Best FREE Android Antivirus Apps in 2025 (Mobile & More)
With hackers constantly figuring out new ways to steal your information, it’s essential to keep your Android devices safe. That’s why I was alarmed to find that most free Android antivirus apps are completely useless at protecting you from cyberattacks. Many couldn’t even identify and block malware, while others drained my battery so much that it wasn’t worth using.
I spent weeks testing the most popular antiviruses on the Google Play store. To save you time, I shortlisted the top 3 free antivirus apps for Android smartphones, tablets, and more. TotalAV Antivirus & VPN is my #1 recommendation for its robust features. You can try TotalAV free for complete mobile security.
Try TotalAV on Android for free!
Quick Guide: The Best Android Antivirus App in 2025
- TotalAV Antivirus & VPN — #1 Free antivirus for Android that includes a remote firewall to prevent unauthorized device access.
- McAfee Mobile Security — Detects all malware on Android devices with effective ID Monitoring.
- Norton Mobile Security — Advanced scanner detects all malware targeting Android and various extra features.
The Best FREE Android Antivirus Apps (Tested 2025)
1. TotalAV Antivirus & VPN — WiFi Analyzer Keeps Android Safe From Unsecured Network Connections
Key Features:
- Successfully blocks and removes malware infections on Android
- Features include an Android WiFi analysis tool, WebShield, and device tune-up
- No ads or invasive app permissions required
- Works on any Android device running 5.0 or above
- 24/7 live chat, email, and phone support
TotalAV’s free Antivirus & VPN app for Android includes a WiFi analysis tool, which ensures your Android only connects to secure networks. With the tap of a button, its analysis told me that my connection was safe. This is something I’d like to see in more antivirus apps, as constantly using public WiFi networks can put you at risk.
To get started, I only had to provide my name and email to make an account. Thankfully this only took a minute, and I only get an email from TotalAV about once every 2 weeks. While real-time protection and VPN access requires a premium subscription, TotalAV caught all of the threats on my Android during scans.
Features like its data breach check, WebShield, and device tune-up are completely free. I used the data breach check to find several logins that were compromised, and when I tested the Android tune-up feature I freed up enough space to download an additional app in only a minute.
With such effective virus scanning and impressive bonus features like device tune-up, you should try TotalAV for free on your Android and get it running like new. TotalAV makes it easy to avoid the annoying “running out of space” errors, which oftens happen to me when I have too much cached data built up.
Try TotalAV on Android for free
2. McAfee Mobile Security — Successfully Removes Malware From Android Devices and Protects You Online With Its Web Filter
Key Features:
- Successfully detects all threats on Android devices via its scans
- ID monitoring lets you know if your personal data gets leaked
- Supports Android 8.0 and later
- Offers helpful 24/7 live chat support
- 30-day money-back guarantee
McAfee Mobile Security is a reliable Android antivirus with various useful tools. It isn’t the most feature-rich Android antivirus, but it provides impressive protection. Also, it has an excellent Safe Browsing feature that keeps you safe online by informing you about dangerous links.
I was impressed with McAfee’s virus scanner during tests as it detected all malware on my device. Also, there were no false positives during any of the scans, which took just over a minute to complete. The scans aren’t as fast as Norton’s, which usually takes just under a minute, but I was pleased with McAfee’s performance nonetheless.
With McAfee, you also get a variety of other helpful features that protect your device like Protection Score, WiFi Scan, and a built-in VPN. I also like that McAfee Mobile Security comes with a built-in data breach checker. You can enter your email in it and easily check if it’s been involved in any past breaches. Plus, you can set up active monitoring for your email, and McAfee will instantly inform you if it’s involved in a breach later on.
You can try McAfee completely risk-free as it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, thus giving you a whole month to test it. It’s also effortless to claim this guarantee — I requested a refund over live chat, which was immediately approved, and I had the money back a week later.
Get McAfee Mobile Security for Android
3. Norton Mobile Security — 100% Malware Detection On Android Devices With An Inbuilt VPN
Key Features:
- Detects all malware threats on your Android device
- Includes WiFi security, safety check-up, app scanning, and malicious link detection
- 24/7 live chat, email, and phone support
- Ad-free and no unnecessary app permissions required
- Works on Android phones and tablets (6.0 or later)
Norton is one of the best antiviruses I’ve tested for Android — and you can use its free trial for 14 days! Along with a perfect virus detection rate, Norton has some of the most advanced bonus features I’ve seen in any Android antivirus.
I especially like the App Advisor feature, which scans Android apps and gives you a safety score. This is perfect for someone like me, who enjoys downloading the latest gaming apps onto my Android smartphone. The App Advisor tool makes it much safer for me to download unknown apps and protect my personal data.
When I conducted a full system scan, Norton even showed me potential privacy risks and highlighted the apps draining my Android’s battery life. The full scan took under 2 minutes and didn’t slow down my smartphone while I used it.
You can try Norton Mobile Security for free for 14 days. To activate the free trial, all I had to do was download the app and sign up. I canceled my account after 10 days and I was never charged. It’s a great way to see how powerful Norton is for yourself.
How I Tested and Ranked the Best Antivirus for Android in 2025
I ran all my tests on a Motorola Moto E5 Play (Android version 8.0.0). Below are the criteria I used when testing the top antivirus apps for Android.
- Virus and malware scanner — I ran malware simulators and looked for antivirus programs that kept my Android secure with accurate scanning and real-time protection.
- Performance — The last thing you want is an antivirus that slows down your Android or uses too much battery. While each antivirus app was running, I checked for battery drain and measured how fast my other apps responded.
- Extra features — The best free apps come with online security and privacy features, such as a VPN and WiFi network scanners.
- Business model — Many free antivirus apps secretly make a profit from the private data stored on your Android device. I thoroughly vetted each antivirus company to ensure none of your private data is being sold or shared.
Safety Tip: Only download an antivirus app from a trusted source. Unfortunately, the Google Play store isn’t one of them as it’s flooded with knock-offs and scam apps. I strongly recommend you download an antivirus directly from the company’s official website (and all the links in this article will take you straight there).
Try TotalAV on Android for free
Protect Your Android Devices With a Free Antivirus
If you have sensitive or personal information stored on your Android device, I strongly recommend using an antivirus. I was alarmed by how many Android antivirus apps were useless, fake, and even dangerous. I did manage to find some decent free options though.
I was especially impressed by TotalAV Antivirus, which also comes with a VPN. It includes valuable tools like a WiFi analyzer, and a WebShield that finds every major vulnerability you have on your Android. Best of all, you can download TotalAV on your Android device for free.
Summary — Best Free Antiviruses for Android in 2025
