Your smartphone is like a vault, it carries more value than the actual price you paid for it. It contains all your private, sensitive, and personal information, and as such, just like a vault, it needs appropriate reinforcement regularly. In this article, we aim to provide some great apps that will give you peace of mind ensuring you are in full control of your device even when you are not around. Below are some of the best well-researched anti-theft apps for Android that will help you protect your device, data, and find it if stolen.
List of Best Anti-theft Apps to Protect your Android Phone
As time goes on, security apps are developing, they’ve come up with more ways to protect the sanctity of your Android phone. If you want to keep it really simple, Google’s native Find My Phone is always there for you. However, the app has limited features and may not have the extra perk you’re looking for. So, check out the best free/premium anti-theft apps we found.
1. Cerberus Phone Security (Antitheft)
Cerberus Phone Security is one of the best anti-theft apps out there, and arguably the most popular of them all. It offers an array of features on a very comprehensive user interface, perhaps it is understandable why it offers only one week trial. The app helps not only track your lost Android phone but also helps you identify the thief on the go if stolen. Cerberus protects your device in 3 ways; with automatic alerts, remote control via SMS from another phone, and remote control from the Cerberus website.
These features enable you to lock your device from wherever you are with just a code, or show a message that remains on the display and can also be spoken by the device. You can also sound the alarm even if the phone is on silent mode, track the phone by checking the location history, and wipe the phone memory and SD card to secure private information. It definitely an app to try.
Download: Cerberus Phone Security (Antitheft)
2. Prey Anti-Theft
Prey Anti-Theft is a well-rated free anti-theft app for Android, similar to Cerberus. With this app, you can manage all your devices on different platforms from one web panel. One amazing thing about this app is, it offers missing reports to the police as evidence for your stolen phone, including pictures of the thief, GPS coordinates, user information, and a lot more. For further protection, you can add a control zone on the map so that if your phone leaves your area, you’d be alerted.
Other features include camouflage mode to keep the app hidden, lock by remote control, security alarm, and security message alert.
Download: Prey: Find My Phone & Security
3. Where’s My Droid
Where’s My Droid is another great app with a very sleek easy-to-use user interface. It allows you full control of your stolen phone and uses commands to wipe data, image capturing, sim change notification, tracking, and phone locking.
Some of its special features include giving commands to your phone via text and activating anti-theft mode once it leaves a defined area. You can also remotely wipe data from your phone storage and sd card, a feature not common amongst anti-theft apps.
Download: Where’s My Droid
4. Avast Antivirus & Security
Avast Antivirus is a feature-rich application that fills all the security-list check-marks as it offers an array of tools for device protection. It includes a virus scanner, photo vault, VPN, anti-theft, etc. Its anti-theft feature allows you to locate the stolen device by showing the phone’s last location on the map. The SIM security feature registers your device is stolen as soon as the SIM is changed, and a camera trap function captures the image of the thief and sends over email or SMS to whoever has your contact.
Download: Avast Antivirus & Security
5. McAfee Security
Mobile Security, developed by the famous antivirus software developer MacFee, is another excellent app on this list. Its full security package is one that might get you addicted to using this app. Just like Avast, it emails the photo of the thief to whoever has your contact after a number of wrong password entries. Its app lock feature guarantees top-notch security of personal data with a secure pin that only you know. No one can access your info even after successfully breaking into the phone. You can also locate, track, and remotely wipe your device from the web portal.
Download: McAfee Security
6. Kaspersky Security
Kaspersky is an extremely thorough app that lets you track, sound and alarm, and take pictures of whoever is trying to get into your phone. It also provides comprehensive protection against viruses and malware, which is a plus cos. The layer of protection it will bring to your device would be impenetrable. It would be just a useless metal if stolen.
Download: Kaspersky Security
7. Bitdefender Mobile Security
Bitdefender is a mobile security and antivirus app that gives decent protection against cyber threats in order to give a safe browsing experience. In addition to that, it features additional functionality such as anti-theft. The anti-theft feature allows data theft protection while allowing you to locate the device. This functionality is vital if you cant locate your stolen phone but don’t want confidential data to be accessed.
Download: Bitdefender Mobile Security
8. AVG AntiVirus & Security
AVG Antivirus app operates like most of the apps mentioned above. It comes with a comprehensive feature for theft protection. Its remote console management is quite extensive. You can set a lock screen message when the SIM is replaced. It discreetly emails the image of the thief, and you can remotely capture audio from your phone from its website. All its anti-theft features can be accessed during the free trial period, you can upgrade to keep enjoying these features.
Download: AVG AntiVirus & Security
9. Anti-theft Security
Anti-theft Security is a quite popular app that is obvious from the name. It helps you track your phone and stops busy bodies trying to interfere when it is out of sight. you can remote control your stolen phone via SMS. You can also remotely lock your phone, take a video, get a report, make it ring at optimum volume, show a message, and remotely perform a factory reset if you don’t have any hope of getting it back.
Download: Android Anti-theft Security