Expert review
Plus points
- Excellent virus protection
- Comprehensive web protection
Our verdict
For just €2 per month you get what seems like an extraordinary amount. Good virus protection, theft protection, VPN and web protection. However, the VPN has limited data, so you may need a more expensive separate subscription.
Price upon review
This value shows the geolocated price text for product undefined
Best price today
Price upon review
Free
Best prices today: Bitdefender Mobile Security
To use Bitdefender Mobile Security you pay £2 per month, but you can get a discounted price of just over £1 per month for the first year. And if you have a multiplatform license with Bitdefender, this Android app is included.
But double check that that’s not the case Antivirus Plus or internet security. These versions do not include Mac, iOS and this Android solution, they are for Windows only.
If you choose Total safety for £39.50 for the first year (50% off) this includes five devices for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. That price is in-app, but strangely it’s £44.99 on the web, compared to £79.99.
If you want to try before you buy, you can get a free, full-featured version that is valid for 14 days. The only requirement is that you register an account with Bitdefender.
The protection against malicious apps is slightly better than what you get from Google Play Protect. According to AV-Test, it protects against all their attempts to infect your mobile phone with known bad apps.
It also keeps a tight lid on so-called real-time threats, i.e. undetected malicious apps, that Google’s solution occasionally lets through. It’s good if you are in the habit of installing apps from less protected sources, such as downloaded APK files.
Keeps out shady links
In addition to good app protection, web protection is included for most mobile browsers, including Chrome, Edge, Opera, Samsung Browser and Brave. You are also protected against scam links in text messages, the chat apps Whatsapp, Messenger, Discord and Telegram and in emails.
During my test with Bitdefender on my mobile phone, I received a scam text message from a fake “Postnord” sender that wanted to direct me to an untrustworthy site with a suspicious URL. Bitdefender agreed and didn’t let me click on it blindly.
The app also selects apps that you can place behind a biometric lock or PIN to launch. This ensures that no one can open unauthorized apps, including other apps. It’s an extra layer of security if you’ve left your phone unlocked.
Good theft protection, minimal VPN
You get anti-theft protection that can be activated via a web interface. This allows you to locate your phone via IP and GPS, lock it if you lose it, take a photo to see if you can spot who the thief is, or trigger an alarm.
You should even be able to wipe your phone remotely, if keeping sensitive data on your device out of the reach of unauthorized people is more important than getting it back.
You get a simple VPN without a location selector, limited to 200 MB per day. Just enough to read emails and bank safely and anonymously. But not for streaming video, for example. You will need to purchase the separate VPN app and subscription from Bitdefender.
The interface is simple and Bitdefender’s Autopilot feature, which constantly gives you sensible recommendations, makes it easy to use. Some features and settings are easier to find than others, but none are particularly hidden.
Specifications
- App control
- Anti-theft
- Browser protection
- VPN
- Wi-Fi control
- Identity monitoring
- Android 5
This article originally appeared in our sister publication PC for Alla and was translated and adapted from Swedish.
