Hope you read our article on the list of known malware apps for Android. With the number of apps increasing at a fast pace and developer certificates being easily accessible, there are increased chances of people downloading malware disguised as innocent applications. This article gives you some tips on how to keep malware off Android phones.
Who is the publisher of Android Apps?
Always do a little research to find out who created the Android app that you wish to download. Does the publisher offer any other apps? What kind of other apps are being offered by the publisher? Does the publisher have an own website? Does the website provide a physical address for the publisher? An app without proper signature may be malware and it is better to stay away from such apps. On the other hand, there may be genuine apps from first time publishers too. You can do a little more research to find reviews about those Android apps.
Reviews For Android Apps
People who use Android apps often leave reviews to help others decide before downloading the app. There may be both positive and negative reviews. You need to study both and choose whether or not to download the app. Reviews are readily available on the Internet. While some people get others to write fake reviews, you know the reviews are genuine when on reputed sites such as PCWorld, CNET, CHIP etc.
What Does The Android App Do “Additionally”?
If you download an app for reminders, it does not need to access your phone contact book, correct? If it is asking for access to phone contact book, block it and then remove it. Malware can get to their work either when you are installing them or after you have installed them. In any case, you need to be careful and keep a watch on what all phone resources are they asking access to. If you find anything suspicious, block the access on prompt and remove the application.
Where Did You Get That App?
If you have read about our list of known Android malware apps, you now know that you need to be cautious even when downloading directly from Google Play. And if Google Play compels you for extra precautions, should you trust apps available for download on some BlogSpot or WordPress blog? In other words, do NOT download any app that you find anywhere on the Internet just because it is free or low cost. Go to the Android marketplace or other authorized websites where you can be sure about the app being genuine and malware free.
Get Anti-Malware For Phone
I cannot assure you that you will be safe upon installing anti-malware programs on your phone but still, if it is a good one, you will get some protection against malware. Just like no computer antivirus can claim to protect your PC completely, phone based antimalware software also help you to an extent. Within that extent, you and your phone are safe and hence the recommendation. In case you need assistance on selecting an antimalware and virus protection, go for Norton Internet and virus protection. Do remember that Lookout has both free and paid versions. Download it after checking if you are at correct link – to avoid inconvenience later.
Above are some necessary tips on how to keep malware off Android phones. If you have more tips, please share with us.
