CONS

• No remote camera or call blocking.
• Requires Internet connection for malware scan.

Anti-Malware Detection

To test Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus Premium MOD APK I downloaded the EICAR app from Google Play. This app is perfectly safe, but it is designed to be detected as malicious for testing purposes. Bitdefender flagged it immediately on installation, and it gave me the option to uninstall the app or ignore the warning. When I pressed ignore, the Bitdefender home screen immediately updated to show me that something was still amiss. That’s great. However, Bitdefender does not include an ignore list for apps you want to be excluded from scans. That isn’t an issue for most users unless their phones are filled with custom software.

Privacy Advisor

Android users may not be aware that apps can leak their personal information, track their location, and do more besides. Apps that do these somewhat unseemly activities are not really “malicious,” but you might not want them around, either. To give you greater visibility into hidden app behaviour, Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus Premium MOD APK bundles its Clueful Privacy Advisor into its security app in the App Advisor section. Read my review of Clueful for a full list of its features.

I like App Advisor’s filtering options, which lets you quickly sort your apps by dangerous behaviour. That said, I’m still not too keen on the idea of a “privacy score,” and I wish that Bitdefender would provide more information about what makes an app dangerous. The latest version of Norton Security and Antivirus goes even further with information about how much data apps use, and how much they impact your battery’s performance. Norton also integrates directly into Google Play, letting you see warnings about an app before you even download it.

Theft Protection

Android malware is a real threat, but it’s not one most people will actually encounter if they only download apps from the Google Play store. A far bigger threat to your Android device is loss or theft. To that end, Bitdefender has included tools to keep you in control of your phone no matter where it is.

With Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus Premium MOD APK, you can remotely lock, locate, or wipe the device, or trigger an alarm. You access these tools primarily through the excellent Bitdefender website, which I found to be clean, well-designed, and easy to use. However, Bitdefender should make it clearer within the app where users can find these tools.

When you remotely lock your phone from the Bitdefender website, you create a new passcode (a minimum of four digits) to unlock the device. Bitdefender uses the stock Android lock screen, which means you can be assured your device is secure, though a thief can see notifications on the device.

If you’re not near a computer, you can trigger these tools using special SMS commands. One command, which forces your phone to call the number sending the SMS command, is a great way to find a lost or stolen phone. With this feature, you can listen in on a thief or give instructions to a helpful soul looking to return your lost device. Note that the phone sending the Wipe command must be enrolled within the Bitdefender app as a trusted number. That’s a good check against potential abuse. Kaspersky Mobile Security doesn’t have this fail-safe but instead lets you select which SMS commands your phone will respond to.