Safety (virus) in Android tablets

[eloic]

I was looking for a big general thread to post this question, but I haven't found it.

Ok, so I heard that Android tablets need antivirus software (such as McAffee...) because they're more "open" to threats in comparison to phones. I was like "ok?".

I've never had issues with my Android phones and I've never used special antivirus/malware software. And, as far as I know, tablets use the exact same OS, so why would that be any different?

After a search, I've only found contradictory information.

Any experts, here?

 

[BRiT]

One thing for certain is: Nobody needs or should ever use McAfee software.

 

[eloic]

One thing for certain is: Nobody needs or should ever use McAfee software.

Yeah, ew. I was just quoting the dude who told me that, but anyway, I would like to know if there's any truth to the initial statement.

 

[orangpelupa]

normal androids with google play services already have build-in antivirus "google play protect" IIRC

 

[digitalwanderer]

I use Malwarebytes on my android devices just like on my PC.

 

[orangpelupa]

im now using a xiaomi redmi note 10s with stock MIUI ROM, and turns out it have build-in avast antivirus. it automatically run after or before (cant remember) app installs

 

[Malo]

normal androids with google play services already have build-in antivirus "google play protect" IIRC

And yet they still let through apps with malware far more often than iOS.

 

[orangpelupa]

And yet they still let through apps with malware far more often than iOS.

Oh those are different thing and it's defective by design.

Originally, in android 4 IIRC, we can granularly select app permissions via "app ops", thus limiting its good/bad behavior. The apps will run just fine. Iirc they were getting blanks. So from the app's perspective, they are still getting what they wanted.

Google then went away from that. Then nowadays Google kinda going back into that. More and more stuff can be selected/deselected but apps can refuse to run if you deselected the required features.

The malwares then act as a good app. But then sometime later it would start taking advantage of the permissions it got to do bad things.