![]() Besides notable changes in the notifications system (e.g., notification channels) as well as enhanced security in web browsing, the system performance (e.g. ![]() Many manufacturers upgraded the operating system for their older phones and Android Nougat is currently running on almost every third Android device (31.1%).Īndroid version 8.0 (Android Oreo) was officially released in August 2017. With the release of Android 7.0 (Android Nougat) in August 2016, Android devices received seamless system updates (e.g., better multitasking, new JIT compiler, dual system partition), improvements for the storage manager, and overall performance improvements that extend battery life, reduce RAM usage, and speed up app installation and execution. As the ring chart of Android versions in May 2018 below shows, Android Marshmallow still runs on more than 25% of all Android devices. Additionally, the account management was restricted, so as to deny apps permission to remove existing accounts (such as the main Google account) from the phone. Android 6.0 introduced run-time permissions where an app will request a specific permission the first time it needs it, which gives the user more control over the permissions granted to/removed from individual apps. At that time, it was the most commonly used Android version, running on around 31% of all Android devices. In last year’s report, we tested anti-virus apps for devices with Android 6.0 (Android Marshmallow). In the table representing a product’s anti-theft features, we comment on each function briefly and use the following symbols to indicate how well it worked in our tests. Detailed reviews of the individual products follow, in which we will shed light on the layout and usage of the features. After that, we give a short summary of security features and their main sub-components commonly implemented in typical security apps for Android.Īt the end of the introduction, we list the participating security products, and present the results of the malware and battery drain tests. Furthermore, we will argue why it is not advisable to rely only on built-in malware protection features (all latest and newer Android devices are already equipped with such functions), but instead install a third-party anti-virus app to be better protected against security threats. We start by recapping Android Oreo ’s new features and security behaviour changes. ![]() On the following pages, we provide a brief overview of the risks facing smartphone users from malware and the loss or theft of their device, and discuss the benefits of security apps. Basic anti-theft features (lock, locate, alarm, and wipe) are already provided by recent versions of Android via Google’s Find My Device function. ![]() Google’s Safe Browsing API protects against malware and phishing links when the user is surfing the Internet using the Chrome browser.įurthermore, an anti-theft component in a security app could be used to find a lost or stolen phone, and/or prevent access to any personal data stored on the device. For example, Google’s built-in malware scanner Play Protect checks apps during installation from the Google Play store or a third-party source and scans the device continuously for any threats. Readers should note that recent Android versions incorporate some basic anti-malware features. The main purpose of a mobile security product is to protect users and their devices from potential harm inflicted by malicious apps, fraudulent mails, or phishing URLs. ![]() The structure of each product report is identical, allowing readers to compare products easily. The review mainly focuses on the security features – anti-malware, anti-theft, and privacy – and only mentions further functionalities briefly. ![]()
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