Why You Should Be Using An Antivirus App On Your Android Phone

Many factors determine the overall security of a phone, its operating system being one of them. While Google provides several defensive systems that protect an Android smartphone from viruses and malware, Android is not entirely immune to viruses primarily because it runs on open-source code. Hence, Android’s source code is freely available to both app developers and hackers, making it easy to design an app for malicious purposes. In contrast, Apple’s iOS is a closed-source operating system, making it less prone to malware. However, cases of iOS vulnerabilities being exploited by bad actors are also on the rise. 

Apart from the open-source code, Android also allows you to download and install third-party apps and APKs from outside the Google Play Store, which makes it more vulnerable to viruses. While browsing the internet on any given day, you’ll likely find an array of illegitimate links and ads that offer downloads and installations of video games, songs, or apps. Although the links that redirect you to Google Play Store are safe, the ones that look suspicious can be from malicious third-party developers. In addition, several smartphone companies add a custom UI over stock Android, making it difficult for Google to provide the securest version of the OS (via Avast). If you download files from Google Play Store, you should stay clear of any virus or malware, but just in case, having an extra layer of security always helps.