Antivirus applications keep your smartphone secure from malware and other threats, but they also offer additional features that can help increase your smartphone’s security. Some of these features include a password manager that protects your login credentials, VPN functionality for enhanced security and privacy, as well as tools to help locate or remotely wipe stolen smartphones.

Most antivirus applications will examine your phone on regular basis to look for malware signatures that may have infected the phone. They typically run these checks according to a timetable you set, and notify you of any threats. They will also determine whether you’re connected to an unsecured network which could expose your personal information to hackers.

Depending on the company certain antiviruses could come with additional features like anti-theft and a call blocker. For instance, Kaspersky offers a feature that allows you to take a picture of the person trying to unlock your phone three times, and lets you wipe or lock the device remotely. Other companies offer system tune-up tools that can eliminate junk files, speed up the performance of your device, and alert you to unsafe settings or applications.

A good way to gauge how well a security service protects your phone is to look at how it scores in the protection scores of independent testing labs. Some of these rankings are based on the you could look here amount of threats identified, while others consider things like how quickly and efficiently the service detects and eliminates threats. In addition, certain services go beyond the norm by offering features such as the guarantee of a refund and customer support that’s available round-the-clock.