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. Aura Antivirus & VPN is my #1 recommendation for its robust features. You can try Aura for complete mobile security risk-free.
Quick Guide: The Best Android Antivirus App in 2025
- Aura Antivirus — Best Free Antivirus for Android blocks malware in real-time and provides tools for ID theft protection.
- TotalAV Antivirus— Detects all malware on Android devices with effective ID Monitoring.
- McAfee Mobile Security — Advanced scanner detects all malware targeting Android and various extra features.
The Best FREE Android Antivirus Apps (Tested 2025)
1. Aura Antivirus — Fast Malware Scans and Real-Time Protection
Key Features:
- Gets rid of malware on your Android in real time.
- Allows you to browse the web securely with a robust VPN.
- Multiple Identity protection features for US residents.
- ID theft protection includes an insurance policy of up to $1 million.
- Offers 24/7 support via phone call and email.
Aura’s Android app comes packed with top-tier features for mobile security. The app lets you scan your Android device and remove malware if found. In tests, Aura antivirus detected 100% of the malware found on my Samsung phone. Plus, the scan took less than 5 minutes to complete, effectively removing all threats from my Android device.
Apart from malware scanning, you’ll find many security features on the Android app, the most important one being the virus scanning features. Additionally, you get a VPN (WiFi Security) to encrypt your connection and block malicious downloads, and a password manager to organize all your login credentials.
For US users, you’ll get multiple ID protection features. You can monitor your social security number to make sure there’s no unauthorized use, check if your personal information is involved in a data breach, account and credit monitoring, opt out of data brokers, and more. Best of all, you get $1 million in insurance coverage for ID theft-related issues.
Aura offers a 60-day money-back guarantee, which means you can test the antivirus for free over that period. And if you want to commit to using it for the long term, Aura offers decent plans with huge discounts. There’s a 53% discount when you sign up for the Individual plan.
Protect your Android device using Aura
2. TotalAV Antivirus — 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 require 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 often happens to me when I have too much cached data.
Try TotalAV on Android for free
3. 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
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).
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 Aura 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 use Aura on your Android device free for 60 days with its money-back guarantee.
Summary — Best Free Antiviruses for Android in 2025
