First, is there really a need for antivirus for iPhone and iPad? Protecting mobile devices from malicious programs has become very important nowadays. Since iPhones and iPads use the cutting-edge security feature known as “sandboxing,” which stops apps from changing any other apps, files, or processes on your device, iOS “antivirus” apps typically don’t conduct standard antivirus screening.
In other words, when most people refer to “antivirus for iOS,” they really mean “internet security for iOS,” which includes a wide range of capabilities like anti-phishing, fraudulent SMS message prevention, and Wi-Fi network scanning that keep iPhones and iPads safe. Now, if this sounds like something your smartphone can benefit from, we’ve presented three of the best free antivirus tools to protect your iOS devices.
Note that each of the apps below can be used for free with access to basic protection, but if you need more advanced or stronger layer of protection, you will have to upgrade.
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Norton Mobile Security
The best free antivirus for iPhone and iPad is by far Norton Mobile Security, and this conclusion is supported by many iOS device users. Although it costs money, annual memberships come with a 60-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to install and test Norton on your iPhone or iPad without risk before deciding to subscribe.
Sincerely, Norton provides the best security tools for iOS, such as:
- Anti-phishing measures.
- Protection from malicious SMS messages.
- Protecting iOS calendar invites from scams.
- VPN (with unlimited data).
- Security checking of WiFi.
- Advanced identity theft protection (using LifeLock technology from Norton).
The finest phishing protection available is provided by Norton, which finds more dangerous, phony, and fraudulent websites than any other iOS app. In addition to keeping you secure while online, its web protection also checks emails, chats, social media apps, and even calendar invites to stop you from going to websites and clicking on links that could endanger your device or data.
Compared to other apps on our list that offer comparable services, Norton’s identity theft monitoring is far superior. Most apps only check email addresses for breaches, but Norton also checks for stolen addresses, phone numbers, insurance information, bank account information, driving license information, credit card information, and more.
The price of Norton Mobile Security is also very reasonable compared to many other premium iOS security apps, but it only offers coverage for one device. However, Norton 360 Deluxe ($49.99/year) covers up to five different devices, including Macs, PCs, and Android smartphones, if you need to protect more than one device.
McAfee Mobile Security
A great selection of iOS security capabilities are available in the incredibly user-friendly McAfee Mobile Security app. The 30-day money-back guarantee on its multi-device plans lets you test it out and decide whether it’s the best fit for you even though it’s not completely free.
The web protection offered by McAfee is really impressive; it stops users from visiting numerous verified phishing websites, including bogus banking login pages. Although its web security isn’t as sophisticated as Norton’s, it is still superior to the majority of iOS security apps.
The iOS app for McAfee also has:
- Wi- fi scanner
- VPN (with unlimited data).
- alerts for data breaches.
- tracking of identities.
- system check (automatic checks for new updates).
The Wi-Fi scanner provided by McAfee is fairly effective; it is an on-demand scanner that will alert you if you are connected to a dangerous Wi-Fi network.
You’ll enjoy the VPN feature as well, and it’s really easy to set up. The VPN offers reasonable speeds, but you might be disappointed to learn that you cannot select a server location—it always selects the one that is nearest to you.
Avira Mobile Security
More free features are offered by Avira Free Mobile Security for iOS than by any other free iOS apps, and all of these features are practical, easy to use, and create an extra layer of security for iPhones and iPads. Surely, this also qualifies to be crowned as the best free antivirus for iPhone and iPad. But we will leave that final choice to you.
The Privacy Manager feature of Avira’s iOS app, a downloadable iOS profile that stops Siri from sharing your data with Apple, is one of the features you’ll love the most. Once installed, this profile stops Siri from logging commands on Apple’s servers, which is great if you’re trying to limit the amount of personal data that big corporations can gather from you.
Numerous other security measures are also available with Avira Mobile Security, such as:
- VPN (100 MB daily limit).
- Anti-theft defense.
- Network scanner.
- Device examiner.
- Photo management software.
- Contact backup.
- Updater for iOS.
- Call blocker
We love Avira’s VPN because it offers quick, secure access to the internet and a no-logs guarantee, ensuring that your browser history is completely secret.
However, the VPN only allows you to connect to one server location and has a daily cap of 100 MB. You can get unlimited data and a selection of international server locations by upgrading to Avira Phantom VPN Pro ($4.09/month).
You must upgrade to Avira Prime Mobile, which is offered as part of the larger Avira Prime antivirus package or for a monthly subscription, if you want online safeguards, a VPN without restrictions, and a secure password manager.
Other free antivirus for iPhone and iPad include Lookout Personal, Kapersky, TotalAV and Panda Dome, among others. All of these antivirus tool options offer great value either for free, or at minimal and affordable prices.
The best free antivirus for iPhone and iPad: Final Words
We established that iOS devices do not need an antivirus in the traditional sense of the word. They do need some protection from internet-related security issues and a lot of people simply use the term “antivirus” when talking about tools that provide that protection.
Make sure to choose the best free antivirus for iPhone that works for you, depending on your needs and use it to keep your device free from malicious or harmful processes, among other functions. If you’ve benefited from this article, don’t hesitate to recommend it to your friends and loved ones.
Related: The Best Free Antivirus for Android.