Yes, our smartphones are essentially handheld computers. This means that your mobile phone is just as susceptible to viruses as your desktop and laptop computers. There are a number of ways that cybercriminals can break your phone’s defenses. Some events that can pose as threats include downloading untrustworthy apps, losing your phone, public WIFI, man-in-the-middle attacks, and more.

Unfortunately, yes. Android’s code is open source which makes it particularly vulnerable to malware and other malicious threats. Android also dominates the OS market with a 72% share, making it an attractive target for hackers. Your phone can catch a virus through bogus text messages or email, fake apps, public WIFI, or malicious advertisements.

Although not as prone as Android devices, iPhones can also get infected with malware and viruses. This is becoming increasingly common, especially via infected emails or by downloading apps outside of the App Store.

There are certain signs that you need to look out for. If your phone drains faster than expected, you start seeing apps that you don’t remember downloading, you get bombarded by pop-up ads, apps are suddenly crashing, or if your data usage is unusually high, then you should definitely run an antivirus scan on your phone.

The top antivirus apps we recommend on this page are all compatible with major smartphone brands, including but not limited to: Samsung Galaxy, Apple iPhone, Google Pixel, Motorola, Huawei, Xiaomi, OnePlus and LG.