, and wipe all data remotely to avoid any data breach.

Google Play Store Stats
Reviews: 5,103
Average Rating: 3.9/5
Price: Free

10. Find Stolen / Lost Mobile

Find Lost Phone is multi-purpose Anti-theft, phone tracker, and navigational application. With one single application Find Lost Phone, you can find your stolen or misplaced mobile phone, track your friends and family members and navigate without the internet. It is a user-friendly application that is going to keep your phone saved and protected.

Google Play Store Stats
Reviews: 1,921
Average Rating: 3.9/5
Price: Free

To Conclude on the top 10 android security apps…

With this list of top 10 android security apps at your disposal, you have no excuse not to prepare yourself for the worst. Use our list to select an appropriate android security app preventing you from further stress if you lose your device or have it stolen!

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Antivirus

Your antivirus is probably slowing your PC more than protecting it

Antivirus is one of the first things most people install on a new PC. After all, nobody wants malware ruining their PC or, worse, stealing their data. And to be fair, most popular antivirus suites do a decent job of protecting your PC. But the problem is, they aren’t exactly optimized to be lean or

Published 1 week ago in
Your antivirus is probably slowing your PC more than protecting it

Antivirus is one of the first things most people install on a new PC. After all, nobody wants malware ruining their PC or, worse, stealing their data. And to be fair, most popular antivirus suites do a decent job of protecting your PC. But the problem is, they aren’t exactly optimized to be lean or lightweight. And things have become even worse ever since antivirus suites have started bundling extras like VPNs, parental controls, and browser add-ons.

All of this leaves the apps and games you actually use with fewer resources, which causes frequent slowdowns and even lag. So the uncomfortable irony is that the software meant to protect your PC ends up being the very thing holding it back.

How antivirus software can slow down your PC

When constant protection becomes constant pressure

TippaPatt</a>/Rawpixel</a>/Shutterstock””>

person using antivirus scanning tool-1
Miker Rivero/MakeUseOf/TippaPatt/ShutterstockRawpixel/Shutterstock
Credit: Miker Rivero/MakeUseOf/TippaPatt/Rawpixel/Shutterstock

Antivirus softwares love to present themselves as silent protectors. Always watching, always keeping you safe, and never getting in your way. Sure enough, part of this is true. They work in the background, but it’s not without any impact.

Antivirus programs work by scanning files as they are opened, downloaded, copied, or modified. That means every app you launch and every document you touch triggers a quick inspection. There are also the scheduled scans, which often run when you least expect them. So if your PC has ever felt slow, even when you’ve got nothing running, it’s probably the antivirus program combing through your files in the background.

Now, the performance hit isn’t the same every time. During light, routine scans, the impact can be minimal, anywhere from 0 to 20 percent. However, during full or partial scans, this can rise up to as high as 50 percent. The impact also varies depending on the antivirus program you’re using. Some are lightweight and efficient, while others are far more demanding.

Most of the time, you may not even notice this slowdown. But as soon as you start gaming, editing videos, or running any resource-intensive apps, the story will change. That’s when both your app or game and antivirus program start to compete for the same system resources, and the performance takes a hit.

To make matters worse, modern antivirus rarely sticks to just antivirus duties. Most of them come bundled with all sorts of extras, like VPNs, password managers, and system optimizers. All of these extras run separate processes. So yes, it’s not just one program you’re dealing with. Your PC is actually running multiple different software under a single name.

You can verify if the antivirus is the bottleneck

Be sure before you act

!–>

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Antivirus

If you’re struggling to play tactics sim Menace, it could be because your antivirus is randomly deleting files

This week saw the early access launch of turn-based tactics game Menace, created by the piss-swigging misanthropes behind Battle Brothers. Julian has been having a wonderful time playing it and learning about the importance of spare ammo and adequate reconnaissance. It could have been worse, Julian…

Published 1 week ago in
If you’re struggling to play tactics sim Menace, it could be because your antivirus is randomly deleting files

This week saw the early access launch of turn-based tactics game Menace, created by the piss-swigging misanthropes behind Battle Brothers. Julian has been having a wonderful time playing it and learning about the importance of spare ammo and adequate reconnaissance. It could have been worse, Julian…
Read More

Continue Reading
Internet Security

Taoiseach warns that US airport security demand for access to five years of social media activity is ‘unworkable’

Taoiseach Micheál Martin hailed US president Donald Trump as “a sensible guy” as he warned a US demand for access to five years of social media activity as part of American visa screening was simply unworkable…

Published 1 week ago in
Taoiseach warns that US airport security demand for access to five years of social media activity is ‘unworkable’

Taoiseach Micheál Martin hailed US president Donald Trump as “a sensible guy” as he warned a US demand for access to five years of social media activity as part of American visa screening was simply unworkable…
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Antivirus

You don’t need to pay for third-party antivirus software to protect your PC anymore

Summary Most consumer devices already come with strong default security measures equivalent to or better than third-party software. Common vectors of attack for malware are already blocked by modern systems before they even reach your antivirus program. Individual consumer PCs are not a primary target for cybercriminals, and cyberattacks are often conducted by exploiting vulnerabilities

Published 2 weeks ago in
You don’t need to pay for third-party antivirus software to protect your PC anymore

Summary

  • Most consumer devices already come with strong default security measures equivalent to or better than third-party software.
  • Common vectors of attack for malware are already blocked by modern systems before they even reach your antivirus program.
  • Individual consumer PCs are not a primary target for cybercriminals, and cyberattacks are often conducted by exploiting vulnerabilities against third-party software, not the computer OS itself.

Do you still pay for third-party antivirus software like Norton or McAfee? You may be surprised to learn that there’s no real benefit to doing so. Software like this is mostly obsolete today.

Who pays for third-party antivirus software, and why?

It might sound like a bold claim, saying that you don’t need third-party antivirus software anymore. After all, recent statistics show that roughly half of American consumers use such programs. Interestingly enough, those same statistics also show that users over 65 are more than twice as likely to subscribe to paid antivirus software than those under 45.

Why is that? Well, there is certainly more than one reason, but a big one is simply misunderstanding and tradition.

In the past, having third-party antivirus software was prudent, almost mandatory to keep your computer safe. Some people who grew up in that era are comfortable with the idea of paying for these subscriptions, not realizing that things have changed: your computer protects itself just fine these days.

Not only do computers come out of the box equipped with incredibly good security these days, but most malware threats aren’t even targeting individual consumers. But you don’t have to take my word for it right away. Let’s dive into this in more detail.

Default security measures are more than enough today

All of your consumer devices come with default protection right off the shelf. With iOS and Android, their official app stores weed out malware and keep you safe. Mac has been using XProtect anti-malware for more than a decade, and it has an excellent record.

A screen showing an update for Windows Defender on Windows 11. Credit: Microsoft

Windows has Microsoft Defender Antivirus, which has consistently aced security tests run by third-party organizations. Since around seven years ago, Defender Antivirus has consistently earned perfect or near-perfect scores in protecting your PC.

Needless to say, that’s as good as it gets, and the program comes free with your Windows computer. There’s no paid antivirus software that can outperform this free, default option from Microsoft. They may offer more features, but not more practical benefits. But even beyond these built-in systems, there are other re

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