Many antivirus applications offer additional features that can increase your smartphone’s safety. Some of these features include the ability to manage passwords to secure your login details, VPN functionality for enhanced privacy and security and tools to locate or remotely wipe stolen phones.
The majority of antivirus services will test your phone on a regularly basis to search for malware signatures that may be causing the problem. They will usually run these tests according to a schedule you have set, and inform you of any threats. They also look to determine if you are connected to an unsecured network that could expose your data to hackers.
Depending on the service provider certain antiviruses could come with additional features like anti-theft protection and call blocking. Kaspersky for instance, offers a feature that will take three pictures of the person who is trying to gain access to your device. It also permits you to lock or wipe it remotely. Other providers offer tools to tune-up your system that remove junk files, speed up the performance of your device, and alert you to unsafe settings or applications.
You can gauge how well your phone is secured by analyzing the ranking of independent testing labs. Some of these rankings are based upon the amount of threats that are detected and other factors like how quickly the service detects threats and eliminates them. In addition, certain services go above and beyond by providing features like a money-back assurance and customer support that is available 24/7.